Discrimination

  • June 05, 2025

    Red States Double Down On Bid To Stymie Trans Health Rule

    More than a dozen Republican attorneys general challenging a Biden-era rule that protected gender-affirming care under the Affordable Care Act said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services can't keep the rule on the books just because the new administration is unlikely to enforce it.

  • June 05, 2025

    Religious Network Owner Must Face Pastor's Race Bias Suit

    A Michigan federal judge on Wednesday said a religious television network and its owner must face a lawsuit alleging they interfered with a Black pastor's on-air and earning opportunities, saying the pastor shared enough evidence to support his claim that he was discriminated against because of his race.

  • June 05, 2025

    Justices' Revival Of Straight Bias Case May Trigger New Suits

    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision Thursday reviving a straight woman's workplace discrimination suit doesn't mark a huge precedent shift, but along with other recent changes in the employment law arena, it may help set the stage for a surge in bias cases from so-called majority groups, experts say.

  • June 05, 2025

    Wash. County Ex-Diversity Manager Lodges Retaliation Suit

    A former equity, inclusion and belonging manager for Washington state's King County, home to Seattle, has launched a lawsuit contending she was blocked from addressing employee concerns about bias in the workplace, mistreated by white male colleagues, and ultimately pushed out amid a "challenging culture of silence and inaction."

  • June 05, 2025

    Trans Worker Takes Over Harassment Suit After EEOC's Exit

    An Illinois federal judge on Thursday allowed a transgender former hog-farm worker to carry on a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming she was sexually harassed on the job, after the agency dropped the case because it conflicted with a presidential executive order.

  • June 05, 2025

    Attorney's FMLA Suit Against Va. City Headed To Trial

    A former Virginia city assistant attorney's Family and Medical Leave Act suit against the chief city prosecutor will head to trial, a federal judge said Thursday, ruling that there is an open question over whether firing the attorney was a pretext to not grant a leave request.

  • June 05, 2025

    Bar Owners Agree To Resolve EEOC Sex Harassment Suit

    The owners of a defunct Colorado bar will pay $100,000 to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit alleging one of them made inappropriate sexual comments to employees, groped women and disciplined those who complained, according to a filing in federal court.

  • June 05, 2025

    4th Circ. Won't Revive Ex-Fire Captain's Free Speech Suit

    The Fourth Circuit refused to reopen a former Lynchburg, Virginia, fire captain's suit alleging he was unconstitutionally fired for social media posts that citizens called transphobic and racist, ruling Thursday that he failed to show why the city should be held liable.

  • June 05, 2025

    Actors Ask 9th Circ. To Revive SAG Vax Mandate Fight

    SAG-AFTRA members urged the Ninth Circuit on Thursday to revive their claims that the union betrayed them by allowing studios to impose COVID-19 vaccine mandates against members with medical and religious objections, arguing that the state claims aren't preempted and "not everything that involves these guilds is a federal matter."

  • June 05, 2025

    No Injunction Or Remand In Marine's Vape Discharge Dispute

    A Court of Federal Claims judge denied a former U.S. Marine Corps air traffic control officer's bid for an injunction as he challenges his discharge for allegedly using a prohibited vape, saying the court lacks the power to prevent the government from releasing "disparaging" information.

  • June 05, 2025

    Carmaker Fired Worker For Taking Passover Off, EEOC Says

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accused car manufacturing giant FCA US of refusing to let a Jewish employee take holy days off and then eventually firing him after he didn't show up to work on Passover, according to a suit filed Thursday in Michigan federal court.

  • June 05, 2025

    Walgreens Says No Standing In Suit Over Tobacco Surcharge

    Walgreens is urging an Illinois federal court to throw out a suit from an employee alleging it illegally imposes a tobacco surcharge on employees in its healthcare program, saying the program complies with federal regulations, and the employee has no standing because she declined to participate in the program.

  • June 05, 2025

    Judge Rejects DC Bid To Toss Black Atty's Bias Suit

    A D.C. federal judge allowed a city attorney's discrimination and retaliation lawsuit to proceed to discovery Thursday, rejecting the D.C. government's motion to toss the claims that a city administrative law judge discriminated against Black women and paid the plaintiff attorney less than her male peers.

  • June 05, 2025

    Foley & Lardner Says Palestine Support Didn't Doom Job Offer

    Foley & Lardner LLP urged an Illinois federal judge to dismiss a bias suit by a former summer associate, arguing her job offer was rescinded not due to her Arab Muslim identity but because her public comments on Hamas' 2023 attack on Israel "violated the firm's core values" and showed "incredibly poor judgment."

  • June 05, 2025

    Judicial Watchdog Says Mich. Judge Created 'Climate Of Fear'

    Michigan's judicial watchdog has said in a formal misconduct complaint a state judge "created a climate of fear" among court personnel that disrupted the administration of the court, "bullied" court staff and improperly dismissed criminal cases to "punish" prosecutors.

  • June 05, 2025

    EEOC Says Co. Fired Christian Driver For Wearing Skirt

    A building materials company fired a cement truck driver after a week of employment because she wore a skirt on the job in compliance with her religious beliefs, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in a suit filed in Florida federal court.

  • June 05, 2025

    Greenberg Traurig Lands Bracewell Employment Pro In Texas

    Greenberg Traurig LLP has strengthened its labor and employment practice with the addition of a Bracewell LLP attorney in Houston, boosting the firm's ability to serve clients in the growing Texas market and beyond.

  • June 05, 2025

    Ex-Wells Fargo Worker Says 'Herculean' Win Backs Fee Bid

    An ex-Wells Fargo worker awarded $22.1 million in his case claiming he was fired out of disability bias defended his request for $1.5 million in attorney fees, telling a North Carolina federal court his counsel's "superior lawyering" and "herculean effort" justified the proposed award.

  • June 05, 2025

    Justices Fault Wis. For Denying Tax Break To Charities

    Wisconsin discriminated against a group of Catholic charities when it denied them an unemployment tax exemption, the U.S. Supreme Court said Thursday, rejecting the state's argument that the charities were not operated primarily for religious purposes.

  • June 05, 2025

    Justices Nix Higher Hurdle For Heterosexual Bias Claims

    A unanimous U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday vacated the Sixth Circuit's ruling that plaintiffs claiming anti-heterosexual workplace discrimination need to provide extra "background circumstances" evidence, opining that it improperly imposed special standards on majority-group plaintiffs.

  • June 04, 2025

    Property Manager Fired For Complaint About Meme, Suit Says

    A Texas-based property management company has been sued by a former employee in Georgia who alleged she was fired after reporting a "racially insensitive" meme sent to her by the company's acting vice president.

  • June 04, 2025

    Vanderbilt Prof's Promotion Bias Suit Falls Short At 6th Circ.

    The Sixth Circuit refused Wednesday to revive a Vanderbilt University professor's disability bias suit claiming she was denied a promotion because she took leave to manage her multiple sclerosis, ruling she failed to overcome evidence that her deficient scholarship cost her the job.

  • June 04, 2025

    5th Circ. Revives United Flight Attendant's Age Bias Suit

    The Fifth Circuit on Wednesday reopened a former flight attendant's lawsuit claiming United Airlines used allegations of misconduct as a pretext to fire her because she was in her 50s, saying a trial court erred in concluding that her case was preempted by federal labor law.

  • June 04, 2025

    Fisher Phillips Snags Labor Atty From Davis Wright In Seattle

    A former Davis Wright Tremaine LLP attorney representing employers in wage-and-hour disputes and traditional labor matters has started as a partner at Fisher Phillips LLP in Seattle, the firm announced, and will remain focused on tackling labor and employment claims for his clients.

  • June 04, 2025

    Ga. Manufacturer Fired HR Exec For Reporting Bias, Suit Says

    An oxygen supply manufacturer has been sued in Georgia federal court by its former global vice president of human resources over allegations it fired her for reporting the harassment of a lesbian employee.

Expert Analysis

  • Top 10 Employer Resolutions For 2025

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    While companies must monitor for policy shifts under the new administration in 2025, it will also be a year to play it safe and remember the basics, such as the importance of documenting retention policies and conducting swift investigations into workplace complaints, say attorneys at Krevolin Horst.

  • What To Expect From EEOC Next Year After An Active 2024

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    While highlights this year for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission include its first-ever Pregnant Workers Fairness Act cases and comprehensive workplace harassment guidance, the question for 2025 is whether the commission will sustain its momentum or shift its focus in a new direction, says Shannon Kelly at GrayRobinson.

  • Ledbetter's Legacy Shines In 2024 Equal Pay Law Updates

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    The federal Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act turned 15 this year, and its namesake's legacy is likely to endure in 2025 and beyond, as demonstrated by 2024's state- and local-level progress on pay equity, as well as several rulings from federal appellate courts, say attorneys at Fisher Phillips.

  • What Employers Should Consider When Drafting AI Policies

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    As generative artificial intelligence continues to evolve and transform the workplace, employers should examine six issues when creating their corporate AI policies in order to balance AI's efficiencies with the oversight needed to prevent potential biases and legal pitfalls, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

  • Eye On Compliance: When Calif. Jobs Require Driver Licenses

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    With a California law banning unnecessarily requiring job applicants to have driver's licenses rolling out Jan. 1, employers should take to heart the law's goal of preventing discriminatory barriers while they assess and revise their employment materials for compliance, says Ani Khachatryan at Wilson Elser.

  • Ring In The New Year With An Updated Employee Handbook

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    One of the best New Year's resolutions employers can make is to update their employee handbooks, given that a handbook can mitigate, or even prevent, costly litigation as long as it accounts for recent changes in laws, court rulings and agency decisions, say attorneys at Kutak Rock.

  • 5 Employer Defenses To Military Status Discrimination Claims

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    A Colorado federal court's recent ruling, finding a Navy reservist wasn't denied promotion at his civilian job due to antimilitary bias, highlights several defenses employers can use to counter claims of violations of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, say attorneys at Littler Mendelson.

  • Justices Mull Sex-Based Classification In Trans Law Case

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    After the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in U.S. v. Skrmetti this week, it appears that the fate of the Tennessee law at the center of the case — a law banning gender-affirming healthcare for transgender adolescents — will hinge on whether the majority read the statute as imposing a sex-based classification, says Alexandra Crandall at Dickinson Wright.

  • Pa. Ruling Highlights Challenges Of Employer Arb. Appeals

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    A Pennsylvania federal court's recent ruling in Welch Foods v. General Teamsters Local Union No. 397 demonstrates the inherent difficulties employers face when seeking relief from labor arbitration decisions through appeals in court — and underscores how employers are faced with often conflicting legal priorities, says Daniel Johns at Cozen O'Connor.

  • 7 Ways To Prepare For An I-9 Audit Or Immigration Raid

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    Because immigration enforcement is likely to surge under the upcoming Trump administration, employers should take steps to ensure their staff is trained in employment eligibility verification requirements and what to do in the event of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement I-9 audit or workplace raid, say attorneys at Littler.

  • California Supreme Court's Year In Review

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    Attorneys at Horvitz & Levy highlight notable decisions on major questions from the California Supreme Court's last term, including voter initiatives, hostile work environment and the economic loss rule.

  • Disentangling Various Forms Of Workplace Discrimination

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    Pay inequity can be missed where it exists and misidentified due to incorrect statistics, leaving individuals to face multiple facets of discrimination connected by a common root cause, meaning correct identification and measurement is crucial, says Daniel Levy at Advanced Analytical.

  • Key Requirements In New Maryland Pay Transparency Laws

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    Although several jurisdictions now require pay transparency in job advertisements, Maryland's new law is among the broadest in the country, both in terms of what is required and the scope of its applicability, says Sarah Belger at Quarles & Brady.