Discrimination

  • March 17, 2026

    Jury Must Decide If Nexstar Defamed Pride Memo Authors

    A Michigan federal judge refused Tuesday to clear Nexstar of claims that it painted two former television news managers as anti-gay to save face amid negative publicity about an internal memo on the station's Pride Month coverage, teeing up a possible trial. 

  • March 17, 2026

    JPMorgan Says Arbitration Pact Stands Despite Atty's Gaffe

    JPMorgan Chase urged a Manhattan federal court Monday to send a former employee's race discrimination and pay bias claims to arbitration, arguing that an in-house lawyer's mistaken assurance prior to litigation that she wasn't bound by an arbitration agreement doesn't amount to a waiver of the right to enforce it.

  • March 17, 2026

    Auto Parts Co. Calls EEOC Info Demand 'Fishing Expedition'

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is seeking far more information than necessary to investigate whether Napa Auto Parts discriminated against Black applicants, the company argued, urging a Texas federal court to pare down the agency's "scattershot" demands.

  • March 17, 2026

    Pizza Hut Franchisee Cuts Deal In EEOC Sex Harassment Suit

    A Pizza Hut franchisee told a Texas federal judge Tuesday that it will pay $35,000 to end a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit alleging the business fired a manager for complaining that her boss sabotaged her store because she ended a romantic relationship with him.

  • March 17, 2026

    4th Circ. Cautious About Ripple Effects In Trans Bias Suit

    A Fourth Circuit panel expressed consternation Tuesday about the ramifications of giving a Christian university the legal green light to turn away transgender job applicants, with one judge wondering if a win for the school would let religious entities reject candidates in interracial marriages.

  • March 17, 2026

    Tulsa Shuts Down Engineer's Age, Race Bias Suit At 10th Circ.

    The Tenth Circuit refused Tuesday to reopen a Tulsa, Oklahoma, employee's lawsuit claiming he was passed over for a promotion because he's a middle-aged Chinese man, ruling he couldn't overcome the city's assertion that it wanted someone with more leadership experience.

  • March 17, 2026

    Atty Seeks To Boot Ogletree From Microsoft Bias Suit

    An attorney who claimed Microsoft fired her out of pregnancy discrimination sought to disqualify Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC from representing the tech giant, telling a Washington federal judge the move is necessary because the firm also backs a client she's fighting in another case.

  • March 17, 2026

    Jushi, Ex-COO Settle Whistleblower Retaliation Suit

    A former Jushi Holdings Inc. executive who claimed a cannabis company fired him in retaliation for compliance with safety standards told a Florida federal court he has settled his suit.

  • March 17, 2026

    Nike Says EEOC Lodged Information Demand In Wrong State

    A U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit seeking to force Nike to fork over information to help the EEOC's probe into whether the company discriminated against white workers should be dismissed or transferred to Oregon, Nike told a Missouri federal judge.

  • March 17, 2026

    Boeing's Appeal Bid Grounded In Bias Suit Over Bonuses

    Boeing cannot immediately appeal to the Ninth Circuit a decision sending to state court a proposed class action accusing the aerospace company of denying a $12,000 bonus to workers on extended leave, a Washington federal judge ruled.

  • March 16, 2026

    Pregnant Worker Fired After Harassment Complaint, Suit Says

    An ex-employee of a Seattle cannabis shop has filed a sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuit against the company, alleging she was fired after complaining about a co-worker's inappropriate comments and the store's illegal sales to minors.

  • March 16, 2026

    Trans Bias Fight Presents Novel Questions To 4th Circ.

    The Fourth Circuit will consider several questions that sit at the intersection of religious and LGBTQ+ rights when it hears Liberty University's challenge Tuesday to a ruling that allowed a transgender former employee to pursue a sex discrimination suit against the Christian school. Here's a look at five of those questions.

  • March 16, 2026

    Pilots Rip Hawaiian Airlines' Bid To Ditch COVID Vax Bias Suit

    Hawaiian Airlines shouldn't be allowed to boot a lawsuit out of court using the argument that the Railway Labor Act governs, because the dispute over Hawaiian's vaccine mandate can be resolved without invoking the law by bringing in the collective bargaining agreement, a group of pilots argued.

  • March 16, 2026

    5th Circ. Revives Vietnamese Ex-VA Worker's Bias Claims

    The Fifth Circuit reinstated part of an Asian former Department of Veterans Affairs worker's suit claiming she faced persistent harassment on the job and lost out on professional opportunities because of race bias, ruling Monday the lower court was too quick to cast off her hostile work environment claims.

  • March 16, 2026

    2nd Circ. Axes NYC Vax Challenge, Flags Fake Case Citations

    The Second Circuit refused Monday to reinstate a coalition of current and former New York City employees' challenge to the city's now-defunct COVID-19 vaccine mandate and referred the workers' lawyers to its grievance panel over fictional case citations in a court filing.

  • March 16, 2026

    Oil And Gas Co. Can't Sink Race, Disability Bias Suit

    An oil and gas company must face a lawsuit claiming it unlawfully refused to accommodate a worker's attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and fired her for complaining about colleagues' race-based comments, after a Texas federal judge ruled Monday that a jury needs to weigh the company's explanations for its actions.

  • March 16, 2026

    DOJ Says Trump's Trans Restroom Ban Isn't Discriminatory

    The U.S. Department of Justice has told a D.C. federal judge that the Trump administration's decision to prohibit transgender federal employees from using restrooms that match their gender identities was lawful, and that a proposed class action challenging it must fail.

  • March 16, 2026

    Mich. Jury Awards $10M To Med Resident Fired During Leave

    A Michigan state jury has awarded more than $10 million to a former medical student who said she was fired from a hospital's OB-GYN residency program after being forced to take a required licensing exam while on maternity leave.

  • March 16, 2026

    Chicago Female Cops Secure Trials In Sex Bias Suits

    The city of Chicago can't evade trial on three female cops' claims that gender discrimination cost them promotions or got them downgraded to lesser positions, an Illinois federal judge ruled, crediting evidence showing they may have been treated differently due to their sex.

  • March 16, 2026

    Disney Exec's $40M Bias Suit Says HR Tried To 'Dig Up Dirt'

    A Walt Disney Co. gaming executive accused the company Friday in California state court of discriminating and retaliating against him after he complained about a human resources executive contacting his executive coach to "dig up dirt," claiming the poor treatment is because he is Asian.

  • March 16, 2026

    Colorado Pushes For Early Win In Fight Over Sick Leave Law

    An airline trade group advanced only speculative arguments in its efforts to beat Colorado's bid for a pretrial win in the group's suit challenging Colorado's sick leave law, the state told a federal judge.

  • March 16, 2026

    1st Circ. Says Muldrow Can't Save IT Worker's Age Bias Suit

    The First Circuit refused to reopen a former information technology employee's age bias lawsuit, rejecting her argument that the U.S. Supreme Court's Muldrow decision meant that putting her on a performance improvement plan was significant enough to be the basis for a discrimination case.

  • March 16, 2026

    Fired Philly Utility Worker's Bias Suit Clears Initial Hurdle

    A Pennsylvania federal judge trimmed claims from an ex-Philadelphia Gas Works employee's suit alleging the utility fired her days after she sought medical accommodations, but the judge declined to toss the worker's disability bias and sexual harassment claims after finding they were backed up with enough detail.

  • March 13, 2026

    'Swinging Dicks' Dissent Stirs Uproar Across 9th Circ. Bench

    A raunchy dissent in litigation over transgender spa patrons prompted dozens of Ninth Circuit judges to denounce the "vulgar barroom talk" of a colleague, who returned fire by ridiculing his peers for adopting the "fastidious sensibilities of a Victorian nun."

  • March 13, 2026

    Alaska Airlines Pilot's Military Leave Benefits Suit Trimmed

    A Seattle federal judge has narrowed a pilot's class action accusing Alaska Airlines of denying employees sick leave and vacation accrual during military leave, while recognizing in the same Thursday order that a "reasonable jury" could find service members are entitled to certain benefits during absences spanning one to two months.

Expert Analysis

  • What Trump Admin's Anti-DEI Push Means For FCA Claims

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    President Donald Trump's recent rescission of a 60-year-old executive order imposing nondiscrimination requirements on certain federal contractors has far-reaching implications, including potential False Claims Act liability for contractors and grant recipients who fail to comply, though it may be a challenge for the government to successfully establish liability, say attorneys at Bass Berry.

  • It Starts With Training: Anti-Harassment After 'It Ends With Us'

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    Actress Blake Lively's recent sexual harassment and retaliation allegations against her "It Ends With Us" co-star, director and producer, Justin Baldoni, should remind employers of their legal obligations to implement trainings, policies and other measures to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, say attorneys at Morrison Cohen.

  • What Day 1 Bondi Memos Mean For Corporate Compliance

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    After Attorney General Pam Bondi’s flurry of memos last week declaring new enforcement priorities on issues ranging from foreign bribery to diversity initiatives, companies must base their compliance programs on an understanding of their own core values and principles, says Hui Chen at CDE Advisors.

  • 5 Things For Private Employers To Do After Trump's DEI Order

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    Following President Donald Trump's recent executive order pushing the private sector to narrow, and even end, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, employers should ensure DEI efforts align with their organization's mission and goals, are legally compliant, and are effectively communicated to stakeholders, say attorneys at Mintz.

  • Zuckerberg's Remarks Pose Legal Risk For Meta Amid Layoffs

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    Within days of announcing that Meta Platforms will cut 5% of its lowest-performing employees, Mark Zuckerberg remarked that corporations are becoming "culturally neutered" and need to bring back "masculine energy," exposing the company to potential claims under California employment law, says Andi Mazingo at Lumen Law Center.

  • Preparing For A Possible End To The Subminimum Wage

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    The U.S. Department of Labor's proposed rule to end the subminimum wage for employees with disabilities may significantly affect the community-based rehabilitation and training programs that employ these workers, so certified programs should be especially vigilant about compliance during this period of evaluation and scrutiny, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

  • Water Cooler Talk: 'Harry Potter' Reveals Magic Of Feedback

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    Troutman Pepper's Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter chat with Wicker Park Group partner Tara Weintritt about various feedback methods used by "Harry Potter" characters — from Snape's sharp and cutting remarks to Dumbledore's lack of specificity and Hermione's poor delivery — and explore how clear, consistent and actionable feedback can transform workplaces.

  • What To Expect From Trump's Deputy Labor Secretary Pick

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    President Donald Trump's nominee for deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, Keith Sonderling, has a track record of prioritizing clear guidance on both traditional and cutting-edge issues, which can provide insight into what employers can expect from his leadership, say attorneys at Littler.

  • A Look At Order Ending Federal Contractor Affirmative Action

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    To comply with President Donald Trump's executive order revoking affirmative action requirements in the next 90 days, federal contractors should focus on identification of protected groups, responsibilities of "diversity officer" positions and annual compliance reviews, says Jeremy Burkhart at Holland & Knight.

  • Parsing 3rd Circ. Ruling On Cannabis, Employee Private Suits

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    The Third Circuit recently upheld a decision that individuals don't have a private right of action for alleged violations of New Jersey's Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance and Marketplace Modernization Act, but employers should stay informed as the court encouraged the state Legislature to amend the law, say attorneys at Mandelbaum Barrett.

  • EEOC Wearable Tech Guidance Highlights Monitoring Scrutiny

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    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's recent fact sheet on wearable technologies cautions against potential issues with federal anti-discrimination laws and demonstrates growing concern from regulators and legislators about intrusive technologies in the workplace, say attorneys at Littler.

  • 4 Employment Law Areas Set To Change Under Trump

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    President Donald Trump's second term is expected to bring significant changes to the U.S. employment law landscape, including the potential for updated worker classification regulations, and challenges to diversity, equity and inclusion that are already taking shape, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • What Employment Bias Litigation Looks Like After Muldrow

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    Nine months after the U.S. Supreme Court created an undemanding standard for discrimination claims in Muldrow v. St. Louis, Eric Schnapper at the University of Washington discusses how the Title VII litigation landscape has changed and what to expect moving forward.