Discrimination

  • February 26, 2026

    9th Circ. Backs L3Harris In Fired Worker's PTSD Bias Suit

    The Ninth Circuit backed defense contractor L3Harris' win in a suit claiming it unlawfully fired a painter because of his post-traumatic stress disorder, finding he admitted in an application for disability benefits that he wasn't able to work by the time he was terminated.

  • February 25, 2026

    DOJ Settles With IT Co. It Said Hurt US Workers With AI Ads

    The U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division announced Wednesday that it reached a settlement with a Virginia-based IT services company it alleged posted job advertisements generated by an artificial intelligence tool that included language restricting consideration only to certain foreign applicants.

  • February 25, 2026

    Soho House Supervisor Drugged, Raped Bartender, Suit Says

    A bartender for a Los Angeles restaurant operating inside the private members-only club Soho House was drugged and sexually assaulted by her supervisor, according to an employment suit filed Wednesday in California state court.

  • February 25, 2026

    6th Circ. Says All Of Paralegal's Bias Suit Is Arbitration-Exempt

    The Sixth Circuit ruled Wednesday that Adams and Reese LLP can't send a fired paralegal's sex harassment and disability bias suit to arbitration, ruling that a law that bars mandatory out-of-court resolutions for sexual harassment cases applies to the entirety of her lawsuit.

  • February 25, 2026

    10th Circ. Backs Pharmaceutical Co. In Vaccine Policy Suit

    The Tenth Circuit on Wednesday refused to reopen a lawsuit alleging a cancer drug company fired a sales worker for requesting a medical exemption from its COVID-19 vaccination policy, saying the months-long period between his request and termination was too long to suggest they were connected.

  • February 25, 2026

    'Conflicting' Claims Threaten Google ERISA Suit, Judge Hints

    A Connecticut federal judge suggested Wednesday that a former Google sales representative may need to make changes if he wants to advance his lawsuit alleging the tech giant withheld $2 million in commission and improperly fired him amid colon cancer treatments, pointing to "competing allegations" in the complaint.

  • February 25, 2026

    CNN Can't Shut Down Fired Worker's Breastfeeding Bias Suit

    A D.C. federal judge declined to fully toss a worker's suit claiming CNN failed to make sure she had a proper place to pump breast milk after reinstituting in-person work following the COVID-19 pandemic, ruling that a jury needs to assess whether the room that was provided complied with civil rights laws.

  • February 25, 2026

    Ex-Pot Co. Exec Properly Pled Retaliation Claims, Judge Says

    A Florida magistrate judge on Wednesday recommended against dismissing the bulk of a former Jushi Holdings Inc. executive's suit alleging he was fired in retaliation for compliance with safety standards.

  • February 25, 2026

    Calif. County Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Harassment

    A county in Northern California violated federal law by retaliating against and firing a Native American juvenile corrections officer for reporting that she had been subjected to sexual harassment by her supervisors, a complaint filed in California federal court has alleged.

  • February 25, 2026

    CSX Strikes Deal To Wrap Up Ex-Manager's Retaliation Suit

    Rail giant CSX has reached a deal to end a lawsuit from a former maintenance manager who alleged he was met with "screaming, cussing, and hollering" for reporting railway safety concerns before eventually being forced out of his job, according to a Georgia federal court filing. 

  • February 25, 2026

    Tesla Must Face Anti-American Hiring Bias Suit

    A California federal judge declined to let Tesla out of a bias suit claiming it declined to hire American citizens in favor of foreign workers, ruling one of the applicants behind the case put forward "just enough" detail to show prejudice may have driven hiring decisions.

  • February 25, 2026

    5th Circ. Says Ex-Worker's Obstinance Sinks Retaliation Suit

    The Fifth Circuit refused to reopen a former educator's lawsuit claiming a Mississippi school district forced her to resign because she ended a romantic relationship with a school administrator, saying that tossing her case was warranted because she'd been "stubbornly resistant" to the trial court.

  • February 25, 2026

    Ousted Conn. Public Defender To Appeal Bias Suit Loss

    Connecticut's ousted chief public defender has indicated that she will seek to revive her recently dismissed discrimination lawsuit challenging her ejection from the role in 2024.

  • February 25, 2026

    Former Calif. Judge Can't Escape Sex Assault Case

    A former California Superior Court judge has lost his bid to toss five criminal counts alleging he sexually assaulted a court staffer and made false statements to investigators in an attempted cover-up.

  • February 25, 2026

    Calif. Legislator Pitches Bill To Tighten Background Checks

    A California legislator is seeking to strengthen the state's restrictions on criminal background checks for job applicants, proposing legislation that would require employers to document how a criminal conviction conflicts with specific job responsibilities before revoking an offer.

  • February 25, 2026

    Harvey Weinstein Swaps Attys As 3rd Rape Trial Looms

    Harvey Weinstein tapped a new attorney at Agnifilo Intrater for his third rape trial slated for next month, while the former Hollywood mogul's longtime defense team at Aidala Bertuna & Kamins said it will bow out.

  • February 24, 2026

    Munchkin Can't Arbitrate Ex-GC's 'War On Families' Suit

    Baby products brand Munchkin Inc. lost its bid to arbitrate its former general counsel's suit alleging he was fired for complaining about the company's "war on families," after a California judge ruled a sexual harassment claim added in an amended version of his suit exempted him from mandatory arbitration.

  • February 24, 2026

    UCLA Ignores 'Pervasive' Workplace Antisemitism, DOJ Says

    The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday accused the University of California, Los Angeles, of discriminating against its Jewish and Israeli employees by turning a blind eye to harassing conduct by other staffers and students in the wake of Hamas' October 2023 attack on Israel and subsequent pro-Palestine demonstrations.

  • February 24, 2026

    EEOC Accuses Hospice Provider Of Bias Against Black Nurse

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Tuesday accused a Michigan home hospice provider of discriminating against a Black nursing assistant by assigning her fewer hours and less plum assignments than her white colleagues.

  • February 24, 2026

    UPMC Physician Group Must Face Ex-Doc's Age Bias Claims

    A University of Pittsburgh Medical Center unit must face a jury in a former doctor's lawsuit claiming he was let go because he was in his 70s, a Pennsylvania federal judge said Monday, ruling a reasonable jury could find that administrators drummed up workplace issues as an excuse to force him out.

  • February 24, 2026

    EEOC Pay Bias Suit Against School District Cleared For Trial

    A New York federal judge declined to toss a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming a school district paid a female superintendent less than her male predecessors, after highlighting evidence that the female leader's benefits package and salary trailed her male counterparts.

  • February 24, 2026

    Nursing Home Settles EEOC Suit Alleging Ageist Harassment

    A New Mexico nursing care facility has agreed to pay $75,000 to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit alleging a supervisor bullied older, Spanish-speaking workers and then sacked them for complaining, according to deal documents filed Tuesday.

  • February 24, 2026

    FTC Blasts NewsGuard's Bid To Block Investigation

    The Federal Trade Commission is pushing back on NewsGuard's bid to stop the agency's investigation into what it called digital advertising collusion, arguing that the news-rating organization cannot show the antitrust investigation is retaliatory and alleging the company mischaracterized FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson's remarks in its motion for a preliminary injunction.

  • February 24, 2026

    House Subcommittee Pushes For Expanded Paid Family Leave

    The current family leave options available to American workers might no longer be enough, and a tangible push to improve paid parental leave and to introduce federal leave benefits to level the field of paid leave is necessary, the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections said during a hearing Tuesday.

  • February 24, 2026

    Muslim Teacher Fired Over Religious Veil Wins $1.8M Verdict

    A Michigan federal jury said a nonprofit that assists Arab immigrants should pay a Muslim teacher $1.8 million for illegally firing her because she refused to remove a religious veil during classes, finding the employer failed to accommodate her religious beliefs.

Expert Analysis

  • After Chevron: EEOC Status Quo Will Likely Continue

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    As the legal landscape adjusts to the end of Chevron deference, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s rulemaking authority isn’t likely to shift as much as some other employment-related agencies, says Paige Lyle at FordHarrison.

  • After Chevron: Various Paths For Labor And Employment Law

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    Labor and employment law leans heavily on federal agency guidance, so the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to toss out Chevron deference will ripple through this area, with future workplace policies possibly taking shape through strategic litigation, informal guidance, state-level regulation and more, says Alexander MacDonald at Littler.

  • FIFA Maternity Policy Shows Need For Federal Paid Leave

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    While FIFA and other employers taking steps to provide paid parental leave should be applauded, the U.S. deserves a red card for being the only rich nation in the world that offers no such leave, says Dacey Romberg at Sanford Heisler.

  • What 2 Rulings On Standing Mean For DEI Litigation

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    Recent federal court decisions in the Fearless Fund and Hello Alice cases shed new light on the ongoing wave of challenges to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, with opposite conclusions on whether the plaintiffs had standing to sue, say attorneys at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Eye On Compliance: A Brief History Of Joint Employer Rules

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    It's important to examine the journey of the joint employer rule, because if the National Labor Relations Board's Fifth Circuit appeal is successful and the 2023 version is made law, virtually every employer who contracts for labor likely could be deemed a joint employer, say Bruno Katz and Robert Curtis at Wilson Elser.

  • Top 5 Issues For Employers To Audit Midyear

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    Six months into 2024, developments from federal courts and regulatory agencies should prompt employers to reflect on their progress regarding artificial intelligence, noncompetes, diversity initiatives, religious accommodation and more, say Allegra Lawrence-Hardy and Lisa Haldar at Lawrence & Bundy.

  • Tailoring Compliance Before AI Walks The Runway

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    Fashion industry players that adopt artificial intelligence to propel their businesses forward should consider ways to minimize its perceived downsides, including potential job displacements and algorithmic biases that may harm diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, say Jeffrey Greene and Ivory Djahouri at Foley & Lardner.

  • Where Anti-Discrimination Law Stands 4 Years After Bostock

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    On the fourth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Bostock ruling, Evan Parness and Abby Rickeman at Covington take stock of how the decision, which held that Title VII protects employees from discrimination because of their sexual orientation and gender identity, has affected anti-discrimination law at the state and federal levels.

  • Politics In The Workplace: What Employers Need To Know

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    As the 2024 election approaches and protests continue across the country, employers should be aware of employees' rights — and limits on those rights — related to political speech and activities in the workplace, and be prepared to act proactively to prevent issues before they arise, say attorneys at Littler.

  • What High Court Ruling Means For Sexual Harassment Claims

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    In its recent Smith v. Spizzirri decision, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a district court compelling a case to arbitration is obligated to stay the case rather than dismissing it, but this requirement may result in sexual harassment cases not being heard by appellate courts, says Abe Melamed at Signature Resolution.

  • 5 Steps For Gov't Contractor Affirmative Action Verification

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    As the federal contractor affirmative action program certification deadline approaches, government contractors and subcontractors should take steps to determine their program obligations, and ensure any required plans are properly implemented and timely registered, say Christopher Wilkinson at Perkins Coie and Joanna Colosimo at DCI Consulting.

  • New OSHA Memo Helps Clarify Recordkeeping Compliance

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    Based on recent Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidance on whether musculoskeletal disorders are recordable injuries under the agency's recordkeeping regulation, it appears that OSHA may target active release techniques and stretching programs during its inspections, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Cos. Must Stay On Alert With Joint Employer Rule In Flux

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    While employers may breathe a sigh of relief at recent events blocking the National Labor Relations Board's proposed rule that would make it easier for two entities to be deemed joint employers, the rule is not yet dead, say attorneys at ​​​​​​​Day Pitney.