Discrimination

  • September 09, 2024

    Medical Co. Gets $20M Race Bias Verdict Cut To $1.5M

    A Pennsylvania federal judge slashed a $20 million jury verdict to $1.5 million in a suit alleging that a ventilator supply company failed to protect a Black former employee from co-workers' racist comments, saying the gap between compensatory and punitive damages jurors awarded was too wide.

  • September 09, 2024

    DOJ Says Judge Missing 'Egregious' Slur In Race Bias Suit

    A Georgia federal judge ignored crucial context and overlooked the "egregious nature" of a racial slur leveled at a Black worker when recommending that a race bias suit brought against a Georgia county by the federal government be thrown out, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

  • September 09, 2024

    Judge Rejects Ex-Law Prof's Recusal Bid In Retaliation Suit

    A Florida federal judge has declined to step away from a retaliation and breach of contract suit brought by a former law professor at Florida A&M University, noting "even if" the professor were correct in asserting the judge had been critical of her, such critiques do not necessitate recusal.

  • September 09, 2024

    2nd Circ. Upholds Regeneron's Win In Remote Work Suit

    The Second Circuit rejected a former Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. employee's appeal seeking to revive claims it illegally denied her a remote work situation to care for her daughter while she underwent medical care, ruling Monday that there was no evidence the company had willfully broken the law.

  • September 09, 2024

    Impact Of Equal Pay Data Reporting A Mixed Bag

    Employer pay data reporting to state or city agencies is a new frontier in pay transparency, but its efficacy may be more rooted in how it alters employer behavior rather than providing valuable information to the public, attorneys say.

  • September 09, 2024

    Ohio Nursing Home Settles EEOC Bias, Harassment Probe

    An Ohio nursing home will pay $30,000 after a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigation discovered reasonable cause to believe that a manager drove a worker to quit by harassing her because of her race, the EEOC said. 

  • September 06, 2024

    What's Next For Calif. Employers After AI Bias Bill's Failure

    When California's legislative session wrapped up last month, a failed bill addressing bias by artificial intelligence tools raised eyebrows. But experts say they expect Golden State lawmakers and regulators to take plenty of swings at tackling AI and discrimination in the near future.

  • September 06, 2024

    Doctor Pulls Discovery Demands Against WWE Accuser

    Celebrity doctor Carlon Colker has withdrawn his demands seeking pre-litigation discovery materials from the woman who has accused Vince McMahon and former World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. executives of sexually assaulting and trafficking her.

  • September 06, 2024

    Catholic Group Wants PWFA Rule, Harassment Regs On Ice

    A Catholic employer organization urged a North Dakota federal court to block the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's Pregnant Workers Fairness Act regulations and updated workplace harassment guidelines, arguing its members face a looming threat of agency action over a refusal to accommodate abortion and infertility treatments.

  • September 06, 2024

    PruittHealth Enabled Antigay Abuse, Fired Nurse Says

    The former nursing director of a PruittHealth facility in northwest Georgia has sued his former employer claiming a homophobic work environment, alleging that he was subjected to antigay abuse from his coworkers and patients alike before eventually being fired on bogus grounds.

  • September 06, 2024

    Travel Nurse Says Emory Ended Her Contract Over Race Bias

    A travel nurse alleged in a lawsuit that Emory Healthcare Inc. unlawfully terminated her three-month contract after she complained that allowing her to administer peritoneal dialysis on Black patients without proper training would be "akin to treating those patients as guinea pigs."

  • September 06, 2024

    FedEx Medical Restriction Policy Violates ADA, EEOC Says

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission slapped FedEx with a suit Friday claiming the delivery giant unlawfully screened out drivers with disabilities by barring them from work if they required any form of medical restriction, even if it didn't prevent them from doing their jobs.

  • September 06, 2024

    Pa. Paralegal Sues Former Firm For Disability Bias

    A former paralegal for Allentown, Pennsylvania, firm Zator Law LLC claims in a federal Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuit that her termination was a result of the firm's discrimination of her panic disorder and retaliation for her request for accommodations.

  • September 06, 2024

    NY Forecast: 2nd Circ. Hears Amazon Security Search Row

    This week, the Second Circuit will consider a group of workers' attempt to revive their claim that Amazon owed them pay for time they spent undergoing anti-theft screenings after their shifts and during breaks.

  • September 06, 2024

    Calif. Forecast: 9th Circ. To Hear Charter Overtime Suit Args

    In the coming week, attorneys should watch for Ninth Circuit oral arguments in a wage suit against Charter Communications alleging overtime pay violations. Here's a look at that case and other labor and employment matters on deck in California.

  • September 06, 2024

    Ex-Saleswoman Can't Add Back Pay To $1 Win In ADA Suit

    A Pennsylvania federal judge said an ex-saleswoman can't collect a six-figure back pay award after a jury found she was unlawfully fired from an information technology company over her mental health issues but only gave her $1 in damages, noting that she found another job following her termination.  

  • September 06, 2024

    Fast Food Co., EEOC End Suit Over Late Demographic Data

    A California-based fast food franchisee has agreed to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit alleging it spurned its legal duty to share demographic information about its employees, the latest company to settle the agency's claims over tardy filings.

  • September 06, 2024

    Airline Asks 9th Circ. Panel To Reconsider Military Leave Suit

    A Ninth Circuit panel didn't address whether a former Alaska Airlines pilot advanced enough evidence to show the airline denied him accrued vacation and sick time while on military stints, the company said, urging the panel to revisit its decision flipping the airline's earlier win.

  • September 05, 2024

    11th Circ. Backs Miami's Defeat Of Ex-Worker's Bias Suit

    The Eleventh Circuit backed the city of Miami's win over a building services employee's lawsuit claiming she was fired because she's a Black lesbian woman, saying Thursday she failed to take issue with the trial court's rationale for tossing the case.

  • September 05, 2024

    4 Themes Of Amici Support For PWFA Regs At 8th Circ.

    Democratic attorneys general and workers groups have backed the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission through amicus briefs at the Eighth Circuit as the agency fights a red state challenge of its rule allowing workers to seek abortion-related accommodations. Here's a look at the arguments the rule's backers are deploying at the appeals court.

  • September 05, 2024

    Iron Co. Escapes Fired Worker's Bipolar Leave Bias Suit

    A Michigan federal judge tossed a worker's suit claiming he was fired from an iron casting company for taking medical leave to treat his bipolar disorder, ruling that his claims were brought to court too late.

  • September 05, 2024

    United, Food Hall Face EEOC Suits Over Managers' Conduct

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced Thursday it had filed federal lawsuits alleging that a Virginia food hall operator and United Airlines hadn't done enough to protect their respective employees from managers who used racial slurs.

  • September 05, 2024

    11th Circ. Revives White Miami-Dade Ex-Worker's Bias Suit

    The Eleventh Circuit reinstated a white policy director's suit Thursday claiming he was canned by Miami-Dade County because of age and racial bias, ruling a trial court jumped the gun by tossing his case before he was given the chance to collect proof.

  • September 05, 2024

    Ex-Defender Wants Judge To Reassess Judiciary Bias Ruling

    A former assistant public defender in North Carolina has asked a Massachusetts federal judge to reconsider his bench ruling siding with the federal judiciary in her due process and equal protection case, saying the facts all point in her favor and the judge misapplied the law in rendering his decision.

  • September 05, 2024

    New Weinstein Charges Loom In NY As Women Step Forward

    A New York state grand jury may indict Harvey Weinstein for additional sex crimes as soon as Friday based on allegations from three new complaining witnesses, a source familiar with the proceedings told Law360.

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.