Discrimination

  • October 07, 2025

    9th Circ. Rejects 'Kitchen Sink' Challenge To Vaccine Mandate

    A Ninth Circuit panel on Monday upheld a lower court's rejection of a lawsuit brought by dozens of former employees of a nonprofit healthcare system who claimed Washington state's requirement that healthcare workers be vaccinated against COVID-19 violated their statutory and constitutional rights.

  • October 07, 2025

    9th Circ. Ruling Endorses Broad Approach To Age Bias Claims

    The Ninth Circuit's reinstatement of an age discrimination lawsuit against a convenience store chain upended a trial judge's strict take on the rules for pursuing such cases, a development that means courts and litigants should take a comprehensive view when assessing the viability of older workers' bias claims, experts said.

  • October 07, 2025

    9th Circ. Cuts Atty Fee Award In Cop's Retaliation Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday slashed an approximately $600,000 attorney fee award in a city police officer's retaliation case, saying a trial court's adjustment based on the supposed risk plaintiff's counsel assumed by taking on the lawsuit contributed to a $200,000 miscalculation.

  • October 07, 2025

    5th Circ. Upends $8M Race Bias Win For Black City Manager

    The Fifth Circuit scrapped an $8 million verdict Tuesday for a Black city manager in his racial bias case against the Texas municipality that fired him, unpersuaded that discrimination played any role in the city's effort to recoup his $400,000 severance package.

  • October 07, 2025

    Senate Confirms Trump's Pick For EEOC, Restoring Quorum

    The Senate voted along party lines Tuesday to confirm an assistant U.S. attorney to serve on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, restoring the agency to its full decision-making capacity after months without a quorum.

  • October 07, 2025

    NC Housing Authority Fights $2.3M Hostile Workplace Verdict

    The public housing authority in Charlotte, North Carolina, said a jury should never have heard evidence about alleged discrimination in one of its programs during a former coordinator's hostile work environment trial, telling a federal judge to reverse the $2.3 million verdict or order a new trial.

  • October 07, 2025

    Ex-Reed Smith Atty Says NJ Pay Bias Law Goes Back 6 Years

    A former Reed Smith LLP attorney suing the firm for gender discrimination told a New Jersey appeals court Tuesday that a 2018 equal pay law was intended by the Legislature to be a "game changer" and be applied retroactively, expanding the scope of her claims.

  • October 07, 2025

    Walgreens Seeks Atty Sanctions For 'Baseless' Claims

    Walgreens has called on a Georgia federal judge to slap sanctions on counsel for a former pharmacist suing the chain for discrimination, arguing that she should pay for the company's efforts to dismiss a handful of claims with "no legal basis" after her attorney refused to voluntarily drop them.

  • October 07, 2025

    Accenture Settles With Worker Who Blamed His Firing On DEI

    Consulting firm Accenture has agreed to resolve a sex bias suit from a former employee who alleged that the company declined to promote him and eventually fired him so it could advance less experienced women to achieve gender parity goals, according to an Illinois federal court filing.

  • October 07, 2025

    Air Medic Ends EEOC Disability Bias Suit Over Nixed Job Offer

    A helicopter ambulance company has agreed to pay an air mechanic $59,000 to resolve a disability bias suit in an Alabama federal court from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging the business yanked back a job transfer offer because the worker was prescribed opioids.

  • October 06, 2025

    Ex-USAID Contractors Call Trump Cuts Political Retaliation

    Former contractors employed by the U.S. Agency for International Development claim their contracts were unlawfully terminated en masse because the Trump administration believed their work functioned as "indirect financial support for the Democratic Party," according to a lawsuit filed in the Court of Federal Claims.

  • October 06, 2025

    Morgan Stanley Race Bias Suit In NY Closed After Settlement

    A decade-old suit accusing Morgan Stanley of discriminating against its African American financial advisers and depriving them of lucrative opportunities has come to a close after the final plaintiff reached a settlement with the financial institution.

  • October 06, 2025

    2nd Circ. Declines To Reconsider NFL Arbitration Decision

    The Second Circuit on Monday declined the NFL's request to reconsider its finding that the league offers arbitration "in name only" and that it cannot force fired Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores to arbitrate his racial discrimination claims.

  • October 06, 2025

    6th Circ. Backs Firing Over Graffiti, Rejects Bias Claims

    The Sixth Circuit on Monday upheld the dismissal of a fired delivery driver's claim that his employer used allegations he painted crass graffiti on trusses as a facade to let him go for making a disability claim, finding no strong link between his workers' compensation request and his later termination.

  • October 06, 2025

    Amtrak Settles Black Worker's Bias Suit Alleging Union Snubs

    Amtrak and a labor union have agreed to settle a Black conductor's suit alleging she was blocked from securing senior union committee assignments out of bias against her race, age and gender, according to a Monday docket entry in Connecticut federal court.

  • October 06, 2025

    Meta Accused Of Retaliation In Pregnancy Discrimination Suit

    A former manager for Meta claims in a lawsuit filed in California federal court Friday that the company discriminated against her for pregnancy-related leave, giving her unfair reviews and overloading her with work before firing her weeks after she reported bias to the human resources department.

  • October 06, 2025

    Ex-Aldi Employee Accuses Grocery Chain Of Retaliation

    Supermarket chain Aldi targeted and wrongfully fired a former risk analyst because of her disability that at times caused her to have anxiety attacks, according to a lawsuit in Illinois federal court.

  • October 06, 2025

    HVAC Co. Ends EEOC Suit Over Missing Workforce Reports

    An HVAC products manufacturer has reached a deal with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission promising to file future annual workforce demographic data reports with the agency, after the EEOC filed a suit in Texas federal court accusing the business of shirking reporting requirements.

  • October 06, 2025

    Atty Awarded $203K In ADA Suit Over Alcoholism Relapse

    A federal judge in Washington state has confirmed a $203,523 JAMS arbitration award issued to a Seattle-area lawyer, permanently ending the attorney's disability bias suit against a personal injury firm he alleged fired him over an alcoholism relapse.

  • October 06, 2025

    Walmart Settles EEOC Suit Over Sign Language Interpreters

    Walmart has agreed just days before a trial was set to start in Kansas federal court to pay two deaf workers $300,000 to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming the retail giant said it couldn't afford to provide the employees with on-the-job interpreters.

  • October 06, 2025

    Justices Won't Review EFAA's Effect On Wage Claims

    The U.S. Supreme Court rejected on Monday an invitation to consider whether the 3-year-old Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act can also push workers' wage and hour claims into federal court.

  • October 06, 2025

    Justices Skip Unpaid Texas Tech Mentor's Retaliation Suit

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to review a former Texas Tech University graduate research assistant's suit alleging she lost an unpaid mentor position for complaining about a professor's sexual harassment, leaving intact the Fifth Circuit's finding that she wasn't technically an employee.

  • October 06, 2025

    Justices Won't Review 5th Circ. Ending ACA Trans Policy Suit

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review the Fifth Circuit's decision to shut down a challenge to a Biden-era interpretation of the Affordable Care Act's nondiscrimination-in-healthcare policy as also protecting against gender identity bias, which an appellate panel told a Texas court to dismiss in December.

  • October 06, 2025

    Justices Won't Hear Ex-Steel Co. Manager's Retaliation Suit

    The U.S. Supreme Court refused Monday to review a suit brought by a former steel company manager who said lower courts let his former employer use unverified misconduct allegations to shield itself from claims that he was fired for speaking out about racial bias.

  • October 06, 2025

    High Court Won't Revisit Packaging Co.'s Win In ADA Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court refused Monday to hear a former packing company worker's challenge to the dismissal of his suit claiming he was unlawfully placed on unpaid leave after he asked to be excused from climbing ladders because of an injury, letting the company's Sixth Circuit win stand.

Expert Analysis

  • Employer Tips As Deepfakes Reshape Workplace Harassment

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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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.