Discrimination

  • November 17, 2025

    Tesla Wins Bid To Unwind Class In Race Harassment Suit

    A California judge said a class of thousands of Black workers should be disbanded in a suit alleging rampant racist harassment at Tesla's factory in Fremont, California, after the workers' lawyers faced difficulty in securing witness testimony and asked the court for a new trial plan. 

  • November 17, 2025

    Justices Won't Review Ex-Examiner's Patent Bar Rejection

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday turned away a former patent examiner's petition, which alleged that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office wrongly rejected his request to practice before the agency based on a suspension he argued was improper.

  • November 17, 2025

    High Court Turns Away Ex-Atlanta Atty's Sex Harassment Suit

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to review a case from a former Atlanta city attorney who said the justices' 2024 Muldrow decision meant she should get another shot at sexual harassment claims against the city and the prominent civil rights lawyer she worked for.

  • November 14, 2025

    Pa. Firm Can't Sink ADA Suit From Former Legal Assistant

    A former legal assistant for Pennsylvania-based collection firm Tsarouhis Law Group can move ahead with her Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuit alleging the firm's refusal to accommodate her anxiety caused her to lose her job there after just about a week.

  • November 14, 2025

    Wash. County Fights Limits On Immigrants Working At Jails

    Washington's King County is challenging what it calls a "quirk" in Washington state law that unconstitutionally prohibits "lawfully present, work-authorized immigrants" from serving as corrections officers for local governments — though they can work in corrections at the state level.

  • November 14, 2025

    9th Circ. Judge Rips Feds For 'Trying To Suppress Speech'

    A Ninth Circuit panel expressed doubts Friday about the Trump administration's request to reconsider an order reinstating billions of dollars in University of California research grants in light of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, with one judge objecting that "the government is trying to suppress, to penalize speech."

  • November 14, 2025

    5th Circ. Says UPS Driver's Harassment Suit Needs 2nd Look

    The Fifth Circuit kicked a Black ex-UPS worker's harassment suit back to the lower court Friday, saying the judge needed to provide a more thorough explanation about why the delivery driver's claims that her manager called her an "angry black female" didn't pass muster.

  • November 14, 2025

    Ex-Va. City Atty Tells 4th Circ. FMLA Doesn't Immunize Officials

    The Family and Medical Leave Act doesn't contemplate qualified immunity, a former Virginia city assistant attorney told the Fourth Circuit on Thursday, arguing that a municipal attorney cannot appeal a federal court's decision to let his FMLA suit go to trial.

  • November 14, 2025

    10th Circ. Sides With Rehab Facility In Bias, Retaliation Suit

    The Tenth Circuit refused Friday to reopen an occupational therapist's lawsuit claiming she was unceremoniously let go by a Kansas rehabilitation clinic for reporting a colleague's inappropriate behavior toward women, saying she couldn't revive her suit using arguments the trial court never considered.

  • November 14, 2025

    Vaccine Suit Plaintiffs Say Disbarred Atty Is Doing Legal Work

    Fired city workers suing Ann Arbor for not granting them religious exemptions to its COVID-19 vaccine mandate have told a Michigan federal judge that the discovery master appointed in the case has offloaded the majority of her work to a disbarred attorney the plaintiffs say is improperly doing legal work as a paralegal.

  • November 14, 2025

    MVP: Gibson Dunn's Jason Schwartz

    Jason C. Schwartz, co-chair of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP's labor and employment practice, convinced Maryland's Supreme Court to create new case law in favor of his client Amazon clarifying the state's wage and hour statutes, earning him a spot as one of the 2025 Law360 Employment MVPs.

  • November 14, 2025

    Northern NY US Atty To Defend DOJ In Maurene Comey Suit

    The U.S. attorney's office for the Northern District of New York has agreed to defend the U.S. Department of Justice against a lawsuit from former FBI Director James Comey's daughter over what she calls her illegal firing, that office informed a New York federal judge this week.

  • November 14, 2025

    Manning Kass Hit With Age Bias Suit In Calif.

    Manning & Kass Ellrod Ramirez Trester LLP is facing an age bias lawsuit in California state court alleging a firm leader has made ageist comments at employees over 40 and is trying to drive those workers out of the firm.

  • November 14, 2025

    King & Spalding, Atty Move To End Bias Suit At 4th Circ.

    King & Spalding LLP and an attorney who complained that she didn't apply to a summer associate program as a straight, white woman because the firm sought diverse applicants have agreed to end her bias case, according to a filing in the Fourth Circuit.

  • November 14, 2025

    NJ Law Firm Blume Forte Wins Bid To Arbitrate Bias Claims

    A former staffer at Blume Forte Fried Zerres & Molinari PC had her disability discrimination suit against the firm sent to arbitration this week, with a New Jersey state court judge ruling she could not avoid an arbitration agreement because she did not recall signing it.

  • November 14, 2025

    Calif. Forecast: $50M Google Racial Bias Deal Up For Approval

    In the coming week, attorneys should watch for a hearing on a potential $50 million deal to resolve a proposed racial discrimination class action against Google. Here's a look at that case and other labor and employment matters on deck in California.

  • November 13, 2025

    EEOC's Kotagal Says Harassment Guidance On Thin Ice

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's recently restored quorum sets the stage for its Republican majority to pursue an ambitious agenda that will include upending Biden-era guidance on workplace harassment "fairly quickly," Democratic Commissioner Kalpana Kotagal said at an American Bar Association event Thursday.

  • November 13, 2025

    Kraft Heinz, Vaccine Objector Settle Religious Bias Battle

    A former Kraft Heinz scientist who was fired for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine has resolved her religious discrimination lawsuit against the food company in the Seventh Circuit, her attorneys at First Liberty Institute announced Thursday.

  • November 13, 2025

    Transgender Troops Sue Air Force Over Lost Retirement Pay

    Seventeen transgender service members are accusing the U.S. Air Force of unlawfully rescinding their retirement orders following President Donald Trump's executive order barring transgender people in the military, saying in a lawsuit that the move resulted in lost pay and benefits.

  • November 13, 2025

    Amazon Can't Knock Out Warehouse Worker's Age Bias Suit

    A Utah federal judge tossed a former Amazon worker's claim that his Russian roots cost him his job but declined to dismiss his allegations that the company used bogus safety violations as a pretext to fire him due to his age.

  • November 13, 2025

    Housing Authority Pans 'Confusing' Bid To Revive Bias Claims

    The public housing authority in Charlotte, North Carolina, has called a former coordinator's attempt to revive long-dismissed claims in her hostile work environment case that already went to trial "confusing" and "frivolous," saying the court should dismiss her request outright.

  • November 13, 2025

    MVP: Duane Morris' Jennifer A. Riley

    Jennifer A. Riley of Duane Morris LLP helped Geico defeat conditional certification in a nationwide collective action, defended an industrial staffing company from California state law claims and helped several companies negotiate favorable settlements of wage and hour claims, earning her a spot as one of the 2025 Law360 Employment MVPs.

  • November 13, 2025

    Barnard Fights Rehiring Dorm Worker Accused Of Harassment

    Barnard College should not have to reinstate the night-shift dorm attendant it fired after receiving a complaint that he pressured an Orthodox Jewish student to hug him, the college told a New York federal court Wednesday, saying it was within its rights to dismiss him for harassment.

  • November 13, 2025

    Union To Pay Attys $315K Who Dissented On Palestine Vote

    A union for legal aid lawyers and advocates agreed to pay $315,000 to three of its attorney members who said the labor group tried to kick them out for opposing a pro-Palestine resolution they saw as antisemitic, counsel for the attorney members said Thursday.

  • November 13, 2025

    AutoZone Settles Employee's FMLA Retaliation Dispute

    AutoZone has settled a Massachusetts employee's lawsuit claiming he was demoted because he took medical leave to deal with stress exacerbated by a supervisor's ageist comments, according to a federal court filing.

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.