Discrimination

  • February 23, 2026

    Union's Case Cite Can't End NJ Bias Claim, Court Told

    New Jersey's acting attorney general told a state judge Friday that Ironworkers Local 11's bid to inject a new federal ruling into a discrimination case falls flat, arguing in a letter that the union's reliance on the decision misfires because the opinion doesn't address state law discrimination or alter the analysis set forth by applicable U.S. Supreme Court precedent.

  • February 23, 2026

    Fla. Biologist Fired Over Kirk Parody Seeks Reinstatement

    A biologist has asked a Florida federal court to restore her state agency position after she was fired for sharing a post making fun of Charlie Kirk on social media, arguing the First Amendment allows free speech on public topics that have nothing to do with her job.

  • February 23, 2026

    EEOC Decries New Hurdle For 3rd-Party Harassment Suits

    A recent appellate ruling making it tougher for workers to sue employers over alleged harassment by third parties threatens to undermine the goals of federal anti-bias law, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission told the Third Circuit, backing a suit against the University of Pennsylvania.

  • February 23, 2026

    Conn. Pizza Chain Settles Ex-Operations Chief's Bias Suit

    Frank Pepe's, a Connecticut-based pizza chain, has settled a federal lawsuit brought by its former director of operations for allegedly firing him because he is a middle-aged white man, court records show.

  • February 23, 2026

    4th Circ. Reverses $57K Atty Sanction In Engineer's Bias Suit

    The attorney representing an Arab American worker in a civil rights retaliation suit against an engineering firm had legitimate grounds for opposing the firm's motion for an early win, the Fourth Circuit has determined, scrapping a $57,015 sanction a federal district judge imposed for allegedly dragging out the case.

  • February 23, 2026

    Analyst Who Claimed She Was Fired For Needing Sleep Settles

    A New Jersey woman who claimed she was fired by Centerview Partners after disclosing she needed consistent sleep to manage a health disorder settled her case against the investment bank ahead of a jury trial in New York federal court, the bank said Monday.

  • February 23, 2026

    Ex-Stone Hilton Staffer Seeks Cruz Subpoena Denial Review

    A former employee of Stone Hilton PLLC has asked a Texas federal court to revisit a decision to quash a subpoena for information from Sen. Ted Cruz, saying a 2019 memo received two days after the ruling establishes that a claim of harassment was made against firm partner Judd Stone shortly before he quit working for the senator.

  • February 23, 2026

    Spencer Fane Adds Quarles & Brady Labor Practice Pro

    Missouri-headquartered Spencer Fane LLP has hired the former leader of Quarles & Brady LLP's Washington, D.C., labor and employment group as a partner who will work on defamation cases, class action matters and more, according to an announcement on Monday.

  • February 23, 2026

    Sunroom Co. Can't Avoid EEOC Sex Harassment Suit

    An Oklahoma federal judge declined to toss a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming the owner of a sunroom company sexually harassed female employees, calling the company's attacks on the veracity of the EEOC's allegations premature.

  • February 23, 2026

    Justices Turn Away DOD Analyst's Disability Bias Battle

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to review a D.C. Circuit decision that scuttled a disability bias lawsuit from a U.S. Department of Defense intelligence analyst who claimed he was unlawfully reassigned after failing a series of polygraph tests.

  • February 23, 2026

    Justices Reject Air Force COVID Vax Back Pay Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to revive an Air Force lieutenant's bid for back pay after he refused to follow the service's now-overturned COVID-19 vaccine mandate on religious grounds, after the Sixth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of his case. 

  • February 23, 2026

    High Court Won't Wade Into Doctor's Retaliation Suit

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to consider reviving a doctor's retaliation suit claiming a New York City-area hospital system forced his exit for raising patient safety concerns, despite his argument that the healthcare provider had withheld an email that supported his case.

  • February 20, 2026

    Ex-Exec Must Arbitrate Claims In CoStar DQ-Embroiled Spat

    A California federal judge sent most of a former Matterport executive's harassment and retaliation suit to arbitration, amid a suit that has prompted CoStar's efforts to disqualify Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP counsel in separate litigation.

  • February 20, 2026

    EEOC, NC Health Co. Ink $150K Deal To End COVID Vax Suit

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has struck a $150,000 deal with a Raleigh, North Carolina, healthcare provider it accused of illegally firing a remote Christian employee who refused COVID-19 vaccination on religious grounds.

  • February 20, 2026

    NYC's Expanded Leave Law Goes Into Effect

    Employees in New York City will get an extra, unpaid 32 hours of sick and safe leave every year under an expansion of a city leave law in effect as of Feb. 22.

  • February 20, 2026

    EEOC Suit Against Coke Bottler Illuminates Anti-DEI Strategy

    A recent U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming that a Coca-Cola distributor violated federal law by holding a women-only corporate event sheds light on the agency's strategy for challenging workplace diversity initiatives, and suggests that a broad range of employer programs are under scrutiny, experts said.

  • February 20, 2026

    Court OKs $376K Arb. Victory For Accountant In PWFA Suit

    A Texas federal court approved a $376,000 arbitration award for a former community center accounting employee who alleged she was belittled by a supervisor and denied telework as a temporary accommodation following childbirth.

  • February 20, 2026

    NY Forecast: 2nd Circ. Hears Bakery's Class Cert Challenge

    This week, the Second Circuit will consider whether a trial court properly approved opt-in notices for potential members of a federal wage and hour collective action who worked outside the state where the suit was brought.

  • February 20, 2026

    'Scare Tactics Work' But Hope Persists For Legal Industry DEI

    The suspension of Diversity Lab's Mansfield Certification program is the latest indication that political threats against BigLaw are working, as the Trump administration targets DEI programs, observers say. Still, some supporters of legal industry diversity initiatives predict law firms will continue to pursue inclusive hiring practices — even if they don't talk about it publicly.

  • February 20, 2026

    Lack Of Standing Dooms GardaWorld Health Fees Suit

    A North Carolina federal judge on Friday threw out a suit alleging that GardaWorld Cash Service violated federal employment law with surcharges on its employee health plan for those who use tobacco or refused COVID-19 vaccination after finding that the two named plaintiffs did not participate in the health plan.

  • February 20, 2026

    Former Calif. Judge Seeks To End Sex Assault Case

    A former California Superior Court judge facing five criminal counts alleging he sexually assaulted a court staffer and later lied to investigators in an attempt to cover up the encounter and another alleged assault is pushing for a full dismissal of charges.

  • February 20, 2026

    Fabiani Cohen Escapes Fired Black Atty's Discrimination Suit

    A New York federal judge tossed a Black attorney's case claiming Fabiani Cohen & Hall LLP subjected her to racist harassment and fired her after she sued, backing a magistrate judge's conclusion that the alleged mistreatment wasn't severe enough and her case lacked evidence of prejudice.

  • February 19, 2026

    Ex-Googler Says Co. Fired Her After Pregnancy Complications

    Google LLC wrongfully fired a Washington software engineer who took time away from work to care for herself after the unexpected loss of a pregnancy, according to the former employee's discrimination complaint that was removed to Seattle federal court Wednesday.

  • February 19, 2026

    Washington Justices' Input Sought On Prosecutorial Immunity

    A Seattle federal judge said he intends to send a certified question to the Washington Supreme Court as part of a lawyer's racial discrimination suit against Snohomish County judges and prosecutors, giving parties a week to weigh in on what exactly the question should be.

  • February 19, 2026

    Amazon Loses Bid To Ditch Suit Over Lie Detector Testing

    Amazon has failed to win an early exit from a proposed class action alleging that the retail giant is flouting a Massachusetts statute banning the use of lie detectors in employment decisions, as a federal judge denied its motion to toss the case Wednesday.

Expert Analysis

  • 2 Areas Of Labor Law That May Change Under Trump

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    Based on President Donald Trump's recent moves, employers should expect to see significant changes in the direction of law coming out of the National Labor Relations Board, particularly in two areas where the Trump administration will seek to roll back the Biden NLRB's changes, says Daniel Johns at Cozen O’Connor.

  • Justices' Revival Ruling In Bias Suit Exceeds Procedural Issue

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Waetzig v. Halliburton allowed the plaintiff in an age discrimination lawsuit to move to reopen his case after arbitration, but the seemingly straightforward decision on a procedural issue raises complex questions for employment law practitioners, says Christopher Sakauye at Dykema.

  • Water Cooler Talk: 'Late Night' Shows DEI Is More Than Optics

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    Amid the shifting legal landscape for corporate diversity, equity and inclusion programs, Troutman's Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter chat with their firm's DEI committee chair, Nicole Edmonds, about how the 2019 film "Late Night" reflects the challenges and rewards of fostering meaningful inclusion.

  • 9 Considerations For Orgs Using AI Meeting Assistants

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    When deciding to use artificial intelligence meeting assistants, organizations must create and implement a written corporate policy that establishes the do's and don'ts for these assistants, taking into account individualized business operations, industry standards and legal and regulatory requirements, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • What's At Stake In High Court Transgender Care Suit

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    The outcome of U.S. v. Skrmetti will have critical implications for the rights of transgender youth and their access to gender-affirming care, and will likely affect other areas of law and policy involving transgender individuals, including education, employment, healthcare and civil rights, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • Determining What 'I Don't Feel Safe' Means In The Workplace

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    When an employee tells an employer "I don't feel safe," the phrase can have different meanings, so employment lawyers must adequately investigate to identify which meaning applies — and a cursory review and dismissal of the situation may not be a sufficient defense in case of future legal proceedings, says Karen Elliott at FordHarrison.

  • How EEOC Enforcement Priorities May Change Under Trump

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    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has already been rocked by the Trump administration's dramatic changes in personnel and policy, which calls into question how the agency may shift its direction from the priorities set forth in its five-year strategic enforcement plan in 2023, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • Handbook Hot Topics: Back To Basics After Admin Change

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    Having an up-to-date employee handbook is more critical now than ever, given the recent change in administration, and employers should understand their benefits and risks, including how they can limit employers’ liability and help retain employers’ rights, say Kasey Cappellano and Meaghan Gandy at Kutak Rock.

  • What Axed Title IX Gender Identity Rule Means For Higher Ed

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    Following a Kentucky federal court's recent decision in State of Tennessee v. Cardona to strike down a Biden-era rule that expanded the definition of Title IX to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity, institutions of higher education should prepare to reimplement policies that comply with the reinstated 2020 rule, say attorneys at Venable.

  • A Path Forward For Cos. Amid Trump's Anti-DEIA Efforts

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    Given the Trump administration’s recent efforts targeting corporate diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility programs — including threatening possible criminal prosecution — companies should carefully tailor their DEIA initiatives to comply with both the letter and the spirit of antidiscrimination law, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • Workforce Data Collection Considerations After DEI Order

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    Following President Donald Trump's executive order targeting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, employers should balance the benefits of collecting demographic data with the risk of violating the order’s prohibition on "illegal DEI," say Lynn Clements at Berkshire Associates, David Cohen at DCI Consulting and Victoria Lipnic at Resolution Economics.

  • How DOGE's Severance Plan May Affect Federal Employees

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    President Donald Trump's administration, working through the Department of Government Efficiency, recently offered a severance package to nearly all of the roughly 2 million federal employees, but unanswered questions about the offer, coupled with several added protections for government workers, led to fewer accepted offers than expected, says Aaron Peskin at Kang Haggerty.

  • Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises

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    “No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.