Discrimination

  • December 16, 2025

    DOD To Reevaluate Discharges Over COVID Vax Refusal

    The U.S. Department of Defense said on Tuesday that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered a reevaluation of the discharge status of service members who were involuntarily removed from the military after they refused to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. 

  • December 16, 2025

    EMTs Fight To Preserve Bias Suit Against FDNY

    Two union-represented emergency medical service workers are fighting to keep their discrimination lawsuit against the New York City Fire Department alive, telling a New York federal court that newly acquired evidence supports their claims of disparate treatment in the department's promotion process.

  • December 16, 2025

    Ex-Worker Drops Bias Suit Against Ga. Housing Authority

    A woman who alleged she was denied a senior position with a local housing authority after its leaders found out she'd sued her prior employer has agreed to dismiss her suit, according to a filing in Georgia federal court. 

  • December 16, 2025

    2nd Circ. Tosses Ex-CFTC Atty's Religious Bias Case

    The Second Circuit on Tuesday threw out a religious bias claim brought by a former U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission attorney, reasoning that he hadn't shown how he had been harmed by a temporary order at an agency he no longer works for.

  • December 16, 2025

    10th Circ. Backs Geico's Win In Black Sales Rep's Bias Suit

    The Tenth Circuit declined Tuesday to reinstate a Black former Geico sales representative's race discrimination and retaliation lawsuit, finding no evidence of pretext in the insurance giant's performance and credential-based rationale for firing him.

  • December 16, 2025

    SHRM Flouted ADA By Denying Service Dog, Applicant Says

    The Society for Human Resource Management was sued in Virginia federal court Tuesday by an applicant who alleged she had a job offer pulled after she sought permission to have a trained service dog accompany her to work.

  • December 16, 2025

    Haribo Can't Sink Fired Black Exec's Race, Gender Bias Suit

    A Texas federal judge on Tuesday narrowed but refused to dismiss a Black former Haribo executive's suit alleging the candy company fired her and accused her of stealing a company car following her bias complaints, ruling a jury needs to probe whether gender and race discrimination was at play.

  • December 16, 2025

    2 Cops Remain In Ex-NJ Judge's Suit Over 2013 Arrest

    A New Jersey federal court has refused to throw out a former Garden State judge's civil rights lawsuit against two police officials, ruling that disputes over whether the officers fabricated or withheld evidence surrounding her 2013 arrest must be decided by a jury.

  • December 16, 2025

    $1.7M Verdict Tainted By Confusion, NJ Housing Agency Says

    Camden, New Jersey's housing authority asked a Garden State federal court for a new trial after a jury awarded $1.7 million to former and current employees who claimed they were terminated for raising concerns about corruption, arguing that the jury improperly decided questions of law and that the jury charges and verdict sheet contradicted each other.

  • December 16, 2025

    DOJ Says NY Court Can't Handle Maurene Comey Firing Suit

    The U.S. Department of Justice has said former prosecutor Maurene Comey's suit challenging the circumstances of her firing should be dismissed, arguing that it is an attempt to sidestep the Civil Service Reform Act.

  • December 16, 2025

    White Atlanta Worker Says EEOC Race Charge Got Him Fired

    A white worker in his 60s claimed in a Georgia federal court suit that the city of Atlanta fired him out of age and race discrimination after he complained to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that his Black and younger colleagues received preferential treatment.

  • December 15, 2025

    9th Circ. Backs Honeywell Over Engineer's Retaliation Claims

    The Ninth Circuit rejected an ex-Honeywell engineer's challenge to her firing after voicing concerns about avionic software that was part of a Boeing defense contract, finding any potential fraud to the government was too far removed to support a retaliation claim.

  • December 15, 2025

    Performance Issues Doom Worker's ADA Suit, 11th Circ. Says

    The Eleventh Circuit backed the dismissal Monday of a Miami-Dade County worker's disability bias suit claiming she was fired from its animal services division after being diagnosed with a brain tumor, ruling she failed to undermine the county's position that she was terminated for repeated performance issues.

  • December 15, 2025

    EEOC Must Turn Over Psych Records In Sex Harassment Case

    A Burger King franchisee can access female employees' medical and psychological records in a sexual harassment case from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a Kansas federal magistrate judge ruled, rejecting the EEOC's argument that it could withhold the records because the agency asserted "garden variety" emotional distress claims.

  • December 15, 2025

    Former DLA Piper Associate Alleges Ex-Partner Raped Her

    A former Boston-based DLA Piper associate on Monday launched a state lawsuit alleging she was raped at the firm's Delaware office by a former partner purportedly known for heavy drinking and inappropriate workplace conduct toward female subordinates.

  • December 15, 2025

    Fla. Health Clinic Chain Settles EEOC Age Bias Probe

    A healthcare provider with multiple clinics in Florida will pay $64,000 after a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigation found reasonable cause to conclude that the company fired a worker over his age, the EEOC said Monday. 

  • December 15, 2025

    Wells Fargo Bucks CFO's Deposition In Disability Bias Suit

    Wells Fargo wants to block the deposition of its chief financial officer in a senior finance manager's disability bias lawsuit, saying he has no personal knowledge of the claims underpinning her allegations and suggesting that her attorney's "behavior" needs "curtailing."

  • December 15, 2025

    EEOC, PepsiCo Reach $270K Deal To End Vision Bias Suit

    PepsiCo will pay $270,000 to end suit by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging it fired a blind call center employee after refusing to find a screen-reading tool compatible with its software system that would allow the worker to do his job, according to a North Carolina federal court filing.

  • December 15, 2025

    Fired Black Delta Worker Ends Race Bias, Retaliation Suit

    A Black former Delta Air Lines employee dropped his suit claiming the airline fired him for voicing concerns that he was paid less than his non-Black colleagues, according to a filing in Georgia federal court.

  • December 15, 2025

    New York Tire Dealer, EEOC Settle Religious Bias Probe

    A New York-based tire dealer agreed to pay just under $304,000 to resolve an investigation into what the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleged was a decision to turn away an applicant due to his request for time off to observe the Sabbath, the agency announced Monday.

  • December 15, 2025

    High Court Won't Hear Illinois County's ADA Back Pay Appeal

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined an invitation Monday from Cook County, Illinois, to review a Seventh Circuit ruling that said a former corrections officer can seek back pay after winning a disability discrimination verdict.

  • December 12, 2025

    Boeing Unit Owes $2.5M In Employment Bias Trial

    A Kansas federal jury has said Spirit AeroSystems Inc. must pay a former employee, a white mechanic, $2.5 million for firing him after a period of sustained conflict with a Hispanic employee that eventually led the mechanic to call the police.

  • December 12, 2025

    Trump's 2016 Campaign Must Face Bias Suit, Judge Says

    A New York federal judge said Friday President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign committee can't escape state and New York City claims from an ex-consultant who worked on the campaign mostly in the city that she was effectively fired for becoming pregnant, ruling her Florida residency is immaterial.

  • December 12, 2025

    Employment Attys Share Tales Of Holiday Parties Gone Awry

    As companies gear up to celebrate the holidays and boost morale with festive events, it pays to remember getting too relaxed can can leave employers with a legal hangover. Here, management-side attorneys share examples of problematic holiday party behavior — some based in reality, some hypothetical — as well as tips to help stave off similar gaffes.

  • December 12, 2025

    Exec Says Netflix Used Vax Status As Cover For Biased Firing

    Netflix fired a production executive for refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccine out of retaliation for her complaints that the company mocked the religious beliefs of the unvaccinated and pushed a sexually charged company culture, according to a bias suit the former employee filed in California state court.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Justices' Ruling Lowers Bar For Reverse Discrimination Suits

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous opinion in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, lowering the evidentiary burden for plaintiffs bringing so-called reverse discrimination claims, may lead to more claims brought by majority group employees — and open the door to legal challenges to employer diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, say attorneys at Ice Miller.

  • 4 Midyear Employer Actions To Reinforce Compliance

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    The legal and political landscape surrounding what the government describes as unlawful diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives has become increasingly complex over the past six months, and the midyear juncture presents a strategic opportunity to reinforce commitments to legal integrity, workplace equity and long-term operational resilience, say attorneys at Krevolin & Horst.

  • Proposed State AI Rule Ban Could Alter Employer Compliance

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    A proposal in the congressional budget bill that would ban state and local enforcement of laws and regulations governing artificial intelligence may offer near-term clarity by freezing conflicting rules, but long-term planning would remain difficult for employers seeking safe, lawful AI deployment strategies, say attorneys at Fisher Phillips.

  • What Employers Can Learn From 'Your Friends & Neighbors'

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    The new drama series "Your Friends and Neighbors," follows a hedge fund firm manager who is terminated after an alleged affair with an employee in another department, and his employment struggles can teach us a few lessons about workplace policies, for cause termination and nonsolicitation clauses, says Anita Levian at Levian Law.

  • Water Cooler Talk: Performance Review Tips From 'Severance'

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    In the hit series "Severance," the eerie depiction of performance reviews, which drone on for hours and focus on frivolous issues, can instruct employers about best practices to follow and mistakes to avoid when conducting employee evaluations, say Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter at Troutman.

  • A Look At Employer Wins In Title VII Suits Over DEI Training

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    Despite increased attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, courts across the country have favored employers in cases opposing diversity training, challenging the idea that all workplace inclusion efforts violate the law and highlighting the importance of employers precisely recognizing the legal guardrails, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.