Discrimination

  • February 18, 2026

    Medtronic Exec Alleges Retaliatory Firing For Whistleblowing

    Minnesota-based medical device company Medtronic Inc. fired an executive for raising concerns that the company artificially boosted its sales figures routinely, he told a Colorado state court.

  • February 18, 2026

    4th Circ. Backs Military Policy Banning HIV-Positive Enlistees

    The Fourth Circuit on Wednesday upheld a U.S. Department of Defense policy that bans HIV-positive Americans from enlisting, deferring to the military's judgment that it must have healthy and fit service members who do not require consistent treatment for chronic medical conditions. 

  • February 18, 2026

    Fla. Prison Officials Seek End Of Fired Chaplain's Bias Suit

    A former prison chaplain who was fired for refusing to train a female minister failed to exhaust his administrative remedies before filing a suit that amounted to a shotgun pleading, the Florida Department of Corrections has told a federal judge.

  • February 18, 2026

    EEOC Says Coca-Cola Distributor Cut Men From Work Event

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced Wednesday it has sued bottling company Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast alleging it bucked federal civil rights law by inviting only female employees to a company-sponsored retreat at a casino two years ago. 

  • February 18, 2026

    11th Circ. Says No Sanctions In Capitol Riot Defamation Case

    An American Airlines flight attendant won't face sanctions for suing a co-worker for defamation after he posted statements online about her participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed.

  • February 18, 2026

    2nd Circ. Probes Atty-Witness Interaction In ConEd Bias Fight

    The Second Circuit on Wednesday dissected a former Consolidated Edison analyst's argument that an allegedly aggressive interaction between a lawyer for the energy company and a witness for the worker warrants a new trial in her disability bias and retaliation lawsuit.

  • February 18, 2026

    Former Calif. Judge Can't Escape Sex Assault Case, Feds Say

    A former California state judge cannot duck allegations that he sexually assaulted a court employee "under color of law" by claiming that he wasn't acting in his official capacity at the time of the assault, federal prosecutors said.

  • February 18, 2026

    Kirkland, Ex-Tech Worker End Caregiver Bias Suit

    Kirkland & Ellis LLP has reached an agreement with a Black former tech support supervisor to close his suit claiming the law firm paid him less than his white colleagues and discriminated against him for being a parent, according to a Wednesday filing in D.C. federal court.

  • February 18, 2026

    Amazon Escapes Fired Pansexual Worker's Bias Suit

    An Illinois federal judge tossed a pansexual Amazon worker's bias suit claiming that a colleague called him a homophobic slur and that he was fired for complaining about it, ruling he can't overcome evidence that he was terminated for racking up too much "idle time" on the job.

  • February 17, 2026

    Law Professors Sue EEOC For Firm DEI Letter Records

    Two professors at law schools in Michigan and Florida have sued the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in D.C. federal court, seeking documents related to 20 letters the agency sent to law firms over their purported diversity, equity and inclusion practices.

  • February 17, 2026

    Security Co. Strikes Deal To End EEOC Pregnancy Bias Suit

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission told a D.C. federal court Tuesday that a security company has agreed to pay $45,000 to end a suit from the agency claiming it stopped giving an officer work after she requested time and a private space to pump breast milk.

  • February 17, 2026

    Dems Reintroduce Anti-Harassment Bill Citing EEOC Retreat

    Democratic lawmakers have reintroduced a bill that would establish workplace harassment as a violation of federal civil rights law and solidify protections for LGBTQ+ workers, condemning the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's backtrack on these issues under President Donald Trump's administration.

  • February 17, 2026

    7th Circ. Won't Revive Suit Over Ill. COVID-19 Testing Mandate

    The Seventh Circuit on Friday affirmed the dismissal of a Title VII claim brought by public school employees challenging the state of Illinois' requirement during the COVID-19 pandemic that they undergo weekly testing if they refused to take the vaccine, saying they failed to "moor their objections to the testing requirement to any religious beliefs."

  • February 17, 2026

    Employment Group Of The Year: Wigdor

    Wigdor LLP secured settlements on behalf of an actress victimized by Harvey Weinstein and a fintech executive discharged after two pregnancies, and is leading the charge in high-profile employment litigation against the NFL and NCAA, earning the firm a spot among the 2025 Law360 Employment Groups of the Year.

  • February 17, 2026

    Ex-Mass. Official Says Anti-Asian Bias Led To Ouster

    A former Massachusetts secretary for elder affairs says she was targeted for removal from her position during Gov. Maura Healey's administration based on anti-Asian bias, according to a complaint filed in state court.

  • February 17, 2026

    Insurer Demands $1.5M Over Hotel's AI-Based Legal Filings

    A South Dakota hotel and its owner are pressuring defense counsel provided by an insurance carrier in an underlying racial discrimination lawsuit to submit filings relying on artificial intelligence that could potentially violate legal ethics rules, the insurer alleged in Nebraska federal court Tuesday.

  • February 17, 2026

    11th Circ. Rejects Fire Chief's COVID Vax Christian Bias Case

    The Eleventh Circuit refused to reinstate a lawsuit from a fire chief who claimed he was unlawfully fired for declining to reprimand firefighters who refused to comply with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, chiding his attorney for implying that anti-Christian bias infected the lower court's decision to toss the case.

  • February 13, 2026

    Health Exec Says He Was Fired For Opposing 'Enron-Style' Plot

    Jefferson Health System terminated its former vice president of facilities management over "his refusal to participate in" what he described as "an Enron-style financial engineering scheme" related to a proposed energy-as-a-service transaction that he believed posed serious regulatory risks, according to a suit filed in Pennsylvania.

  • February 13, 2026

    3 Tips To Stop Office Romance From Causing Legal Heartache

    New statistics show about half of workers who've been in a workplace relationship kept it hidden from their employer, one of numerous challenges companies face in trying to mitigate legal risks that stem from office romances, experts say. As Valentine's Day passes, here are three tips to help ensure workplace relationships don't lead to litigation.

  • February 13, 2026

    'Bikini Barista' Owner Can't Nix Wash. AG's Wage, Bias Suit

    The owner of four Washington kiosks known as bikini barista coffee stands can't dodge the state attorney general's action accusing him of underpaying and discriminating against female workers, a King County Superior Court judge ruled Friday, rejecting the defendant's argument that the women themselves would have to sue.

  • February 13, 2026

    NY Forecast: 2nd Circ. Hears Ex-ConEd Worker's New Trial Bid

    This week, the Second Circuit will consider a former Con Edison worker's claim that a trial court improperly excluded evidence from trial that limited the amount of backpay that she was able to receive despite the jury finding the energy company retaliated against her.

  • February 13, 2026

    CSX Wants Quick 11th Circ. Appeal In Workers' FMLA Fight

    CSX Transportation Inc. is asking a Florida federal court to allow for an immediate appeal to the Eleventh Circuit of the denial of its bid to dismiss a former employee's medical leave claims, arguing that the ruling runs counter to what other appellate courts have said on this statute of limitations issue.

  • February 13, 2026

    Sex Bias In The Spotlight As EEOC Amps Up Amicus Program

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's restored quorum has allowed it to reboot its dormant amicus program, and the commission submitted all three of its new briefs in cases where women alleged they were treated worse than their male co-workers. Here's a look at where the agency is directing its amicus efforts so far after a yearlong hiatus. 

  • February 13, 2026

    Health System Inks $450K Pact To End EEOC Suit Over Leave

    Pennsylvania-based healthcare system Geisinger Health and two related entities have agreed to pay $450,000 to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit alleging the organization's leave policy bucked the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to settlement documents filed Friday.

  • February 13, 2026

    Bisexual Worker Can't Revive Harassment Suit At 6th Circ.

    The Sixth Circuit declined to reinstate a bisexual construction worker's harassment suit alleging that his coworkers called him homophobic slurs on the job, ruling the company can't be held liable because it responded swiftly when he took his complaints to human resources.

Expert Analysis

  • Parsing 3rd Circ. Ruling On Cannabis, Employee Private Suits

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    The Third Circuit recently upheld a decision that individuals don't have a private right of action for alleged violations of New Jersey's Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance and Marketplace Modernization Act, but employers should stay informed as the court encouraged the state Legislature to amend the law, say attorneys at Mandelbaum Barrett.

  • EEOC Wearable Tech Guidance Highlights Monitoring Scrutiny

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    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's recent fact sheet on wearable technologies cautions against potential issues with federal anti-discrimination laws and demonstrates growing concern from regulators and legislators about intrusive technologies in the workplace, say attorneys at Littler.

  • 4 Employment Law Areas Set To Change Under Trump

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    President Donald Trump's second term is expected to bring significant changes to the U.S. employment law landscape, including the potential for updated worker classification regulations, and challenges to diversity, equity and inclusion that are already taking shape, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • What Employment Bias Litigation Looks Like After Muldrow

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    Nine months after the U.S. Supreme Court created an undemanding standard for discrimination claims in Muldrow v. St. Louis, Eric Schnapper at the University of Washington discusses how the Title VII litigation landscape has changed and what to expect moving forward.

  • 10 Key Worker-Friendly California Employment Law Updates

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    New employment laws in California expand employee rights, transparency and enforcement mechanisms, and failing to educate department managers on these changes could put employers at risk, says Melanie Ronen at Stradley Ronon.

  • How PAGA Reform Can Inform Employer Strategies In 2025

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    While recent changes to California's Private Attorneys General Act will not significantly reduce PAGA claims, employers can use the new law to potentially limit their future exposure, by taking advantage of penalty reduction opportunities and more, say attorneys at Thompson Coburn.

  • How Deregulation Could Undermine Trump's Anti-DEI Agenda

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    While rolling back federal agency power benefited conservative policies during the Biden administration, it will likely undermine President Donald Trump's ability to wield agencies like the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives beyond the federal workforce and into the private sector, says Ally Coll at the Purple Method.

  • Trump Should Pass On Project 2025's Disparate Impact Plan

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    The Trump administration should reject Project 2025's call to eliminate the disparate impact doctrine because, as its pro-business Republican creators intended, a focus on dismantling unnecessary barriers to qualified job candidates serves companies' best interests more successfully than the alternatives, says Susan Carle at American University.

  • Expect A Big Shake Up At The EEOC Under 2nd Trump Admin

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    During President-elect Donald Trump’s second term, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is likely to significantly shift its focus and priorities, especially where workplace DEI initiatives, immigration enforcement, LGBTQ+ rights and pregnancy protections are concerned, say attorneys at Stoel Rives.

  • 4 Novel Issues From The Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni Suits

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    A series of lawsuits arising from actress Blake Lively's sexual harassment and retaliation complaint against her "It Ends With Us" co-star, Justin Baldoni, present novel legal issues that employment and defamation practitioners alike should follow as the litigation progresses, say attorneys at Dorsey & Whitney.

  • Religious Accommodation Lessons From $12.7M Vax Verdict

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    A Michigan federal jury’s recent $12.7 million verdict against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan starkly reminds employers of the risks they face when assessing employees’ religious accommodation requests, highlighting pitfalls to avoid and raising the opportunity to consider best practices to follow, say attorneys at Williams & Connolly.

  • Lessons From United's Axed Win In Firing Over Online Pics

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    In Wawrzenski v. United Airlines, a California state appeals court revived a flight attendant’s suit over her termination for linking photos of herself in uniform to her OnlyFans account, providing a cautionary tale for employers navigating the complexities of workplace policy enforcement in the digital age, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • How Trump Admin May Approach AI In The Workplace

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    Key indicators suggest that the incoming Trump administration will adopt a deregulatory approach to artificial intelligence, allowing states to fill the void, so it is critical that employers pay close attention to developing legal authority concerning AI tools, say attorneys at Littler.