Discrimination

  • March 11, 2026

    Airport Settles Suit Over Firm's 'Harmless Flirting' Ad

    An airport authority in Syracuse, New York, has agreed to settle a suit from an employment law firm claiming the authority violated the First Amendment when it rejected a billboard from the firm calling out companies that dismiss sexual harassment as "harmless flirting."

  • March 10, 2026

    6th Circ. Says Waiver Sinks Laid Off Dow Worker's Bias Suit

    The Sixth Circuit has waved away an argument that a woman who was laid off by a Dow Chemical unit could still bring race and gender discrimination claims against the company because she didn't know what the release she signed in order to get her severance meant.

  • March 10, 2026

    Recycling Co. Can't Rope Staffing Firms Into EEOC Bias Suit

    An Alabama federal judge on Tuesday shut down a recycling plant's bid to drag three staffing companies into a sex bias case from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claiming the company refused to hire women, ruling that doing so would allow the business to improperly escape liability.

  • March 10, 2026

    Biopharma Co. Can't Beat Former Exec's Age, Race Bias Suit

    A Merck subsidiary can't dodge a former executive's suit claiming she was unlawfully laid off because she's an Asian woman in her 40s, a New York federal judge ruled Tuesday, saying it's too early for the company to challenge her data suggesting the reduction-in-force was rooted in bias.

  • March 10, 2026

    Postal Delay Unfair Grounds For Tossing Suit, 11th Circ. Says

    A Georgia federal judge should have cut a break to a construction worker whose race bias suit barely missed its statutory filing deadline thanks to hurricane-induced postal delays, an Eleventh Circuit panel said Tuesday.

  • March 10, 2026

    4th Circ. Backs W.Va.'s Trans Care Coverage Exclusion

    The Fourth Circuit said Tuesday that West Virginia's Medicaid coverage exclusion for gender-affirming care passes constitutional muster and does not discriminate based on sex, basing its conclusion on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors.

  • March 10, 2026

    Judge Seems Open To Giving EEOC Penn's Jewish Staff Info

    A Pennsylvania federal judge seemed inclined Tuesday to enforce the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's subpoena for the University of Pennsylvania's Jewish employees' contact information, a request that has alarmed the school and several advocacy groups, expressing doubt that the information would be used for nefarious purposes.

  • March 10, 2026

    After Mistrial, EEOC Settles Worker's Promotion Bias Suit

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission struck a deal to end a longtime agency employee's lawsuit claiming she was unlawfully passed over for a promotion, a month after jurors deadlocked over whether sex motivated the decision not to bump her up in the ranks.

  • March 10, 2026

    Boston Exam Schools Case May Hinge On 1st Circ. Ruling

    A Massachusetts federal judge weighed arguments Tuesday on whether to dismiss a challenge to the admissions system for Boston's three selective "exam schools" in light of a First Circuit ruling backing a previous plan that increased racial diversity.

  • March 10, 2026

    NFLPA Leaders Align To Sink Ex-Lawyer's Retaliation Suit

    NFL Players Association officials are firing back against a former attorney's retaliation suit, hoping to dismiss her claims that union leaders intimidated her against testifying in a federal probe into its finances.

  • March 10, 2026

    EEOC, Comedy Club Ink $373K Deal To End Harassment Probe

    A comedy club in Louisville, Kentucky, will pay nearly $373,000 to close the book on a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigation into whether a manager sexually harassed female employees, the agency said Tuesday.

  • March 10, 2026

    Judge Nixed Over MAGA Op-Ed Seeks Reinstatement

    A retired Illinois state trial court judge pursuing First Amendment claims against the state Supreme Court after his right-wing opinion column resulted in his removal from a temporary judgeship has moved for immediate reinstatement to the Cook County Circuit Court.

  • March 10, 2026

    Ex-Program Head Says Rutgers Fired Him For Whistleblowing

    A former assistant dean and director of the Minority Student Program at Rutgers Law School is alleging in New Jersey federal court that he was fired after he complained about unlawful discrimination and financial misappropriation in the workplace.

  • March 10, 2026

    DLA Piper Can't Rep Itself At Bias Trial, Fired Atty Says

    DLA Piper should not be permitted to represent itself at trial in a pregnancy discrimination case brought by a senior associate who was fired in 2022, lawyers for the plaintiff told a Manhattan federal judge.

  • March 10, 2026

    Miss. Steakhouse Ousted Worker Over Seizure, EEOC Says

    A Mississippi steakhouse unlawfully fired a worker soon after learning she had a health condition that caused seizures, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission told a federal court.

  • March 09, 2026

    Employment Law Cases Have Rebounded Except For FLSA

    Employment law cases overall have bounced back from pandemic-era lows, especially discrimination and disability accommodation suits, though a slump has continued for Fair Labor Standards Act claims, according to a report by legal analytics provider Lex Machina.

  • March 09, 2026

    Nonprofit Accused Of Firing Director For Medical Leave

    The American Forest Foundation fired a former director for taking a leave of absence to address physical and mental health concerns brought on by a disability, the ex-director told a Colorado federal court.

  • March 09, 2026

    Google Shuts Down Claims It Fired Worker Over Cancer

    A Connecticut federal judge tossed a suit Monday from a former sales representative who said Google fired him after learning he had cancer to avoid paying out a $4 million life insurance policy, saying the ex-worker sent "mixed messages" on whether Google thought the condition was terminal.

  • March 09, 2026

    Water Damage Co. Faces Class Action Over Wages

    A pair of former employees of a water damage repair company claim in a proposed class action filed in Colorado state court that the company is violating Colorado employment laws by not allowing employees to take state-mandated breaks and by paying on-call workers a flat rate for assignments regardless of the actual hours worked.

  • March 09, 2026

    UPenn May Face Long Odds As EEOC Seeks Jewish Staff List

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's robust investigative authority may give it an edge when it squares off with the University of Pennsylvania in federal court Tuesday to debate the agency's demand for detailed information on the Jewish members of the campus community, experts say.

  • March 09, 2026

    6th Circ. Upholds Dismissal Of Detroit Teacher's Bias Suit

    A former Detroit teacher has failed to persuade the Sixth Circuit to reopen her claims that school administrators treated her differently because of her Jewish faith and punished her for posting about a student assault in a teachers' Facebook group.

  • March 09, 2026

    5th Circ. Won't Unwind Class In United Airlines Vax Bias Suit

    The Fifth Circuit said Monday that United Airlines can't roll back class certification for workers who brought religious bias claims after opposing the air carrier's COVID-19 vaccine mandate and getting placed on unpaid leave, rejecting concerns that the courts would have to probe the sincerity of each worker's convictions.

  • March 09, 2026

    5th Circ. Says Atty's Flaky Handling Justifies Axing Bias Suit

    A trial court was right to toss a suit from a former correctional facility employee who said he was passed over for promotion because he's Black and was fired when he complained, the Fifth Circuit ruled Monday, faulting his lawyer for ignoring her duty to pursue his case.

  • March 09, 2026

    2nd Circ. Seems Skeptical Of Teachers' Pride Flag Bias Suit

    The Second Circuit appeared hesitant Monday to revive three LGBTQ+ high school teachers' suit alleging they were unlawfully banned from displaying pride flags, with two judges hinting that a 20-year-old U.S. Supreme Court ruling governing public employee speech imperils their case.

  • March 09, 2026

    Trans Patients Score Block On Aetna Facial Surgery Exclusion

    Aetna must reconsider whether two transgender women can receive coverage for their gender-affirming facial reconstruction surgeries, a Connecticut federal judge ruled, finding that a policy categorically excluding coverage for the procedure was likely discriminatory.

Expert Analysis

  • NWSL's $5M Player Abuse Deal Shifts Standard For Employers

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    The National Women's Soccer League's recent $5 million settlement addressing players' abuse allegations sends a powerful message to leagues, entertainment entities and employers everywhere that employee safety, accountability and transparency are no longer optional, say attorneys at Michelman & Robinson.

  • Navigating The Use Of AI Tools In Workplace Investigations

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Artificial intelligence tools can be used in workplace investigations to analyze evidence and conduct interviews, among other things, but employers should be aware of the legal and practical risks, including data privacy concerns and the potential for violating antidiscrimination laws, say attorneys at Fisher Phillips.

  • How Justices Rule On Straight Bias May Shift Worker Suits

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    Following oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, in which a heterosexual woman sued her employer for sexual orientation discrimination, the forthcoming decision may create a perfect storm for employers amid recent attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • Employer Tips To Navigate Cultural Flashpoints Investigations

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    As companies are increasingly flooded with complaints of employees violating policies related to polarizing social, cultural or political issues, employers should beware the distinct concerns and increased risk in flashpoints investigations compared to routine workplace probes, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • A Path Forward For Employers, Regardless Of DEI Stance

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    Whether a company views the Trump administration's executive orders ending diversity, equity and inclusion programs as a win or a loss, the change rearranges the employment hazards companies face, but not the non-DEI and nondiscriminatory economic incentive to seek the best workers, says Daniel S. Levy at Advanced Analytical Consulting Group.

  • Bias Suit Shows WNBA Growing Pains On Court And In Court

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    A newly filed disability discrimination and retaliation lawsuit against the Los Angeles Sparks is the latest in a series of employment discrimination disputes filed by WNBA professionals, highlighting teams' obligation to meet elevated workplace expectations and the league's role in facilitating an inclusive work environment, say attorneys at Michelman & Robinson.

  • 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.