Discrimination

  • September 10, 2025

    2nd Circ. Won't Revive Healthcare Workers' Vax Bias Suit

    The Second Circuit backed Northwell Health's win over a lawsuit claiming it unlawfully terminated 30 employees who requested religious exemptions from the healthcare system's COVID-19 vaccination policy, ruling Wednesday that granting those requests would have conflicted with New York state law.

  • September 10, 2025

    4th Circ. Backs Dismissal Of Black VCU Prof's Retaliation Suit

    A split Fourth Circuit panel refused Wednesday to revive a Black professor's suit claiming Virginia Commonwealth University pulled her off a supplemental director role because she made race bias complaints, despite a dissent from one judge who said the suit should go to a jury.

  • September 10, 2025

    VA, Ex-Worker End Bias Suit Over FMLA Issues

    A Black former employee of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has agreed to end her suit alleging she was charged with not reporting to work despite having approved intermittent medical leave and was discriminated against because of her race and sex, a Missouri federal court said Wednesday.

  • September 10, 2025

    Terminal Co. Inks $20K Deal In EEOC Disability Bias Suit

    A marine terminal operator has agreed to pay $20,000 to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming it refused to return a truck driver with a heart condition to his job after he received medical clearance, the EEOC said Wednesday.

  • September 09, 2025

    7th Circ. Doubts Proof In Chicago Cop's COVID-19 Death Case

    A Seventh Circuit panel seemed unconvinced Tuesday that a Chicago police officer's widow has enough evidence to go to trial on claims that he contracted COVID-19 and died days later because his superiors never responded to his work accommodation request.

  • September 09, 2025

    5th Circ. Backs Texas University In Medical Leave Suit

    The Fifth Circuit upheld Texas Christian University's win over a former employee's lawsuit claiming she was fired for taking medical leave, saying she failed to show she was eligible for federally protected time off to take care of her mental health.

  • September 09, 2025

    10th Circ. Seems Unsure About Reviving Rehab Worker's Suit

    An occupational therapist tried to persuade a Tenth Circuit panel Tuesday to revive her suit alleging she was illegally punished after complaining about sexual harassment, with several judges questioning whether the circumstances surrounding her resignation amount to the sort of negative employment decision needed to keep her case alive.

  • September 09, 2025

    UPS, Teamsters Look To Ax Ex-Worker's Return-To-Work Suit

    A Tennessee federal judge should toss an ex-UPS employee's claims that the company and a Teamsters local thwarted his attempt to return to work after an on-the-job injury, the company and union argued, saying they made every effort to get him back to work, but he wouldn't cooperate.

  • September 09, 2025

    8th Circ. Won't Revive Black Workers' Bias Suit Against Nucor

    The Eighth Circuit declined Tuesday to reinstate a race bias suit from two Black former workers who claimed steel manufacturer Nucor unfairly disciplined them for complaining that they faced racist harassment, saying their hostile work environment and retaliation claims were rightly tossed.

  • September 09, 2025

    Fed Circ. Won't Revive Ex-DOI Worker's Military Bias Case

    The Federal Circuit on Tuesday refused to revive a former U.S. Department of the Interior employee's allegations that he was denied promotions because he's an Air Force veteran, ruling the claims were precluded by a 2008 settlement agreement and 2022 appeals court decision.

  • September 09, 2025

    Full 11th Circ. Backs Health Plan's Gender Care Exclusions

    The Eleventh Circuit struck down a win Tuesday for a transgender sheriff's deputy who sued a Georgia county health plan after it refused to pay for gender-affirming surgery, saying the challenged coverage exclusion did not violate federal anti-discrimination law.  

  • September 09, 2025

    BDO Seeks To Ditch Bulk Of Ex-Partner's $75M Bias Suit

    Accounting firm BDO sought to fend off most of the claims in a $75 million discrimination suit brought by a former tax partner who took leave when her son had a stroke, telling a New York federal court she was not an employee protected by the laws she says the firm violated.

  • September 09, 2025

    Lambda Legal Attorney Indicted Over Judge Shopping Probe

    An attorney with LGBTQ rights nonprofit Lambda Legal has been charged in Alabama federal court in connection with an alleged judge-shopping scandal in Alabama, with prosecutors claiming he lied to a panel of federal judges investigating the episode.

  • September 09, 2025

    Wash. Pay Transparency Ruling Leaves Many Open Questions

    The Washington Supreme Court's narrow opinion on who can sue as a job applicant under the state's pay transparency law leaves much unsettled, particularly about how class actions should be managed and whether the law's penalties are unconstitutional, attorneys told Law360.

  • September 09, 2025

    Drink Co. Illegally Axed Worker With MS, EEOC Says

    A North Carolina soft drink maker discriminated against a probationary worker with multiple sclerosis when it refused to permanently hire her after she passed a physical agility test and provided a doctor's note clearing her to work, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said.

  • September 09, 2025

    NASA Shuts Down Black Ex-Engineer's Bias Suit

    A Texas federal judge tossed a race and age bias suit from a Black ex-NASA engineer who claimed he was placed on an unrealistic performance improvement plan and then pushed into retirement, saying he hadn't shown prejudice drove the agency's actions.

  • September 08, 2025

    3rd Circ. Revives Ex-Lecturer's Suit Over Alt-Right Views

    The Third Circuit on Monday found school disruptions at the New Jersey Institute of Technology caused by a philosophy lecturer's comments don't outweigh his free speech rights, reversing the school's summary judgment win in the professor's lawsuit alleging NJIT violated his constitutional rights by refusing to renew his contract after his off-campus, alt-right comments drew national attention.

  • September 08, 2025

    Walgreens Fired Pharmacy Heads After Union Vote, Suits Say

    Two ex-pharmacy managers have accused Walgreens of firing them for refusing to spy on their employees amid a campaign to unionize at a store in southwest Washington state, according to two new lawsuits launched in federal court in the Evergreen State.

  • September 08, 2025

    Lowe's Workers Drop Suit Claiming Unlawful Insurance Fees

    Ex-Lowe's employees have dropped a proposed class action alleging the home improvement retailer violated federal law by overcharging tobacco-using employees for health insurance, according to a notice filed in North Carolina federal court.

  • September 08, 2025

    Whisper Not Enough To Sustain Worker's Harassment Suit

    A Pennsylvania federal judge tossed a Merck Sharp & Dohme worker's suit Monday claiming his boss sexually harassed him by whispering in his ear at a staff meeting, ruling the singular incident did not create a hostile work environment at the pharmaceutical company.

  • September 08, 2025

    2nd Circ. Rejects NYC Teacher's Bias Claims As 'Implausible'

    The Second Circuit declined Monday to reinstate a New York City public school teacher's claims that he was pushed out of the classroom and into a non-teaching role because he's Indian and Hindu, finding no tether between the derogatory comments he alleged his supervisor made and the involuntary reassignment.

  • September 08, 2025

    Drexel Defends Employees In Ex-Administrator's Bias Case

    Drexel University officials on Monday denied that contentious interactions between staff members and a former administrator were motivated by race and gender bias, telling a Pennsylvania federal judge in a bench trial the real driver was concern about her allegedly interfering with the independence of the school's auditors.

  • September 08, 2025

    Atkinson Andelson Employment Ace To Join Ogletree In Calif.

    Ogletree Deakins announced Monday that it is bringing aboard a partner from Atkinson Andelson Loya Ruud & Romo to bolster its capacity to handle employment-related litigation.

  • September 08, 2025

    Pain Clinic, Hospital Ink $350K Deal In EEOC Retaliation Suit

    A pain clinic and an Arkansas hospital have agreed to pay $350,000 to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming they fired a physician assistant for participating in a sexual harassment investigation into one of the clinic's owners.

  • September 08, 2025

    EEOC, Plastics Co. Get OK For $460K Sex Harassment Deal

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and a Michigan plastic product manufacturer have inked a $460,000 settlement ending a suit alleging the company didn't adequately address rampant sexual harassment against more than a dozen female employees.

Expert Analysis

  • Challenging A Class Representative's Adequacy And Typicality

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    Recent cases highlight that a named plaintiff cannot certify a putative class action unless they can meet all the applicable requirements of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, so defendants should consider challenging a plaintiff's ability to meet typicality and adequacy requirements early and often, say attorneys at Womble Bond.

  • Age Bias Ruling Holds Harassment Policy Lessons

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    A Kansas federal court's recent decision in Holman v. Textron Aviation, rejecting an employee's assertion that his termination for failing to report harassment was pretextual and due to age bias, provides insight into how courts analyze whether actions are pretextual and offers lessons about enforcing anti-harassment policies, say attorneys at Ogletree.

  • Employer Tips As Deepfakes Reshape Workplace Harassment

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    As the workplace harassment landscape faces the rising threat of fabricated media that hyperrealistically depict employees in sexual or malicious contexts, employers can stay ahead of the curve by tracking new legal obligations, and proactively updating policies, training and response protocols, say attorneys at Littler.

  • How To Balance AI Adoption With Employee Privacy Risks

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    As artificial intelligence transforms the workplace, organizations must learn to leverage AI's capabilities while safeguarding against employee privacy risks and complying with a complex web of regulations, including by vetting vendors, mitigating employee misuse and establishing a governance framework, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

  • How Ending OFCCP Will Affect Affirmative Action Obligations

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    As President Donald Trump's administration plans to eliminate the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, which enforces federal contractor antidiscrimination compliance and affirmative action program obligations, contractors should consider the best compliance approaches available to them, especially given the False Claims Act implications, say attorneys at Ogletree.

  • Employer Best Practices For Navigating Worker Separations

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    As job cuts hit several major industries, employers should take steps to minimize their exposure to discrimination claims, information leaks and enforcement challenges, such as maintaining sound documentation, strategic planning and legal coordination, says Mark Romance at Day Pitney.

  • Employer Tips For Responding To ICE In The Workplace

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    Increased immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump's administration has left employers struggling to balance their compliance obligations with their desire to provide a safe workplace, so creating a thorough response plan and training for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's presence at the workplace is crucial, say attorneys at Hanson Bridgett.

  • Handbook Hot Topics: Shifting Worker Accommodation Rules

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    Since President Donald Trump took office, many changes have directly affected how employers must address accommodation requests, particularly those concerning pregnancy-related medical conditions and religious beliefs, underscoring the importance of regularly reviewing and updating accommodation policies and procedures, say attorneys at Kutak Rock.

  • Shifting DEI Expectations Put Banks In Legal Crosshairs

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    The Trump administration's rollbacks on DEI-friendly policies create something of a regulatory catch-22 for banks, wherein strict compliance would contradict established statutory and administrative mandates regarding access to credit for disadvantaged communities, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

  • Compliance Tips After Court Axes EEOC's Trans Rights Take

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    A Texas federal court's recent decision struck portions of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's 2024 guidance pertaining to sexual orientation and gender identity under Title VII, barring their use nationwide and leaving employers unsure about how to proceed in their compliance efforts, say attorneys at Dorsey & Whitney.

  • 5 Insurance Claims That Could Emerge After NCAA Settlement

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    Following the recent NCAA class action settlement that will allow revenue sharing with college athletes, there may be potential management liability for universities, their executive leadership and boards that could expose insurers to tax, regulatory, breach of contract and other claims, says Sarah Abrams at Baleen Specialty.

  • 8th Circ. Ruling Highlights Complicated Remote Work Analysis

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    The Eighth Circuit’s recent opinion in Kuklenski v. Medtronic USA demonstrates that the applicability of employment laws to remote workers is often a fact-driven analysis, highlighting several parameters to consider when evaluating what state and local laws may apply to employees who work remotely, say attorneys at Vedder Price.

  • Philly Law Initiates New Era Of Worker Protections

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    A new worker protection law in Philadelphia includes, among other measures, a private right of action and recordkeeping requirements that may amount to a lower evidentiary standard, introducing a new level of accountability and additional noncompliance risks for employers, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.