Discrimination

  • March 31, 2025

    Ex-Bridgewater Execs Forced To Arbitrate Discrimination Suit

    A Connecticut federal judge on Monday agreed to force arbitration of a dispute from two former Bridgewater Associates LP executives alleging discrimination against the multibillion-dollar asset management firm.

  • March 31, 2025

    US Steel Beats Fired Medical Pot Patient's Fed. ADA Fight

    A Pennsylvania federal judge on Friday granted U.S. Steel summary judgment on a medical cannabis patient's Americans with Disabilities Act claims in a lawsuit alleging the steel giant wrongfully fired him for his medical marijuana license and off-the-job marijuana use.

  • March 31, 2025

    10th Circ. Hands Server New Trial In Sexual Harassment Case

    The Tenth Circuit granted a former server a new trial Monday on her sexual harassment and retaliation claims against a golf club restaurant, citing "puzzling" jury findings that cleared the restaurant of wrongdoing but awarded the server $125,000 in damages.

  • March 31, 2025

    Judge Says Ga. School's Bias Defenses 'Odd' And 'Odder'

    A Georgia chiropractic school must face a former groundskeeper's claims that he was fired on bogus grounds because he reported his boss for helping his girlfriend steal company time, after a federal judge dinged the school Monday for the "weakness" of its defenses and suggested it may have falsified records to justify the worker's ouster.

  • March 31, 2025

    Workplace Misconduct Infrequent In Fed. Courts, Survey Says

    The vast majority of federal judiciary employees say they have not experienced discrimination, harassment or abuse at work, but many of those workers are still reluctant to report misconduct when they do experience it, according to a report issued Monday.

  • March 31, 2025

    DOL Taps ZipRecruiter Alum As Chief Economist

    The U.S. Department of Labor announced Monday that it has appointed a former top analyst for ZipRecruiter as its chief economist.

  • March 31, 2025

    Paramount Escapes 'Dexter' COVID Safety Worker's Bias Suit

    A New York federal judge threw out a COVID-19 safety worker's suit accusing Paramount Global of undermining and firing her because she's an older woman, saying she failed to rebut the "Dexter" producer's argument that she was fired because she was "toxic" and a poor performer.

  • March 31, 2025

    Judge Won't Let Wells Fargo Duck Bulk Of $22M ADA Verdict

    A North Carolina federal judge on Monday mostly kept intact a $22.1 million Americans with Disabilities Act verdict against Wells Fargo, though he did agree to lower the jury's punitive damages, which he said exceeded the statutory cap.

  • March 31, 2025

    Kirkland Slims Bias Suit But Can't Nix Caregiver Claim

    Kirkland & Ellis LLP must face a former technology analyst's claim that his boss unlawfully changed his schedule despite knowing that would interfere with his child care responsibilities, a D.C. federal judge ruled Monday, tossing hostile work environment allegations but letting a caregiver bias count move ahead.

  • March 31, 2025

    J&J, Scientist Resolve Pregnancy Discrimination Suit

    Johnson & Johnson agreed to settle a former senior scientist's suit claiming she was fired after she announced her pregnancy so the pharmaceutical company could avoid paying her while on maternity leave, according to a filing in New Jersey federal court.

  • March 31, 2025

    Ex-Workday Atty's Bias Claims Axed, Stock Dispute Kept Alive

    A California federal judge tossed a Black ex-Workday attorney's claims that he endured race and disability bias that culminated in the software vendor sending police to his house to conduct an unnecessary wellness check, but the judge allowed the attorney pursue claims that he was shorted on stock options.

  • March 31, 2025

    DC Police Look To Sink Gay Cop's Parental Leave Suit

    A gay police officer's suit alleging he was placed in a less desirable position after returning from parental leave should be thrown out, the Washington, D.C., police department told a federal court, saying he can't show that his new role was worse than his previous one.

  • March 28, 2025

    Ga. Housing Authority, Former Worker End Retaliation Claims

    Both parties asked a Georgia federal court Friday to toss a former executive director's claims that she was fired by the Housing Authority of Fulton County, Georgia, after reporting her experiences of sexual harassment, saying they had reached a settlement.

  • March 28, 2025

    FCC Chief Orders Probe Into Disney, ABC DEI Practices

    The Federal Communications Commission's leader ordered on Friday a probe into Walt Disney Co. and its ABC network over their efforts to be diverse and inclusive, following similar FCC investigations into Comcast and NBCUniversal.

  • March 28, 2025

    States Urge Justices To Skip Teacher Grants Case

    California, New York and six other states told the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday it doesn't need to weigh in on the validity of a Massachusetts federal judge's order reinstating $250 million in teacher training grants the Trump administration targeted for cuts, noting the dispute will soon be moot.

  • March 28, 2025

    Employment Lawyers' Weekly DEI Cheat Sheet

    Jenner & Block LLP and WilmerHale convinced federal judges to put holds on executive orders that that targeted them over past legal work and their diversity, equity and inclusion practices, while Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP struck a deal with the Trump administration. Here, Law360 provides a rundown of notable DEI-related legal developments from the past week.

  • March 28, 2025

    Ex-Chicago Firefighter's Vaccine Bias Suit Fails, For Now

    The city of Chicago dodged a former firefighter's lawsuit claiming he was fired for not complying with the city's COVID-19 vaccination policy after being given a religious exemption, with an Illinois federal judge ruling Friday he failed to show he was also exempt from the policy's testing requirement.

  • March 28, 2025

    NY Forecast: 2nd Circ. Weighs City Worker's Free Speech Suit

    This week, the Second Circuit will consider an attempt from the former city planner for Newburgh, New York, to revive her lawsuit claiming she was fired for advocating that the city adopt antiracism policies for the city's housing initiatives.

  • March 28, 2025

    Judge Sides With Ga. County In DOJ's Racial Slur Suit

    A Georgia federal judge has ended federal prosecutors' suit against a Georgia county claiming it fired two Black employees after they complained of racist treatment from co-workers, finding there was nothing pretextual about their termination for stealing time with bogus reports.

  • March 28, 2025

    NJ Says Banking Dept. Retaliation Suit Still Lacks Facts

    New Jersey urged a state court to dismiss a discrimination and retaliation suit from a former acting director at the state's Department of Banking and Insurance, arguing she hasn't backed her claims she was paid less than her male counterparts and lost out on a promotion due to her gender.

  • March 28, 2025

    Ex-Deputy Wins $250K In Retaliation Suit Over Bias Charge

    A Florida federal jury awarded a former sheriff's deputy $250,000 in his suit claiming he was fired in retaliation for filing a bias charge against the office, claiming it failed to let him take leave for a disability and wear an Islamic cap in accordance with his religious beliefs.

  • March 28, 2025

    2nd Judge Grants Injunction Against DOD's Transgender Ban

    A Washington state federal judge has blocked the Trump administration's ban on transgender troops following a similar move by a federal judge in Washington, D.C., finding that the prohibition blatantly discriminates based on gender status and sex without any justifying evidence.

  • March 28, 2025

    Ill. Judge Blocks Trump's DEI Certification Mandate

    An Illinois federal judge has blocked the U.S. Department of Labor from requiring federal grant recipients to certify that they don't operate programs that violate President Donald Trump's recent executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, saying the mandate puts them "in a difficult and perhaps impossible position."

  • March 28, 2025

    Gannett Wraps Up ADA Suit From Worker With Vision Loss

    Newspaper publisher Gannett agreed to settle a former content strategist's lawsuit claiming he was let go because he has vision loss that requires him to work from home, according to a Friday filing in Florida federal court.

  • March 28, 2025

    Jackson Lewis Names New Leader In White Plains, NY

    Nationwide employment law firm Jackson Lewis PC has promoted Michael L. Abitabilo from office litigation manager to office managing principal in White Plains, New York, the firm has announced.

Expert Analysis

  • Why Employers Should Heed High Court Web Designer Ruling

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    While not an employment law ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in the First Amendment case 303 Creative v. Elenis raises serious questions for employers that constitute public accommodations and have related anti-discrimination policies, says Tanner Camp at Foley & Lardner.

  • What To Expect From The EEOC's Proposed Pregnancy Law

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    U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regulations implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act require accommodations for many conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth, and while the final rule won't be published until the public comment period expires in October, employers should act promptly, says Amy Gluck at FisherBroyles.

  • Employer Best Practices For Pay Transparency Compliance

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    With conflicting pay transparency and disclosure laws appearing across the country, employers must carefully develop different strategies for discussing compensation with employees, applicants, and off-site workers, disclosing salaries in job ads, and staying abreast of new state and local compliance requirements, says Joy Rosenquist at Littler Mendelson.

  • Congress Must Level The Employer Arbitration Playing Field

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    Federal courts have largely eviscerated state bans on arbitration of employment claims through Federal Arbitration Act preemption holdings, and they are also limiting the impact of the federal Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, so Congress needs to step in and amend both laws, says Alan Kabat at Bernabei & Kabat.

  • What 11th Circ. Revival Of Deaf Employee's Bias Suit Portends

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    The Eleventh Circuit's recent Beasley v. O'Reilly Auto Parts decision, which created a circuit split involving the issue of linking accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act to essential job functions, is a curiosity about the court's analysis at least and a potential game changer for employer duties at most, says John Doran at Sherman & Howard.

  • What To Watch As Justices Take Up Title VII Job Transfer Case

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    With its recent decision to hear Muldrow v. City of St. Louis, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether an involuntary job transfer can count as employment discrimination under Title VII — an eventual ruling that has potential to reshape workplace bias claims nationwide, says Adam Grogan at Bell Law Group.

  • Parsing EEOC Guidance On Accommodating Low Vision

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    Employers need to examine recent Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidance on provisions for employees who are blind or partially sighted, particularly on the consequences of terminating an employee with blindness or low vision without meeting obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, says Amy Epstein Gluck at FisherBroyles.

  • 5 Tips For Employers Handling Generative AI Privacy Risks

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    Employers should carefully consider the privacy implications of using generative artificial intelligence tools, and employ steps to mitigate the risks, such as de-identifying data, providing notice and identifying data flows, say Zoe Argento and Amy Kabaria at Littler.

  • Water Cooler Talk: 'The Bear' Serves Up Advice For Managers

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    Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs at Troutman Pepper chat with Ernst & Young’s Laura Yehuda about Hulu's "The Bear" and the best practices managers can glean from the show's portrayal of workplace challenges, including those faced by young, female managers.

  • Recalling USWNT's Legal PR Playbook Amid World Cup Bid

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    As the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team strives to take home another World Cup trophy, their 2022 pay equity settlement with the U.S. Soccer Federation serves as a good reminder that winning in the court of public opinion can be more powerful than a victory inside the courtroom, says Hector Valle at Vianovo.

  • Mass. Age Bias Ruling Holds Employer Liability Lessons

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    The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s recent ruling in Adams v. Schneider Electric — upholding a laid-off employee’s age discrimination claim — is an important reminder that employers may face liability even if a decision maker unknowingly applies a discriminatory corporate strategy, say attorneys at Armstrong Teasdale.

  • Regulating AI: Litigation Questions And State Efforts To Watch

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    In view of the developing legal and regulatory framework for artificial intelligence systems in the U.S., including state legislation and early federal litigation, there are practical takeaways as we look toward the future, says Jennifer Maisel at Rothwell Figg.

  • Regulating AI: An Overview Of Federal Efforts

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    The U.S. has been carefully managing a national policy and regulatory ecosystem toward artificial intelligence, but as AI technology continues to expand into our everyday lives, so too has its risks and the need for regulation, says Jennifer Maisel at Rothwell Figg.