Discrimination

  • November 06, 2024

    LA Says Police Lt.'s Military Leave Support Still Deficient

    A retired police lieutenant still failed to support his claims that he was denied a promotion because of his military service despite the court giving him a chance to fix deficiencies in his allegations, the city of Los Angeles told a California federal court.

  • November 06, 2024

    2nd Circ. Says NY State Immune From ADA Retaliation Claims

    The Second Circuit refused to reopen a former New York State Department of Motor Vehicles employee's lawsuit claiming he was sidelined and ultimately terminated for disclosing his anxiety and other mental health conditions, ruling that states are immune from retaliation claims under federal disability law.

  • November 06, 2024

    Shuttered Bakery To Pay $900K To Settle Calif. Wage Suit

    A former wholesale bakery will pay over $900,000 to former employees who alleged they were not paid final paychecks or for unused vacation time when the shop abruptly closed in 2018, the California Labor Commissioner's Office said.

  • November 05, 2024

    Trump's Win Tees Up Big Changes To The EEOC

    Projected President-elect Donald Trump will likely swap out the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's chief and the general counsel following his return to the White House in January, a move experts said foreshadows a sweeping shift in the agency's priorities.

  • November 05, 2024

    An Early Look At Trump's Supreme Court Shortlist

    With former President Donald Trump projected to win the 2024 presidential election and the Republicans' success in securing the U.S. Senate majority, Trump may now get the chance to appoint two more justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, cementing the court's conservative tilt for decades to come.

  • November 05, 2024

    GOP's Senate Win Hands Future Of The Judiciary To Trump

    Republicans were projected to take back the White House and Senate and possibly the House early Wednesday, putting the GOP in position to back Donald Trump's agenda and his slate of young, conservative judicial nominees. 

  • November 05, 2024

    The Firms With An Inside Track To A New Trump Admin

    Law firms that have represented Donald Trump and the Republican Party on everything from personal legal woes to election-related lawsuits could see the risks of that work pay dividends as Trump is projected to secure a second term in office.

  • November 05, 2024

    3rd Circ. Backs UPenn In Fired Worker's Disability Bias Suit

    The Third Circuit declined Tuesday to revive a former videographer's suit claiming the University of Pennsylvania fired her for taking time off to treat her bipolar disorder, ruling that she hadn't put forward enough proof that discrimination drove her termination.

  • November 05, 2024

    Audio Worker Says Flagging Ethical Concerns Got Him Fired

    An audio series platform reneged on a promise to offer full-time employment to an independent contractor after he raised concerns about discriminatory content the company was producing and then abruptly fired him when he asked about his promised employment contract, a lawsuit filed in California state court said.

  • November 05, 2024

    Timken Denies Firing Plant Manager Over DEI Push

    Ohio-based roller bearing manufacturer Timken has defended its decision to terminate a plant supervisor who claimed his beliefs about diversity, equity and inclusion led to his dismissal, saying the former boss was fired for poor leadership and that his DEI discussions fell outside Connecticut legal protections.

  • November 05, 2024

    Harvard Can't End Suit Claiming Antisemitism On Campus

    Harvard University must face allegations that it was indifferent to antisemitic behavior on its campus in the wake of Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

  • November 05, 2024

    Ascension Staff To Get Back Pay In COVID Vaccine Settlement

    Ascension Health Alliance will provide back pay for employees who were denied religious exemptions from its COVID-19 vaccine policy and suspended without pay, under a revamped settlement approved by a Michigan federal judge.

  • November 05, 2024

    Heating Co. Faces Tough Questions In ADA Case At 1st Circ.

    A home heating oil company fielded tough questions at the First Circuit on Tuesday as the company defended its termination of a service technician with a bad knee, with one judge pressing the company's attorney on why the organization hadn't reassigned the worker instead of letting him go.

  • November 05, 2024

    Burden For Hearst May Override Vax Objection, 1st Circ. Hints

    A Boston television station may have been justified in firing a Hearst videographer who refused to get a COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic even if the worker's religious objections were sincere, the First Circuit hinted during arguments Tuesday.

  • November 05, 2024

    Littler Adds To Litigation Bench With Ex-Fresno, Calif. Atty

    Employment firm Littler Mendelson PC announced that a former deputy attorney for the City of Fresno joined the firm's office in the city, adding that his government along with employment law experience will help its employer clients.

  • November 05, 2024

    5th Circ. Says Late EEOC Filing Dooms Race Bias Suit

    The Fifth Circuit shut down a race bias suit from a worker who said his supervisor referred to him by a racial slur, finding that the ex-worker filed his pre-suit U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charge too late.

  • November 05, 2024

    Ex-Fabiani Cohen Atty Fights To Preserve Discrimination Suit

    A Black female insurance and construction law attorney is urging a Manhattan federal judge not to toss her suit against her former firm, Fabiani Cohen & Hall LLP, arguing that though she was an equity owner, she was still an employee who could bring claims.

  • November 05, 2024

    EEOC Taps Agency Vet To Run Field Offices

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Tuesday that an attorney who has been with the federal bias watchdog for nearly three decades will oversee the agency's 53 field offices.

  • November 05, 2024

    On The Ground: How Attorneys Safeguarded The Election

    Attorneys worked tirelessly Tuesday to support citizens and election workers on the final day of voting in one of history's most contentious presidential contests.

  • November 04, 2024

    Paralegal Loses ADA Suit Over Firm's Vax Status Disclosure

    A Pennsylvania federal judge on Monday freed a personal injury firm from a former paralegal's claims that it unlawfully publicized her COVID-19 vaccination status, saying the paralegal herself made her vaccination status public when she opposed the vaccine outside the confines of an employer-initiated medical inquiry.

  • November 04, 2024

    DOD Trans Healthcare Denial Discriminates, Judge Rules

    A Maine federal judge ruled Monday that the U.S. Department of Defense's denial of healthcare coverage for two transgender women's gender-confirmation surgeries violates the Fifth Amendment's equal protection clause, finding that the way the department applied a statutory exclusion discriminated based on sex and transgender status.

  • November 04, 2024

    Former Curaleaf VP Sues Over Pay Bias, Sexual Harassment

    A former executive at Curaleaf is suing the cannabis dispensary giant for discrimination and sexual harassment, claiming in Massachusetts federal court the company paid her white C-suite peers more money and ultimately sidelined her after she spoke out about male colleagues' lewd and racist remarks.

  • November 04, 2024

    11th Circ. Backs VA's Win In Ex-Nurse's Race Bias Suit

    The Eleventh Circuit refused to reopen a former nurse practitioner's lawsuit claiming the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs demoted her because she's Black, finding she neglected to file a formal discrimination charge within the time limit specified by federal law.

  • November 04, 2024

    Judge Cites Tesla Stock, Friendship In SpaceX Firing Recusal

    A California federal judge on Monday recused herself from a hostile work environment and retaliation suit brought by a group of former SpaceX employees, saying she owns Tesla stock and is friends with a SpaceX human resource executive's mother-in-law.

  • November 04, 2024

    Law360 Gives Attys New Tool To Track EEOC Amicus Briefs

    Law360 has launched its U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission amicus brief tracker, providing an interactive map to keep lawyers up to date on the EEOC's views on cutting-edge areas of discrimination law, as well as where the agency is focusing its efforts.

Expert Analysis

  • 11th Circ. FMLA Ruling Deepens Divide Over Causation

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    The Eleventh Circuit's recent ruling in Lapham v. Walgreen distinguishes the circuit as the loudest advocate for the but-for causation standard for assessing Family and Medical Leave Act retaliation claims, though employers in other jurisdictions may encounter less favorable standards and the U.S. Supreme Court will likely have to address the circuit split eventually, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • Handling Neurodivergence As The Basis Of Disability Claims

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    Three recent discrimination claims in Rhode Island and New Jersey show how allegations of adverse treatment of neurodivergent individuals will continue to be tested in court, so employers should create an environment that welcomes the disclosure of such conditions, says Ting Cheung at Sanford Heisler.

  • Employers Should Take Surgeon's Sex Bias Suit As A Warning

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    A Philadelphia federal jury's recent verdict in a sex bias suit over Thomas Jefferson University's inaction on a male plaintiff's sexual harassment complaint is a reminder to employers of all stripes about the importance of consistently applied protocols for handling complaints, say attorneys at Williams & Connolly.

  • Eye On Compliance: Workplace March Madness Pools

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    With March Madness set to begin in a few weeks, employers should recognize that workplace sports betting is technically illegal, keeping federal and state gambling laws in mind when determining whether they will permit ever-popular bracket pools, says Laura Stutz at Wilson Elser.

  • Generative AI Adds Risk To Employee 'Self-Help' Discovery

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    Plaintiffs have long engaged in their own evidence gathering for claims against current or former employers, but as more companies implement generative AI tools, both the potential scope and the potential risks of such "self-help" discovery are rising quickly, says Nick Peterson at Wiley.

  • Handbook Hot Topics: Workplace AI Risks

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools penetrate workplaces, employers should incorporate sound AI policies and procedures in their handbooks in order to mitigate liability risks, maintain control of the technology, and protect their brands, says Laura Corvo at White and Williams.

  • Employer Pointers As Wage And Hour AI Risks Emerge

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    Following the Biden administration's executive order on artificial intelligence, employers using or considering artificial intelligence tools should carefully assess whether such use could increase their exposure to liability under federal and state wage and hour laws, and be wary of algorithmic discrimination, bias and inaccurate or incomplete reporting, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • Race Bias Defense Considerations After 11th Circ. Ruling

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    In Tynes v. Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed that the McDonnell Douglas test for employment discrimination cases is merely an evidentiary framework, so employers relying on it as a substantive standard of liability may need to rethink their litigation strategy, says Helen Jay at Phelps Dunbar.

  • 6 Ways To Minimize Risk, Remain Respectful During Layoffs

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    With a recent Resume Builder survey finding that 38% of companies expect to lay off employees this year, now is a good time for employers to review several strategies that can help mitigate legal risks and maintain compassion in the reduction-in-force process, says Sahara Pynes at Fox Rothschild.

  • NYC Workplace AI Regulation Has Been Largely Insignificant

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    Though a Cornell University study suggests that a New York City law intended to regulate artificial intelligence in the workplace has had an underwhelming impact, the law may still help shape the city's future AI regulation efforts, say Reid Skibell and Nathan Ades at Glenn Agre.

  • Water Cooler Talk: Investigation Lessons In 'Minority Report'

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    Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs at Troutman Pepper discuss how themes in Steven Spielberg's Science Fiction masterpiece "Minority Report" — including prediction, prevention and the fallibility of systems — can have real-life implications in workplace investigations.

  • NYC Cos. Must Prepare For Increased Sick Leave Liability

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    A recent amendment to New York City's sick leave law authorizes employees for the first time to sue their employers for violations — so employers should ensure their policies and practices are compliant now to avoid the crosshairs of litigation once the law takes effect in March, says Melissa Camire at Fisher Phillips.

  • Employer Best Practices In Light Of NY Anti-Trans Bias Report

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    A recent report from the New York State Department of Labor indicates that bias against transgender and nonbinary people endures in the workplace, highlighting why employers must create supportive policies and gender transition plans, not only to mitigate the risk of discrimination claims, but also to foster an inclusive work culture, says Michelle Phillips at Jackson Lewis.