Discrimination

  • August 27, 2025

    DOD Education Unit Accused Of Bias By Assistant Principal

    A Black, longtime employee of the Department of Defense Education Activity has sued the agency and its leaders in North Carolina federal court, alleging a lower school principal harassed her, that she was denied promotions based on her race and sex and is being unfairly terminated.

  • August 27, 2025

    6th Circ. Says Hospital Waived Arbitration In Pronoun Dispute

    The Sixth Circuit reversed an order Wednesday allowing a University of Michigan hospital to arbitrate an ex-worker's suit claiming she was fired out of religious bias for refusing to use preferred pronouns for certain LGBTQ patients, ruling the institution waited too long to invoke an arbitration pact.

  • August 27, 2025

    Ex-Drexel Medical Professor Fights Gender Bias Trial Loss

    A former Drexel University medical professor who lost her gender bias lawsuit alleging the university treated male faculty better than women has asked a Pennsylvania federal judge for a redo, claiming the jury's verdict in favor of the school was against the weight of the evidence.

  • August 27, 2025

    X Settles Disability Bias Suit Over Musk's Twitter Takeover

    X Corp. has agreed to settle a proposed class action alleging the company purposefully created severe working conditions during Elon Musk's 2022 takeover of Twitter to drive out workers with disabilities, according to a California federal court filing.

  • August 27, 2025

    More Courts Taking Broad View Of EEOC Investigative Power

    The Second Circuit's ruling this week that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission can continue investigating a worker's charge even if the employee files their own lawsuit reflects a growing consensus among federal appeals courts on the breadth of the agency's powers.

  • August 27, 2025

    Mich. Judge Advises Trimming $500K Fees For Retaliation Win

    A magistrate judge said a human resources director who won a retaliation suit should be awarded attorney fees but recommended slashing costs for a third plaintiffs attorney to attend the trial and for tasks the judge said could have been performed by junior associates.

  • August 27, 2025

    Union Dodges Medical Assault Claim Over Vax Mandate

    A mariners union has escaped a deck officer's accusation of attempted medical assault, with a California federal judge tossing his claim that the union teamed up with his former employer, Matson Navigation Co., to pressure him to get a COVID-19 vaccination.

  • August 27, 2025

    DOJ To Probe Calif. EPA For Hiring Bias Over Equity Plan

    The U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday that it has begun investigating whether discrimination has plagued hiring practices in California's Environmental Protection Agency, after raising concerns that the agency's racial equity initiatives could be violating Title VII.

  • August 26, 2025

    Tire Co. Says EEOC Can't Bring ADA Suit Without Quorum

    The Carlstar Group has urged a Tennessee federal judge to toss the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's complaint alleging it has a practice of discriminating against workers who legally took narcotics for long-term injuries, arguing the agency lacks a three-member quorum and the authority to determine whether to sue the tire maker. 

  • August 26, 2025

    Meta Fired Worker For Being Older White Male, Bias Suit Says

    A former Meta Platforms Inc. employee filed an age bias suit in California state court Tuesday, alleging the company prioritized non-white, non-male workers and applicants for job opportunities, bonuses and promotions, before it eventually executed a "reduction in force" that disparately affected older workers who ended up being terminated.

  • August 26, 2025

    Wash. Judge Shoots Down Ex-SEIU Organizer's Bias Suit

    A Washington federal judge has tossed a fired Service Employees International Union organizer's lawsuit against the union, saying the ex-organizer's "vague" complaint lacks facts to substantiate its claims that she was discriminated against, underpaid and wrongfully discharged.

  • August 26, 2025

    NBA's Suns Seek Sanctions Over Alleged Fake Case Citations

    Operators of the NBA's Phoenix Suns asked the court Tuesday to impose sanctions on counsel representing a woman suing the organization for workplace sexual harassment, saying the woman's counsel cited made-up cases and quotes in their filings at least 16 times.

  • August 26, 2025

    New York Fed Wants Out Of Ex-Fed Worker's Vax Bias Suit

    The Federal Reserve Bank of New York and two of its executives seek an exit from a former Fed employee's vaccine status discrimination suit in North Carolina federal court, arguing Monday that the ex-worker's suit inaccurately described the New York Fed as the plaintiff's "co-employer."

  • August 26, 2025

    Christian Clinic Says Mich. Stance On Bias Law Still Unclear

    The state of Michigan should be forced to clarify if it believes a Christian medical clinic's opposition to gender-affirming care and its pronoun policy is discriminatory under state civil rights law, the clinic told a Michigan federal judge. 

  • August 26, 2025

    8th Circ. Backs Deli Chain In Ex-Worker's Pregnancy Bias Suit

    The Eighth Circuit declined Tuesday to reinstate an ex-deli chain manager's bias suit claiming the business denied her pregnancy-related accommodations and subsequently fired her, ruling her case lacks detail showing the chain faulted her for the working adjustments she requested out of bias.

  • August 26, 2025

    8th Circ. Nixes Ex-Principal's Suit Over LGBTQ+ Advocacy

    The Eighth Circuit on Tuesday rejected a former Minnesota public school principal's bid to reopen a suit alleging she was unconstitutionally punished because she advocated for LGBTQ+ students, saying her speech wasn't protected by the First Amendment.

  • August 26, 2025

    Cert. In Pepperidge BIPA Action Sunk Over Counsel Conflict

    An Illinois appellate panel on Monday reversed a trial court's order certifying a class of Pepperidge Farm workers bringing biometric privacy claims, saying it improperly allowed the law firm of the lead plaintiff's daughter to remain as class counsel.

  • August 26, 2025

    5th Circ. Won't Pause Order Blocking PWFA Abortion Regs

    The Fifth Circuit declined to pause a trial court order that nixed U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regulations, which required employers to accommodate workers who receive abortions, while a group of Catholic organizations challenges the ruling for not going far enough to protect religious freedom.

  • August 26, 2025

    New Rulings Bolster Plaintiffs In Ill. Genetic Privacy Suits

    A recent ruling by a Chicago federal judge adds to mounting wins for plaintiffs suing employers under an Illinois genetic privacy law.

  • August 26, 2025

    Credit Union Wants Ex-CEO's Latest Wage Claims Trimmed

    Sound Federal Credit Union wants a Connecticut Superior Court judge to trim its former CEO's recently revamped employment lawsuit, saying defamation and failure to pay wages claims should be removed from his complaint before his breach of contract claim advances.

  • August 26, 2025

    NY Judge In NFL Case May Hold No-Show Atty In Contempt

    The Manhattan federal judge presiding over a high-profile racial discrimination lawsuit against the NFL said Tuesday she will initiate a contempt proceeding against a California lawyer who failed to appear to further explain an erroneous filing that stated he could practice in New York.

  • August 26, 2025

    Netflix Flight Attendant Says Harassment Report Led To Firing

    A former flight attendant for Netflix's private air fleet accused the streaming company of withholding her raise and eventually firing her after she reported several instances of sexual harassment, including one involving a pilot's sexually explicit Christmas cards.

  • August 26, 2025

    Property Management Co. Settles EEOC Suit Over Leave

    A property management company reached a $200,000 settlement to end an EEOC lawsuit accusing it of punishing an employee for taking medical leave to recover from a stroke by placing her on a performance improvement plan, the parties said Tuesday.

  • August 26, 2025

    Bakery Settles EEOC Suit Over Accommodation For Walker

    A northern Indiana bakery agreed to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit accusing it of failing to accommodate an employee with a disability, according to a consent decree filed Tuesday.

  • August 25, 2025

    UTSA Prof Claims School Conducted Biased Probe

    A Black professor at University of Texas at San Antonio told a Texas federal judge that the university discriminated against him by running a slipshod investigation into a case of alleged sexual harassment, saying Monday the school targeted him because of his race.

Expert Analysis

  • What 2 Years Of Ukraine-Russia Conflict Can Teach Cos.

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    A few key legal lessons for the global business community since Russia's invasion of Ukraine could help protect global commerce in times of future conflict, including how to respond to disparate trade restrictions and sanctions, navigate war-related contract disputes, and protect against heightened cybersecurity risks, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • EEOC Case Reminds That Men Can Also Claim Pay Bias

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    The Maryland State Highway Administration recently settled U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claims that a male employee was paid less than his female colleagues, highlighting why employers should not focus on a particular protected class when it comes to assessing pay bias risk, say Barbara Grandjean and Audrey Merkel at Husch Blackwell.

  • Shaping Speech Policies After NLRB's BLM Protest Ruling

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    After the National Labor Relations Board decided last month that a Home Depot employee was protected by federal labor law when they wore a Black Lives Matter slogan on their apron, employers should consider four questions in order to mitigate legal risks associated with workplace political speech policies, say Louis Cannon and Cassandra Horton at Baker Donelson.

  • Avoiding Jurisdictional Risks From Execs' Remote Work

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    Following a California federal court's recent decision in Evans v. Cardlytics — where the case was remanded to state court because the company’s executives worked remotely in California — there are several steps employers can take to ensure they will not be exposed to unfavored jurisdictions, says Eric Fox at Quarles & Brady.

  • 11th Circ. FMLA Ruling Deepens Divide Over Causation

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    The Eleventh Circuit's recent ruling in Lapham v. Walgreen distinguishes the circuit as the loudest advocate for the but-for causation standard for assessing Family and Medical Leave Act retaliation claims, though employers in other jurisdictions may encounter less favorable standards and the U.S. Supreme Court will likely have to address the circuit split eventually, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • Handling Neurodivergence As The Basis Of Disability Claims

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    Three recent discrimination claims in Rhode Island and New Jersey show how allegations of adverse treatment of neurodivergent individuals will continue to be tested in court, so employers should create an environment that welcomes the disclosure of such conditions, says Ting Cheung at Sanford Heisler.

  • Employers Should Take Surgeon's Sex Bias Suit As A Warning

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    A Philadelphia federal jury's recent verdict in a sex bias suit over Thomas Jefferson University's inaction on a male plaintiff's sexual harassment complaint is a reminder to employers of all stripes about the importance of consistently applied protocols for handling complaints, say attorneys at Williams & Connolly.

  • Eye On Compliance: Workplace March Madness Pools

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    With March Madness set to begin in a few weeks, employers should recognize that workplace sports betting is technically illegal, keeping federal and state gambling laws in mind when determining whether they will permit ever-popular bracket pools, says Laura Stutz at Wilson Elser.

  • Generative AI Adds Risk To Employee 'Self-Help' Discovery

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    Plaintiffs have long engaged in their own evidence gathering for claims against current or former employers, but as more companies implement generative AI tools, both the potential scope and the potential risks of such "self-help" discovery are rising quickly, says Nick Peterson at Wiley.

  • Handbook Hot Topics: Workplace AI Risks

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools penetrate workplaces, employers should incorporate sound AI policies and procedures in their handbooks in order to mitigate liability risks, maintain control of the technology, and protect their brands, says Laura Corvo at White and Williams.

  • Employer Pointers As Wage And Hour AI Risks Emerge

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    Following the Biden administration's executive order on artificial intelligence, employers using or considering artificial intelligence tools should carefully assess whether such use could increase their exposure to liability under federal and state wage and hour laws, and be wary of algorithmic discrimination, bias and inaccurate or incomplete reporting, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • Race Bias Defense Considerations After 11th Circ. Ruling

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    In Tynes v. Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed that the McDonnell Douglas test for employment discrimination cases is merely an evidentiary framework, so employers relying on it as a substantive standard of liability may need to rethink their litigation strategy, says Helen Jay at Phelps Dunbar.

  • 6 Ways To Minimize Risk, Remain Respectful During Layoffs

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    With a recent Resume Builder survey finding that 38% of companies expect to lay off employees this year, now is a good time for employers to review several strategies that can help mitigate legal risks and maintain compassion in the reduction-in-force process, says Sahara Pynes at Fox Rothschild.