Discrimination

  • May 10, 2024

    McDonald's Workers Want Class Cert. In Sex Harassment Suit

    A pair of McDonald's workers claiming that the company has allowed sexual harassment to run rampant in its stores asked an Illinois federal judge to certify classes of thousands of women and girls who've worked at Florida locations, arguing that class treatment is the best way to evaluate whether McDonald's has a pattern of tolerating harassment.

  • May 10, 2024

    Mich. Justices Find State Law Bars Firing Friend As Reprisal

    The Michigan Supreme Court held Friday that the state's civil rights law prohibits employers from retaliating against an employee by targeting a coworker who is a friend or family member, reviving two former prison workers' lawsuit against the state.

  • May 10, 2024

    Black Doctor Must Arbitrate Bias Claims Against Hospice Co.

    A Black doctor must arbitrate her claims that she was mistreated by non-Black colleagues at a home healthcare company and fired after raising concerns that it was sidestepping Medicare billing regulations, a California federal judge ruled, finding an arbitration agreement she signed is legitimate.

  • May 10, 2024

    Construction Co. Shakes Black Ex-Worker's Bias Suit

    A Washington federal judge granted a win Friday to a construction company in a Black ex-worker's lawsuit, saying he failed to show he was forced to quit because he complained about his manager's racist comments and not because of the 18 safety warnings he received.

  • May 10, 2024

    Ex-Wayfair Web Designer Says Racism Forced Him Out

    A Black former Wayfair web designer says he faced a workplace "infused by racial discrimination" during his two years with the Boston-based online retailer and suffered retaliation when he complained, according to a suit filed Friday in Massachusetts state court.

  • May 10, 2024

    Disney Can't Dodge Biased Firing Suit, 'Star Wars' Actor Says

    An actor featured in "Star Wars" spin-off series "The Mandalorian" urged a California federal judge to reject Disney's bid to dismiss her suit alleging she was illegally fired for sharing her political views on social media, arguing the company hasn't shown that her posts impeded its artistic expression.

  • May 10, 2024

    X Denies Post-Acquisition Policies Biased Against Women

    X Corp. denied that Elon Musk implemented policies intended to push out women after he took over the social network formerly known as Twitter, telling a California federal court that any layoffs or actions it took were within the confines of the law.

  • May 10, 2024

    Fox Theatre Let Sex Harassment Go Unchecked, Suit Says

    A former worker at Atlanta's Fox Theatre filed a lawsuit this week accusing the historic venue of allowing sexual harassment to run rampant among its ranks, refusing to discipline employees who made lewd comments — and worse — while retaliating against those who complained.

  • May 10, 2024

    Ga. Dept. Of Law, Ex-Paralegal Settle Race Discrimination Suit

    A Georgia federal judge has closed a former paralegal's discrimination and retaliation case against the Georgia Department of Law and a former deputy attorney general now working as a Cobb County Superior Court judge, saying a settlement has been reached. 

  • May 10, 2024

    What To Know About Biden's ACA Nondiscrimination Rule

    Recently finalized regulations tackling what constitutes discrimination under the Affordable Care Act could have significant impacts on health plans that include greater liability for third-party plan administrators, attorneys say. Here are three things employers should know now that the final rule is on the books.

  • May 10, 2024

    NY Forecast: 2nd Circ. Hears Police Officer's Bias Case

    This week, the Second Circuit is scheduled to consider a former Ramapo, New York, police officer's lawsuit claiming the town discriminated against her on the basis of her race and gender when it did not assign her a light duty assignment after she returned to the job from an injury. Here, Law360 explores this and other cases on the docket in New York.

  • May 10, 2024

    King & Spalding Accused Of Anti-White, Pro-LGBTQ Bias

    A straight white woman is suing King & Spalding LLP alleging discrimination after getting the green light from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, claiming she incurred "significant damages" when she was dissuaded from applying to a summer associate program open only to "diverse" applicants.

  • May 10, 2024

    Axl Rose Shouldn't Escape NY Sex Assault Suit, Model Says

    A former Penthouse model is urging a New York state court not to toss her case alleging Axl Rose sexually assaulted her in 1989, arguing the Guns N' Roses lead singer is making faulty arguments about attempts to serve him with the suit to avoid accountability.

  • May 10, 2024

    Calif. Forecast: 9th Circ. To Hear Ex-Chief's Free Speech Args

    In the coming week, attorneys should keep an eye out for Ninth Circuit oral arguments in a former police chief's First Amendment case. Here's a look at that case and other labor and employment matters on deck in California.

  • May 10, 2024

    Mont. Utility Co. Ends EEOC Sex Harassment Suit In $50K Deal

    A utility company has agreed to hand over $50,000 to end a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit filed in Montana federal court claiming it pushed an employee out of her job after she complained that her supervisor propositioned her for sex, the agency announced.

  • May 10, 2024

    Climate Group Settles DOJ Claims It Shut Out Noncitizens

    A Massachusetts-based nonprofit organization focused on climate action agreed to settle claims it discriminated against non-U.S. citizen job seekers including asylees and green-card holders by inviting only U.S. citizens to apply for jobs, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.

  • May 09, 2024

    Judge 'Tempted' To Transfer MLB Scouts' Colo. Age Bias Suit

    A Colorado federal judge said Thursday he was "somewhat tempted" to transfer an age discrimination lawsuit brought by former MLB scouts if he ultimately decides the court doesn't have jurisdiction over out-of-state teams, despite believing they may have a "fairly strong" argument that he can oversee the case against the league itself.

  • May 09, 2024

    Rail Co. Accused Of Retaliation Over FMLA Use

    CSX Transportation Inc. has been hit with a Florida federal lawsuit brought by its workers, who allege in their proposed class action that the rail company discouraged them from lawfully using the Family and Medical Leave Act, including by punishing them for taking advantage of the law.

  • May 09, 2024

    EEOC Can't Revive Race Harassment Claims At 7th Circ.

    The Seventh Circuit rejected on Thursday the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's bid to revive claims that 15 Black workers were harassed by staff and residents at an assisted living facility because of their race, finding the mistreatment wasn't egregious enough.

  • May 09, 2024

    1st Circ. Backs EPA's Win In Worker's Retaliation Suit

    The First Circuit refused Thursday to reinstate a lawsuit from an Environmental Protection Agency employee who wasn't promoted after complaining he faced bias because he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, saying he hadn't shown his supervisors knew he had PTSD.

  • May 09, 2024

    Feds' Pay Bias Suit Against Wis. Military Affairs Heads To Trial

    A federal judge refused Thursday to grant the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs a win in a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, saying a jury could find that the state agency lowballed an applicant for a director position because she's a woman.

  • May 09, 2024

    Ga. Fire Department Settles Feds' Race Bias Lawsuit

    A Georgia county has agreed to pay $750,000 to resolve the federal government's lawsuit alleging its use of a written exam and credit checks to select firefighter applicants caused fewer Black job seekers to be hired, according to a Thursday federal court filing.

  • May 09, 2024

    Senate Panel OKs Ban On Mandatory Age Bias Arbitration

    The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a bill out of committee Thursday that would ban the mandatory arbitration of workplace age discrimination claims in a vote that garnered the support of both Democrats and Republicans.

  • May 09, 2024

    EEOC Vice Chair Says Sex Bias Claims, Arbitration Don't Mix

    U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Vice Chair Jocelyn Samuels said Thursday that the agency thinks all sex-based harassment claims should be able to avoid mandatory arbitration under federal law, giving credence to a legal theory that could lead to more litigation.

  • May 09, 2024

    Ballard Spahr Atty Among 5 Rimon Arrivals On Both Coasts

    Rimon PC has expanded its offices in New Jersey, Philadelphia, Orlando, San Francisco and San Diego with the addition of five attorneys, bolstering its intellectual property, investment management, real estate, employment and litigation capabilities, the firm announced Thursday.

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.