Discrimination

  • November 22, 2024

    Duke Health Sacked Worker Over Pregnancy, Suit Claims

    A Duke University-affiliated health network fired a radiology technologist just three days after she disclosed she was pregnant with her second child, according to a lawsuit in North Carolina federal court.

  • November 22, 2024

    Blackberry CEO Escapes Ex-Employee's Sex Harassment Suit

    A California federal judge trimmed a former Blackberry executive's lawsuit claiming she was fired for reporting that the company's CEO sexually harassed her before he assumed the top job, saying she hadn't done enough to bolster her pay discrimination allegation or her discrimination claim against the CEO.

  • November 22, 2024

    EEOC Backs Rehab Worker's Retaliation Case At 10th Circ.

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Friday urged the Tenth Circuit to revive an occupational therapist's lawsuit claiming a colleague inappropriately touched her and that she was fired after she reported the co-worker's harassment, arguing the trial court used the wrong standard when it tossed her retaliation claim.

  • November 22, 2024

    Emory Vice Provost Mistreated White Staff, Ex-Director Says

    Emory University was sued in Georgia federal court Thursday by a former employee who alleged the college's inaugural vice provost for career and professional development discriminated against white employees, treating them less favorably in investigations, discipline, hiring and promotions.

  • November 22, 2024

    Care Co. Urges 11th Circ. To Reverse Rehire Order

    A Florida long-term care facility urged the Eleventh Circuit to overturn an arbitration award that required the company to rehire a nursing assistant it accused of discriminatory behavior, saying the arbitrator exceeded his authority in making that determination.

  • November 22, 2024

    Legal Tech Company Can't Arbitrate Sex Harassment Claims

    A former executive of a Texas legal tech company needn't arbitrate her sexual harassment claims outside court, a New York federal judge determined on Thursday, though he also dismissed some of her claims.

  • November 22, 2024

    EEOC Picks Former DOL Judge To Head Appellate Reviews

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Friday it appointed a former U.S. Department of Labor judge who previously worked as a Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP partner to lead its program reviewing appeals from federal workers and applicants. 

  • November 22, 2024

    Calif. Forecast: Meta Wants Citizen Bias Suit Discovery Stayed

    In the next two weeks, attorneys should keep an eye out for the potential pause on discovery in a U.S. citizen discrimination proposed class action against Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc. Here's a look at that case and other labor and employment matters coming up in California.

  • November 22, 2024

    Off The Bench: NBA Ices Media Flap, Paul-Tyson Netflix Suit

    In this week's Off The Bench, the NBA settles a high-profile suit regarding its new media rights deal, and Netflix's buggy presentation of the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight draws a proposed class action.

  • November 22, 2024

    Bathroom Clamor In DC Shouldn't Alter Employers' Game Plan

    Conservative lawmakers on Capitol Hill have launched a fervent campaign to bar transgender people from bathrooms that match their gender identity, but experts say inclusive facilities don't cause problems in private workplaces and employers shouldn't be policing restrooms.

  • November 22, 2024

    Ex-Cuomo Aide Denied Early Win In Sex Harassment Suit

    A onetime aide to former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo must continue litigating her suit accusing the state of failing to address Cuomo's inappropriate comments and sexual advances, a state judge ruled, finding it's too early to declare victory for either side.

  • November 22, 2024

    Lender Can't Arbitrate Fired Worker's Suit Over Cancer Leave

    A California appeals court upheld a trial court's order that a mortgage lender cannot arbitrate a worker's suit alleging she was wrongfully fired after a cancer diagnosis, ruling the former employee cast enough doubt about the signature on the deal to keep her case in court.

  • November 22, 2024

    NY Forecast: 2nd Circ. Hears Doctor's Race Bias Lawsuit

    This week, the Second Circuit will consider arguments to revive a race discrimination and retaliation suit brought by a former doctor at a New York clinic who claims he was discriminated against and ultimately fired because of his race.

  • November 22, 2024

    Arbitration Ban On Sexual Misconduct Could Aid W&H Claims

    Employers need to be mindful of an emerging split in the courts on whether the federal ban on arbitrating sexual misconduct claims means wage and hour claims in the same case can also go to court — a new frontier in the constantly evolving arbitration landscape.

  • November 21, 2024

    Sony Music Settles Bias Suit By Columbia CEO's Ex-Assistant

    A New York federal judge dismissed a lawsuit Thursday by a former assistant to Columbia Records chief executive Ron Perry who claimed she was forced to resign after pushing back on hiring practices that discriminated against non-Black applicants, after Sony Music and the other parties informed the court they reached a settlement. 

  • November 21, 2024

    Walmart Hit With $34.7M Verdict For Defaming Truck Driver

    A California jury has awarded $34.7 million to a former Walmart truck driver, finding that the retailer defamed him when it falsely accused him of fraud and fired him after he was injured on the job and filed a worker's compensation claim.

  • November 21, 2024

    AutoZone, Ex-Manager Agree To Park Sex Bias Suit

    A subsidiary of car parts retailer AutoZone Inc. struck a deal to end a sex, gender and age bias suit from a former district manager who said the company fired her and replaced her with a younger worker, according to a filing in California federal court.

  • November 21, 2024

    6th Circ. Upholds Toss Of Guard's Bias Suit Over Firing

    A union was not motivated by bias when it stopped fighting for an Ohio prison guard's rehire while continuing to fight for her co-worker's, the Sixth Circuit ruled Thursday, upholding a federal judge's ruling in favor of the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association.

  • November 21, 2024

    Ex-Twitter Workers Denied Class Cert In Arbitration Fight

    A California federal judge denied class certification to ex-Twitter employees accusing the social media company now owned by Elon Musk and renamed X Corp. of stalling their employment disputes, saying some putative class members are already seeking arbitration outside the Golden State or trying to pursue their claims in court.

  • November 21, 2024

    DOL Issues Guidance To Curb Harassment In Construction

    The U.S. Department of Labor announced Thursday that it has released a new guide to help federal contractors in the construction industry tamp down on harassment, becoming the latest federal anti-discrimination agency during President Joe Biden's administration to draw attention to the issue.

  • November 21, 2024

    Unions, ACLU Throw Weight Behind EEOC Bostock Guidance

    The AFL-CIO, SEIU, American Civil Liberties Union, and several business groups and nonprofits have urged a Texas federal court not to scrap U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidance interpreting the U.S. Supreme Court's Bostock decision, arguing the guidelines provide critical advice on preventing workplace harassment.

  • November 21, 2024

    Unilever Says Arbitrator Ignored Evidence In Firing Case

    An arbitrator disregarded evidence and the Family and Medical Leave Act when she ordered Unilever to reinstate a worker the company had fired for allegedly falsifying company records, the company told a Missouri federal court, urging it to nix the award.

  • November 21, 2024

    EzCater Fostered Discriminatory Workplace, Ex-Workers Say

    Four former employees of Boston-based ezCater are suing the online catering service, alleging that it engaged in discrimination based on their gender, race and pregnancy, then retaliated when they complained.

  • November 21, 2024

    Ex-Temple Worker Didn't Show Job Duties In NJ, Judge Rules

    A New Jersey federal judge has tossed a lawsuit alleging a longtime Fox Chase Cancer Center employee was ousted by a new supervisor for taking sick time, ruling the employee failed to establish the defendants conducted any business in New Jersey.

  • November 21, 2024

    Ye's Cos. Sanctioned For Blowing Off Discovery In Bias Suit

    A Los Angeles judge sanctioned two of Ye's companies Thursday after they "simply ignored" discovery requests in a former employee's lawsuit alleging widespread racism, antisemitism and homophobia on the part of the rapper formerly known as Kanye West.

Expert Analysis

  • Mitigating Construction Employers' Risks Of Discrimination

    Author Photo

    Recent heightened government scrutiny of construction industry employment practices illustrates the need for nondiscriminatory recruitment and proactive assessment of workforces and worksites, including auditing for demographic disparities and taking documented steps to address such issues, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • Cos. Should Focus On State AI Laws Despite New DOL Site

    Author Photo

    Because a new U.S. Department of Labor-sponsored website about the disability discrimination risks of AI hiring tools mostly echoes old guidance, employers should focus on complying with the state and local AI workplace laws springing up where Congress and federal regulators have yet to act, say attorneys at Littler.

  • How The Tide Of EEOC Litigation Rolled Back In FY 2024

    Author Photo

    An analysis of the location, timing and underlying claims asserted in U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission-initiated cases during fiscal year 2024 shows that the commission saw a substantial decrease in litigation activity after a surge last year, but employers should not drop their guard, say Christopher DeGroff and Andrew Scroggins at Seyfarth.

  • The Key Changes In Revised FDIC Hiring Regulations

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Ogletree break down the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s new rule, effective Oct. 1, that will ease restrictions on financial institutions hiring employees with criminal histories, amend the FDIC's treatment of minor offenses and clarify its stance on expunged or dismissed criminal records.

  • Employer Tips For PUMP Act Compliance As Law Turns 2

    Author Photo

    Enacted in December 2022, the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act requires employers to provide reasonable break time and a private space for employees to express breast milk, but some companies may still be struggling with how to comply, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • What To Know About Ill. Employment Law Changes

    Author Photo

    Illinois employers should review their policies in light of a number of recent changes to state employment law, including amendments to the state’s Human Rights Act and modifications to the Day and Temporary Labor Services Act, say attorneys at Kilpatrick.

  • Mich. Whistleblower Ruling Expands Retaliation Remedies

    Author Photo

    The Michigan Supreme Court's recent Occupational Health and Safety Act decision in Stegall v. Resource Technology is important because it increases the potential exposure for defendants in public policy retaliation cases, providing plaintiffs with additional claims, say Aaron Burrell and Timothy Howlett at Dickinson Wright.

  • How States Are Approaching AI Workplace Discrimination

    Author Photo

    As legislators across the U.S. have begun addressing algorithmic discrimination in the workplace, attorneys at Reed Smith provide an overview of the status, applicability and provisions of 13 state and local bills.

  • The Risks Of Employee Political Discourse On Social Media

    Author Photo

    As election season enters its final stretch and employees increasingly engage in political speech on social media, employers should beware the liability risks and consider policies that negotiate the line between employees' rights and the limits on those rights, say Bradford Kelley and James McGehee at Littler.

  • 7th Circ. Rulings Offer Employee Vaccine Exemption Guidance

    Author Photo

    Dawn Solowey and Samantha Brooks at Seyfarth explain how two recent Seventh Circuit rulings in Passarella v. Aspirus and Bube v. Aspirus could affect litigation involving employee vaccine exemptions, and discuss employer best practices for handling accommodation requests that include both religious and secular concerns.

  • Employers Should Not Neglect Paid Military Leave Compliance

    Author Photo

    An August decision from the Ninth Circuit and the settlement of a long-running class action, both examining paid leave requirements under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, are part of a nationwide trend that should prompt employers to review their military leave policies to avoid potential litigation and reputational damage, says Bradford Kelley at Littler.

  • Old Employment Law Principles Can Answer New AI Concerns

    Author Photo

    Despite growing legal and regulatory concerns about how artificial intelligence tools may affect employment decisions and worker rights, companies should take comfort in knowing that familiar principles of employment law and established compliance regimes can still largely address these new twists on old questions, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.

  • NYC Wage Info Bill Highlights Rise In Pay Transparency Laws

    Author Photo

    With New York City the latest to mull requiring companies to annually report employee wage data, national employers should consider adapting their compliance practices to comply with increasingly common pay transparency and disclosure obligations at state and local levels, says Kelly Cardin at Littler Mendelson.