Discrimination

  • August 13, 2025

    Raytheon Settles Demotion Suit Over Disability Leave

    Raytheon Technologies Corp. and a former employee reached a settlement Wednesday in a suit where the worker said he was demoted for taking time off to treat his recurring migraines and for speaking up about the mistreatment of his team members, according to a notice filed by the defense contractor in Colorado federal court.

  • August 13, 2025

    8th Circ. Revives Ark. Ban On Youth Gender-Affirming Care

    A split Eighth Circuit en banc panel revived an Arkansas state law banning gender-affirming care for minors, finding that a district court erred in blocking the law because it does not discriminate based on sex but instead classifies based only on age and medical procedure.

  • August 13, 2025

    Calif. Justices Expand Arbitration Fee Leniency In Wage Suits

    The California Supreme Court's upholding of punishment for the late payment of arbitration fees in wage and hour litigation, while the justices also established a new pathway for employer relief, seems like a compromise to avoid U.S. Supreme Court scrutiny, attorneys in the state said.

  • August 13, 2025

    Buffalo Wild Wings, EEOC Settle Suit Over Religious Applicant

    Buffalo Wild Wings has agreed to pay $47,500 to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit alleging it turned away a woman seeking a server position because she wore long skirts due to her faith, according to settlement documents filed Wednesday in Georgia federal court.

  • August 13, 2025

    Staffing Co. Ends EEOC Religious Bias Suit Over Prayer Time

    A staffing company has inked a $217,500 deal to end a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming it refused a Muslim job-seeker work because he requested a longer lunch break on Fridays to pray, according to the proposed consent decree filed in Washington federal court.

  • August 13, 2025

    8th Circ. Revives Ex-Firefighter's Suit Over Anti-Abortion Post

    A Christian firefighter in Arkansas who was fired after he posted an anti-abortion image on Facebook can ask jurors to consider whether he was unconstitutionally punished for his speech, the Eighth Circuit ruled Wednesday, wiping out his former employer's trial court win.

  • August 13, 2025

    Ex-Denver Nuggets Mascot Claims Disability Bias In Firing Suit

    The former mascot for the NBA's Denver Nuggets in a proposed class action filed in Colorado state court Tuesday against Kroenke Sports and Entertainment LLC claims his firing violated state discrimination laws.

  • August 13, 2025

    Pa. Judge Ends Employers' Expanded Birth Control Exemptions

    A Pennsylvania federal judge on Wednesday struck down rules set by the first Trump administration enabling employers to refuse coverage of employees' contraceptives on moral and religious grounds, holding that the government failed to provide a good reason for the broadening of exemptions.

  • August 13, 2025

    Ex-NJ Judge Seeks To Shield 'Inflammatory' Info In Firing Suit

    A former New Jersey workers' compensation judge doubled down Wednesday on a bid to quash state subpoenas in her suit over her removal from the bench, seeking a protective order to limit discovery in her lawsuit against Gov. Phil Murphy and several top officials in the state's Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

  • August 13, 2025

    Mercyhealth Inks $1M Deal To End EEOC Vaccine Bias Probe

    Midwest healthcare system Mercyhealth said Wednesday it has agreed to pay over $1 million to quell a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigation into claims that it discriminated against workers' religious beliefs by firing them for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine.

  • August 13, 2025

    Atty Leaves Montana Firm For Tucker Arensberg In Pittsburgh

    A move across the country to new surroundings at Tucker Arensberg PC's Pittsburgh office has given a seasoned attorney the opportunity to expand the scope of his litigation practice into new areas.

  • August 13, 2025

    Flores Cites Gruden's Win Averting Arbitration In NFL Suit

    Fired former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores sent a letter to the Second Circuit arguing the recent decision by the Nevada Supreme Court not to send the dispute of former Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden to arbitration is pertinent to his efforts to avoid arbitration in his discrimination lawsuit against the NFL.

  • August 13, 2025

    7th Circ. Backs Chicago In White Worker's Race Bias Suit

    The Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a white Chicago city worker's suit claiming she was suspended three times by her Black boss out of racial discrimination, saying she hadn't rebutted the city's argument that performance issues, not prejudice, got her disciplined.

  • August 12, 2025

    West Point, Air Force Academy Settle Admissions Bias Suits

    President Donald Trump's administration said Tuesday that it has settled two lawsuits lodged by an anti-affirmative-action organization that challenged the use of race in admissions decisions by the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

  • August 12, 2025

    Worker's Flu Shot Ruling Goes Too Far, 5th Circ. Dissent Says

    A Fifth Circuit judge on Monday said a woman briefly suspended from Texas Children's Hospital over her refusal to get a flu vaccine should be able to pursue her religious discrimination suit even though the hospital ultimately accommodated her beliefs.

  • August 12, 2025

    Ex-Paralegal Sues Rueb Stoller For Race Bias

    A Georgia law firm was sued in federal court by a Black former civil litigation paralegal who alleged she faced a "pattern of marginalization" due to her race before eventually resigning after a co-worker "hurled" a racial slur at her.

  • August 12, 2025

    6th Circ. Raises Bar For Suits Over Harassment By Customers

    The Sixth Circuit recently rejected decades-old U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines and made it tougher for workers to successfully sue employers over harassment by customers, in a ruling that experts said showed the influence of last year's Loper Bright opinion from the nation's highest court.

  • August 12, 2025

    NM School Board Sues Feds Over Native American Bias Probe

    A New Mexico school board is suing the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and acting Chair Andrea Lucas, arguing they overstepped their authority by lodging an "overly broad and vague" Native American discrimination charge and probe against it.

  • August 12, 2025

    GWU Didn't Adequately Safeguard Jewish Students, DOJ Says

    The U.S. Department of Justice said Tuesday that George Washington University violated federal antidiscrimination law by not doing enough to address on-campus hostility against Jewish and Israeli students and faculty.

  • August 12, 2025

    NJ Judge Trims Ex-Bank Regulator's Discrimination Suit

    A New Jersey state judge has trimmed a discrimination and retaliation suit brought by a former acting director at the state's Department of Banking and Insurance, tossing her unequal pay and hostile work environment claims, but allowing her retaliation and failure to promote claims to proceed.

  • August 12, 2025

    Paralegal's Bias Suit Fails To Show ADA Violation, Firm Says

    The Driscoll Firm PC, which was accused of unfairly firing a paralegal after she disclosed her cancer recurrence, told a North Carolina federal court it should be freed from the lawsuit because the former worker didn't allege she was guaranteed protection under several federal laws.

  • August 12, 2025

    Ohio Manufacturer Strikes Deal In EEOC Sex Bias Suit

    A private equity-owned manufacturer has reached a deal to end a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit accusing it of refusing to hire women for production floor jobs and firing a human resources director who pushed to recruit women, according to a filing in Ohio federal court.

  • August 11, 2025

    2nd Circ. Revives Ex-Fed Worker's COVID Vax Exemption Suit

    The Second Circuit has revived a former employee's claims against the Federal Reserve Bank of New York over its COVID-19 vaccination requirement, saying Monday there was a disputed issue of fact over whether the executive assistant had a genuine religious objection.

  • August 11, 2025

    What To Know Following DOJ's Guidance On 'Unlawful' DEI

    The U.S. Department of Justice recently issued guidance that marks the Trump administration's most detailed explanation yet of the types of diversity, equity and inclusion-related practices it considers illegal, a move that experts say offers clues about how future enforcement actions will look. Here are five takeaways.

  • August 11, 2025

    Christian Groups Win Reprieve From EEOC, HHS Regs

    A Texas federal court blocked the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from enforcing Biden-era rules and guidance against two Christian organizations, saying provisions pertaining to abortion, fertility and gender-affirming care flout the groups' Religious Freedom Restoration Act rights.

Expert Analysis

  • How Latest High Court Rulings Refine Employment Law

    Author Photo

    The 2024-2025 U.S. Supreme Court term did not radically rewrite employment law, but sharpened focus on textual fidelity, procedural rigor and the boundaries of statutory relief, say attorneys at Krevolin & Horst.

  • Challenging A Class Representative's Adequacy And Typicality

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.