Discrimination

  • September 19, 2025

    NJ Claims Of Union Job Referral Bias Preempted, Judge Hears

    The state of New Jersey's discrimination lawsuit against a local union should be dismissed because it is preempted by federal labor law and was filed after the two-year statute of limitations expired, a state court judge heard Friday during a hearing.

  • September 19, 2025

    4 Things To Know About Calif. Workplace AI Oversight Bill

    California lawmakers recently approved legislation that would require companies to apply human oversight and notify workers when using artifical intelligence tools to make employment decisions. Here are four key things to know about the bill as attorneys wait to see if Gov. Gavin Newsom signs it into law.

  • September 19, 2025

    Wash. Biz Owner Sexually Harassed Bikini Baristas, AG Says

    The owner of several Seattle-area "bikini barista" espresso stands has been hit with a sweeping employment discrimination suit claiming he made women strip naked in front of him during job interviews, provide sexual favors to keep their hours and get paid, and perform similar nude "shows" for customers.   

  • September 19, 2025

    Teacher Says Firing Over Kirk Post Violated 1st Amendment

    A former teacher has filed a lawsuit against an Iowa school district in federal court, claiming his First Amendment rights were violated when he was fired for calling conservative commentator Charlie Kirk a "nazi" on social media the day Kirk was shot and killed.

  • September 19, 2025

    NFL Warns Arb. Ruling Could Disrupt Sports Dispute Process

    The NFL has asked the Second Circuit for a rehearing on its finding that the league provides arbitration "in name only" because its process lacks neutrality, arguing that the decision will disrupt long-standing procedures across professional sports and undermine a league's authority to resolve disputes.

  • September 19, 2025

    Fed Workers Can Telework For Religious Reasons, DOJ Says

    Federal employees should be allowed to telework occasionally for religious reasons, even after President Donald Trump's January executive order requiring in-person attendance for government workers, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

  • September 19, 2025

    Former Immigration Judge's Bias Suit Gets Trimmed In Fla.

    A Florida federal judge has trimmed multiple counts from a former immigration judge's discrimination lawsuit, finding that she failed to back up her bias claims.

  • September 19, 2025

    11th Circ. Signals Damage Caps Can't Be Waived In Bias Suits

    The Eleventh Circuit on Friday challenged the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's argument that courts can disregard statutory damage limits in workplace discrimination suits if companies don't invoke them early enough in litigation, as one judge declared that "you can't waive law."

  • September 19, 2025

    Fired Public Housing CEO Sues NC City, Alleging Racial Bias

    The former CEO of a North Carolina city's public housing authority has hit the city and authority board with a race discrimination and breach of contract suit, alleging in North Carolina federal court that the defendants violated her work contract because she's an African American woman.

  • September 19, 2025

    Google Must Face Suit Over Mideast Protest Firings

    Google managed to narrow, but couldn't knock out, a proposed class action challenging the firings of employees who protested the company's connections to the Israeli military, as a California federal court said it's too soon to decide if the in-office dissent lost the protection of federal anti-retaliation law.

  • September 19, 2025

    Medical Marijuana Co. Fired Worker Over Seizures, EEOC Says

    A medical marijuana business fired an employee soon after she asked to take breaks at work to accommodate her seizure condition, according to a suit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Florida federal court.

  • September 19, 2025

    Calif. Forecast: Fast-Food Workers Seek Wage Suit Sanctions

    In the coming week, attorneys should keep an eye out for arguments regarding sanctions in a wage and hour class action against an operator of Jack in the Box restaurants. Here's a look at that case and other labor and employment matters coming up in California.

  • September 18, 2025

    Polsinelli Can't Trim, Arbitrate Atty's Sexual Harassment Case

    Polsinelli PC and two former partners cannot trim and compel arbitration of claims in a $20 million sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit brought by a former equity shareholder, a D.C. federal judge ruled Thursday, saying the shareholder plausibly alleges her claims and isn't required to arbitrate the dispute.

  • September 18, 2025

    Starbucks Accused Of Not Paying For 'Restrictive' Dress Code

    Starbucks employees from Colorado, Illinois and California on Wednesday launched legal actions against the coffeehouse giant for allegedly refusing to reimburse them for clothing and shoes despite requiring a new dress code.

  • September 18, 2025

    EEOC Sues Security Firms Over 'Sexually Hostile' Workplace

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Thursday filed suit on behalf of a Georgia woman who was allegedly discriminated against while working as a security officer and then fired when she complained about the "sexually hostile work environment."

  • September 18, 2025

    DOL Proposal To Nix Bias Regs Draws Over 1,000 Comments

    The public comment window closed Wednesday on a U.S. Department of Labor proposal to scrap decades-old regulations that impose nondiscrimination and affirmative action requirements on federal contractors. Here, Law360 looks at some of the themes from the feedback.

  • September 18, 2025

    7th Circ. Judge Wary Of Ex-Firefighter's Free Speech Position

    A Seventh Circuit judge on Thursday said an attorney for a former Chicago firefighter seeking to revive a suit claiming he was unlawfully fired for a series of memes and other statements posted on Facebook seemed to be making a "hyperbolic" argument that public employers cannot regulate speech outside the workplace.

  • September 18, 2025

    EEOC Says Home Care Co.'s Owner Harassed Female Workers

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleged in federal court Thursday that an owner of a Virginia-based home healthcare provider groped female employees and subjected them to unwelcome sexual comments, prompting many to quit.

  • September 18, 2025

    Microsoft Whistleblower Suit Can Proceed, Judge Says

    A former Microsoft worker can keep pursuing his federal whistleblower claim in his suit accusing the company of firing him for flagging compliance issues and misconduct, a Texas federal court ruled in its order determining the employee's alleged failure to utilize administrative proceedings does not bar him from bringing the claims.

  • September 18, 2025

    Caterpillar Unit Escapes Fired HR Worker's Age Bias Suit

    A Colorado federal judge tossed a suit Thursday from a former human resources manager who said a Caterpillar Inc. subsidiary fired her because she was in her mid-50s, finding she failed to overcome evidence of performance issues that included repeated mistakes and disclosures of confidential information.

  • September 18, 2025

    U. Of Arkansas Must Face Ex-Coach's Equal Pay Claims

    A former assistant softball coach for the University of Arkansas has sufficiently supported her claims that she was paid less than two male coaches, a federal judge said Thursday, keeping her suit in place.

  • September 18, 2025

    Calif. County Deputy DA Loses Free Speech Retaliation Suit

    A California federal judge has tossed a retaliation suit from a former Santa Clara County, California, deputy district attorney.

  • September 18, 2025

    DOJ Tells Austin, Texas, Its Diversity Goals May Be Unlawful

    The U.S. Department of Justice told the Democratic mayor of Austin, Texas, on Thursday that it was launching an investigation into the city's employment practices, saying Austin's stated desire to promote "racial equity" in its workplaces may violate federal antidiscrimination law.

  • September 18, 2025

    Dallas Fed Settles Former Employee's Race Bias Case

    The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas resolved an Indian ex-employee's lawsuit alleging he was let go for complaining to management that he and other employees of color received unfair poor performance ratings from a white supervisor, according to a Thursday filing in Texas federal court.

  • September 18, 2025

    1st Circ. Won't Lift Block On HHS Job, Program Cuts

    The First Circuit on Wednesday rejected a bid by the Trump administration to let it move ahead with cutting 10,000 jobs and end a number of programs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services while it appeals a Rhode Island federal judge's order temporarily barring the plan.

Expert Analysis

  • Employer Tips For PUMP Act Compliance As Law Turns 2

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    Enacted in December 2022, the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act requires employers to provide reasonable break time and a private space for employees to express breast milk, but some companies may still be struggling with how to comply, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • What To Know About Ill. Employment Law Changes

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    Illinois employers should review their policies in light of a number of recent changes to state employment law, including amendments to the state’s Human Rights Act and modifications to the Day and Temporary Labor Services Act, say attorneys at Kilpatrick.

  • Mich. Whistleblower Ruling Expands Retaliation Remedies

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    The Michigan Supreme Court's recent Occupational Health and Safety Act decision in Stegall v. Resource Technology is important because it increases the potential exposure for defendants in public policy retaliation cases, providing plaintiffs with additional claims, say Aaron Burrell and Timothy Howlett at Dickinson Wright.

  • How States Are Approaching AI Workplace Discrimination

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    As legislators across the U.S. have begun addressing algorithmic discrimination in the workplace, attorneys at Reed Smith provide an overview of the status, applicability and provisions of 13 state and local bills.

  • The Risks Of Employee Political Discourse On Social Media

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    As election season enters its final stretch and employees increasingly engage in political speech on social media, employers should beware the liability risks and consider policies that negotiate the line between employees' rights and the limits on those rights, say Bradford Kelley and James McGehee at Littler.

  • 7th Circ. Rulings Offer Employee Vaccine Exemption Guidance

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    Dawn Solowey and Samantha Brooks at Seyfarth explain how two recent Seventh Circuit rulings in Passarella v. Aspirus and Bube v. Aspirus could affect litigation involving employee vaccine exemptions, and discuss employer best practices for handling accommodation requests that include both religious and secular concerns.

  • Employers Should Not Neglect Paid Military Leave Compliance

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    An August decision from the Ninth Circuit and the settlement of a long-running class action, both examining paid leave requirements under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, are part of a nationwide trend that should prompt employers to review their military leave policies to avoid potential litigation and reputational damage, says Bradford Kelley at Littler.

  • Old Employment Law Principles Can Answer New AI Concerns

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    Despite growing legal and regulatory concerns about how artificial intelligence tools may affect employment decisions and worker rights, companies should take comfort in knowing that familiar principles of employment law and established compliance regimes can still largely address these new twists on old questions, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.

  • NYC Wage Info Bill Highlights Rise In Pay Transparency Laws

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    With New York City the latest to mull requiring companies to annually report employee wage data, national employers should consider adapting their compliance practices to comply with increasingly common pay transparency and disclosure obligations at state and local levels, says Kelly Cardin at Littler Mendelson.

  • Workday AI Bias Suit Suggests Hiring Lessons For Employers

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    As state laws and a federal agency increasingly focus on employment bias introduced by artificial intelligence systems, a California federal court's recent decision to allow a discrimination suit to proceed against Workday's AI-driven recruitment software, shows companies should promptly assess these tools' risks, say attorneys at Williams & Connolly.

  • How Anti-DEI Bill Could Affect Employers' Diversity Efforts

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    Sen. J.D. Vance's recently introduced Dismantle DEI Act would substantially limit employers’ ability to implement and promote workplace diversity, equity and inclusion, but there are still steps employers can take to support a diverse workforce, says Peter Ennis at Cozen O’Connor.

  • US Labor And Employment Law Holds Some Harsh Trade-Offs

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    U.S. labor and employment laws have evolved into a product of exposure-capping compromise, which merits discussion in a presidential election year when the dialogue has focused on purported protections of middle-class workers, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Water Cooler Talk: Immigration Insights From 'The Proposal'

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    Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs at Troutman Pepper chat with their colleague Robert Lee about how immigration challenges highlighted in the romantic comedy "The Proposal" — beyond a few farcical plot contrivances — relate to real-world visa processes and employer compliance.