Discrimination

  • July 31, 2025

    NJ Town Knocks Out Worker's $1.6M Disability Bias Win

    A New Jersey appellate court scrapped a $1.6 million verdict Thursday for a township employee who said she was discriminated and retaliated against for taking leave to treat her anxiety, ruling the evidence presented at trial didn't justify the damages award.

  • July 31, 2025

    EEOC Says Hospital Wrong To Fire Worker Allergic To Vaccine

    A hospital violated federal disability law when it fired a worker in its insurance department who didn't get the COVID-19 vaccine because she was allergic to it, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleged in Illinois federal court Thursday.

  • July 31, 2025

    Seattle Sues Trump Administration Over Anti-DEI Grant Terms

    The city of Seattle sued the Trump administration in Washington federal court on Thursday, targeting two executive orders that require federal funding recipients to adopt the president's stances on diversity efforts and gender or risk losing money for a range of critical causes.

  • July 31, 2025

    6th Circ. Hints White Worker Lost Chance For Strong Bias Suit

    There are strong indicators that the University of Toledo sacked a white human resources employee to shield it from racism allegations, two Sixth Circuit judges agreed Thursday, but they said the evidence is of little use since no race discrimination claim was brought in the case before them.

  • July 31, 2025

    Drexel Ordered To Pay $546K In Fees, Costs In Equal Pay Case

    A former Drexel University professor found at trial to have been paid less than her male colleagues can recoup nearly $546,000 in attorney fees and costs, a Pennsylvania federal judge ruled Thursday, rejecting arguments her request was late, and was inappropriate because her lead counsel was her husband.

  • July 31, 2025

    Honeywell Ex-GC Claims Age Bias Led To Firing At 55

    A Honeywell International Inc. former vice president and general counsel accused the Charlotte-based conglomerate of age discrimination, telling a North Carolina federal court that she was fired for turning 55.

  • July 31, 2025

    ABA Seeks To Toss Race Bias Suit Over Scholarship Program

    The American Bar Association urged an Illinois federal court to throw out a lawsuit from The American Alliance for Equal Rights alleging the association's Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund constitutes race-based discrimination, arguing that the claims are simply a "'desire to vindicate' a particular 'view of the law.'"

  • July 31, 2025

    Firefighter Says Military Service Cost Her Pay, Opportunities

    The Jersey City, New Jersey, fire department shorted a firefighter on pay and pension benefits while she was out on military leave and deprived her of opportunities upon her return to work, according to a lawsuit filed in state court.

  • July 31, 2025

    Dept. Head Ends Claim Of Being Forced To Work After Injuries

    Scientific Systems Company Inc., a Massachusetts-based military contractor, and a former department head have agreed to dismiss a Connecticut federal employment discrimination lawsuit that claimed the company forced its ex-employee to work with a spinal injury and broken fingers after he fell during a travel assignment.

  • July 31, 2025

    Rising Star: Proskauer's Rachel Fischer

    Proskauer Rose's Rachel Fischer has successfully defended high-profile clients such as Fox News in a former producer's sexual harassment and assault suit and the MLB in an umpire's race discrimination suit, earning her a spot among the employment practitioners under age 40 honored by Law360 as Rising Stars.

  • July 31, 2025

    Clinic Settles EEOC Disability Bias Suit Over Worker's Firing

    A pediatric clinic told a Georgia federal judge Thursday that it struck a $70,000 deal to end a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming it fired an employee because she asked to work remotely to manage her anxiety and PTSD.

  • July 30, 2025

    DOJ Flags 'Unlawful Discrimination' To Gov't Fund Recipients

    The U.S. Department of Justice has outlined what it considers "unlawful discrimination" that federal funding recipients must avoid, including diversity, equity and inclusion programs, transgender athletes and "proxy" discrimination of assessing a job applicant's "cultural competence."

  • July 30, 2025

    9th Circ. Tells DOL To Hand Over Workforce Data To Reporters

    The Ninth Circuit said Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Labor must release federal contractor demographic reports to the Center for Investigative Reporting, backing a lower court's order that the data can't be concealed from the public under the concern that it contains commercial information.

  • July 30, 2025

    Mayo Clinic Forced Vaccine On Christian Worker, EEOC Says

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accused the Mayo Clinic on Wednesday of unlawfully threatening to fire a security guard who refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine for religious reasons.

  • July 30, 2025

    Workday Can't Shrink Collective Action Alleging AI Hiring Bias

    A California federal judge declined to cut workers from a collective action claiming Workday used artificial intelligence to discriminate against job applicants, denying the human resources company's arguments that workers who were screened by newly acquired technology were disqualified from the suit.

  • July 30, 2025

    Black Atty Alleges McDermott Fired Her Because Of Her Race

    McDermott Will & Emery LLP failed to address racist comments made during a diversity presentation, kept Black attorneys out of leadership and fired a Black associate who complained that she was repeatedly sidelined because of her race, the former employee alleged Wednesday in Illinois federal court.

  • July 30, 2025

    Noem Hit With Religious Discrimination Suit Over Ayahuasca

    A Florida woman alleges in a new federal discrimination lawsuit that U.S. Customs and Border Protection rescinded her job offer after she disclosed her religious practice includes consumption of ayahuasca tea, a federally controlled substance.

  • July 30, 2025

    Workday Wants Firm DQ'd Over Privileged Info In Atty's Suit

    Attorneys at Webb Law Group APC should be disqualified from representing an ex-Workday Inc. attorney in his bias suit against the company and should face sanctions for their "egregious behavior" in disclosing privileged information in a publicly filed document, Workday told a California federal magistrate judge.

  • July 30, 2025

    Calif. Health Group Says Insurer Must Cover Discovery Costs

    California's largest private health foundation told a federal court that a Berkshire Hathaway-owned insurer failed to cover roughly $400,000 in discovery costs the foundation incurred from an executive's now-settled wrongful termination lawsuit, arguing the insurer breached its obligations despite accepting coverage twice.

  • July 30, 2025

    Amazon Cut Worker Seeking ADA Accommodation, Suit Says

    Amazon broke federal disability law by firing a warehouse worker while he was in the process of submitting paperwork supporting his bid for extra break time to help him handle mental health issues, he told an Illinois federal court.

  • July 30, 2025

    Rising Star: Seyfarth's Leo Li

    Leo Li of Seyfarth Shaw LLP has championed clients facing wage-and-hour class actions and California Private Attorneys General Act claims, including by securing a win on appeal for a Southern California Pizza Hut franchisee after a decade of litigation involving thousands of delivery drivers, earning him a spot among employment law practitioners under age 40 honored by Law360 as Rising Stars.

  • July 30, 2025

    NJ County Dispatchers' Pay Affected By Bias, Union Says

    Camden County, New Jersey, pays telecommunication services workers who fall under protected classes — such as veterans and people of color — less than their counterparts who are not classified as such, a Communications Workers of America unit said in a proposed class action.

  • July 30, 2025

    2nd Circ. Hands Clerk Another Shot At Free Speech Firing Suit

    A Second Circuit panel reinstated a suit Wednesday from a court clerk who claimed she was fired for aiding an investigation into an ethics complaint against her former boss, ruling the lower court incorrectly found that her duties as a government worker shielded her from constitutional protection.

  • July 30, 2025

    Worker Advocates Warn Of W&H Perils Of 'Bossware'

    The proliferation of digital surveillance and automated decision systems that monitor and manage workers' activities enables wage theft and algorithmic wage discrimination and requires more robust policymaking, the National Employment Law Project said in a new report. Here, Law360 speaks with two worker advocates from the group about "bossware" and its impact on workers' rights.

  • July 30, 2025

    2nd Circ. Backs Atty Fee Award In Google Race Bias Case

    The Second Circuit refused to upend a $22,400 fee awarded to a law firm for prelitigation services it provided to a worker who accused Google of giving her poor performance reviews because she's Black, saying the worker hadn't shown the cost was unreasonable.

Expert Analysis

  • What Trump Admin's Anti-DEI Push Means For FCA Claims

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    President Donald Trump's recent rescission of a 60-year-old executive order imposing nondiscrimination requirements on certain federal contractors has far-reaching implications, including potential False Claims Act liability for contractors and grant recipients who fail to comply, though it may be a challenge for the government to successfully establish liability, say attorneys at Bass Berry.

  • It Starts With Training: Anti-Harassment After 'It Ends With Us'

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    Actress Blake Lively's recent sexual harassment and retaliation allegations against her "It Ends With Us" co-star, director and producer, Justin Baldoni, should remind employers of their legal obligations to implement trainings, policies and other measures to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, say attorneys at Morrison Cohen.

  • What Day 1 Bondi Memos Mean For Corporate Compliance

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    After Attorney General Pam Bondi’s flurry of memos last week declaring new enforcement priorities on issues ranging from foreign bribery to diversity initiatives, companies must base their compliance programs on an understanding of their own core values and principles, says Hui Chen at CDE Advisors.

  • 5 Things For Private Employers To Do After Trump's DEI Order

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    Following President Donald Trump's recent executive order pushing the private sector to narrow, and even end, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, employers should ensure DEI efforts align with their organization's mission and goals, are legally compliant, and are effectively communicated to stakeholders, say attorneys at Mintz.

  • Zuckerberg's Remarks Pose Legal Risk For Meta Amid Layoffs

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    Within days of announcing that Meta Platforms will cut 5% of its lowest-performing employees, Mark Zuckerberg remarked that corporations are becoming "culturally neutered" and need to bring back "masculine energy," exposing the company to potential claims under California employment law, says Andi Mazingo at Lumen Law Center.

  • Preparing For A Possible End To The Subminimum Wage

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    The U.S. Department of Labor's proposed rule to end the subminimum wage for employees with disabilities may significantly affect the community-based rehabilitation and training programs that employ these workers, so certified programs should be especially vigilant about compliance during this period of evaluation and scrutiny, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

  • Water Cooler Talk: 'Harry Potter' Reveals Magic Of Feedback

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    Troutman Pepper's Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter chat with Wicker Park Group partner Tara Weintritt about various feedback methods used by "Harry Potter" characters — from Snape's sharp and cutting remarks to Dumbledore's lack of specificity and Hermione's poor delivery — and explore how clear, consistent and actionable feedback can transform workplaces.

  • What To Expect From Trump's Deputy Labor Secretary Pick

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    President Donald Trump's nominee for deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, Keith Sonderling, has a track record of prioritizing clear guidance on both traditional and cutting-edge issues, which can provide insight into what employers can expect from his leadership, say attorneys at Littler.

  • A Look At Order Ending Federal Contractor Affirmative Action

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    To comply with President Donald Trump's executive order revoking affirmative action requirements in the next 90 days, federal contractors should focus on identification of protected groups, responsibilities of "diversity officer" positions and annual compliance reviews, says Jeremy Burkhart at Holland & Knight.

  • 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.