Discrimination

  • April 03, 2025

    Jackson Walker Adds Chamberlain Hrdlicka Labor Duo In Texas

    Jackson Walker LLP has strengthened the firm's labor and employment offerings with a pair of lawyers in Houston who came aboard from Chamberlain Hrdlicka White Williams & Aughtry.

  • April 03, 2025

    6 Argument Sessions Bias Attys Should Watch In April

    A trio of age bias cases will be argued at federal appeals courts in April, as the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh circuits are scheduled to hear from a geologist, a Chili's restaurant general manager and a United Airlines worker who say they were pushed out of jobs because they're over 40 years old. Here's a look at these and three other argument sessions that attorneys should watch this month.

  • April 03, 2025

    Harvard Says Judge Ignored Time Limits In Coach's Bias Suit

    A Massachusetts federal judge got it wrong when she recommended keeping in play a former ice hockey coach's sex bias lawsuit, Harvard University said, arguing that the judge's findings that the statute of limitations could be extended essentially allow limitless Equal Pay Act claims.

  • April 03, 2025

    Ally Bank, White Ex-Worker End Suit Alleging Illegal Quotas

    Ally Bank and a white, male former employee have agreed to end his discrimination suit alleging he was passed over for a senior role in favor of a woman with less experience so the company could check off diversity quotas, according to a North Carolina federal court filing.

  • April 02, 2025

    Perkins Coie Urges Court To End Trump's 'Assault' On Firm

    Perkins Coie LLP on Wednesday asked a D.C. federal judge to permanently block enforcement of President Donald Trump's "unconstitutional assault" on the firm and the rule of law, filing a summary judgment bid the same day the federal government pushed for the firm's suit to be tossed.

  • April 02, 2025

    6th Circ. Says Jury Form Issues Don't Merit New Pay Bias Trial

    A lower court didn't err by accepting a jury's finding that a Tennessee school board gave a legitimate reason for offering a female school psychologist lower pay than a previous male candidate, the Sixth Circuit ruled Wednesday, saying inconsistencies on the verdict form didn't warrant a new trial.

  • April 02, 2025

    Retired Calif. Judges Unlikely To Revive Age Bias Suit

    A California appellate court tentatively ruled against seven retired California state court judges accusing California's Judicial Council of age discrimination due to rules limiting the time retired judges can spend on temporary assignments, saying plaintiffs haven't shown a statistically significant impact to judges over 70, among other concerns.

  • April 02, 2025

    Labor Solicitor Pick Wrote Conservative Wage Policy Blueprint

    President Donald Trump's choice to be the U.S. Department of Labor's top lawyer helped write Project 2025's book outlining policy suggestions for a future conservative administration, and that document provides a glimpse into how the nominee might approach wage and hour issues if confirmed.

  • April 02, 2025

    What To Know As EEOC Highlights Pitfalls Of 'Diverse Slates'

    Recent guidance from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice flagged employers’ use of so-called diverse slates — pools of job applicants that deliberately include people of diverse backgrounds — as potentially unlawful. Here are two things experts say attorneys should know. 

  • April 02, 2025

    Amazon Worker Can't File Amended Military Leave Suit

    It's too late for a former Amazon employee to add a claim that the company put up barriers for workers requesting active duty leave in her suit accusing the commerce giant of failing to fully provide the paid leave for service member employees, a New York federal judge ruled.

  • April 02, 2025

    Ex-Kirkland Atty To Drop Bias Suit, Appeal Atty Firing Ruling

    A former Kirkland & Ellis LLP intellectual property associate is expected to drop her claims against the law firm and related defendants, while also appealing a ruling that precluded her from firing her attorney in the case, the parties told a California federal court Tuesday.

  • April 02, 2025

    MLB Club Settles Deaf Job Seeker's Discrimination Suit

    The Atlanta Braves agreed to settle a suit alleging they turned down an information technology director candidate because they believed his deafness would have caused issues for the organization, according to a filing in Georgia federal court.

  • April 02, 2025

    Health Center Cuts Deal To Resolve EEOC Pay Bias Probe

    A California-based health center agreed to pay three female employees $195,000 to wrap up a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigation into claims that they were paid less than a male colleague out of sex discrimination.

  • April 02, 2025

    3rd Circ. Says CVS Sex Bias Arbitration Fight Needs 2nd Look

    The Third Circuit on Wednesday rejected a former CVS worker's argument that a 2022 federal law shielded her sex harassment case from mandatory arbitration, but it revived her suit to give the trial court a chance to explore whether the arbitration pact at issue was valid.

  • April 01, 2025

    Ex-Microsoft Manager Says He Was Fired For Whistleblowing

    A former project manager for Microsoft says he was fired after flagging compliance issues and misconduct, including being forced to leak sensitive data from client Freddie Mac's workforce platform and being asked to falsify a report to cover up fraud, according to a suit filed Monday in Texas federal court.

  • April 01, 2025

    9th Circ. Won't Revive Wash. Atty's Bias Firing Suit

    An attorney can't revive his complaint alleging the Washington State Attorney General's Office fired him based on his PTSD diagnosis linked to being a closeted gay Mormon youth, after the Ninth Circuit said the case was time-barred and was an attempt to relitigate claims already tossed.

  • April 01, 2025

    Nurse's Job Denial Dispute With Senior Home Stays In Court

    A senior living home operator must face a federal lawsuit claiming it violated the New York City Human Rights Law by retracting a nurse's job offer because she refused to consent to a credit check, a New York federal judge ruled, denying the company's bid to compel arbitration.

  • April 01, 2025

    7th Circ. Revives Officer's Back Pay Bid In ADA Row

    The Seventh Circuit reinstated Tuesday a former corrections officer's back pay request that was rejected by a lower court after a jury found the county sheriff he worked for violated disability bias law by subjecting him to an unnecessary medical exam, but didn't owe him any damages.

  • April 01, 2025

    Ex-Exec Accuses Deutsche Bank Of Audit Lies, Retaliation

    A former high-ranking official with Deutsche Bank has sued the bank for whistleblower retaliation and libel over what he said was a false human resources complaint concocted to fire him for cause after he flagged the bank's alleged lies to federal regulators about operational control issues.

  • April 01, 2025

    NBA Wants No Extra Shot At Vax Discrimination Claim For Ref

    Former NBA referee Leroy Richardson lost in a "final and binding" arbitration of his religious discrimination claim against the league, and thus should not be awarded a win in his suit over his firing for refusing a COVID-19 vaccination, the NBA has told a New York federal court.

  • April 01, 2025

    Legal Carveout For Staff Sinks DA Aide's Pregnancy Bias Suit

    A top aide to Atlanta's former district attorney who alleged she was fired for getting pregnant falls under an exception to federal anti-discrimination law as an elected official's staffer, the Eleventh Circuit said Tuesday, backing the dismissal of her bias suit.

  • April 01, 2025

    DC Circ. Ruling Bodes Ill For Potential EEOC Challenges

    A D.C. Circuit panel recently allowed President Donald Trump's dismissal of two agency officials to move ahead, a development experts said darkened the outlook for the potential legal challenges that the fired U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission members may bring over their January ousters.

  • April 01, 2025

    Mich. Justices Urged To Reject Shorter Worker Suit Deadlines

    A trial lawyers' association has advocated for the Michigan Supreme Court to end employers' ability to contractually shorten the limitations period for employee lawsuits, saying such contract terms weaken workers' civil rights protections. 

  • April 01, 2025

    Seattle Schools Must Face Teacher's Retaliation Lawsuit

    A Washington state appeals court breathed new life into a Seattle public schoolteacher's suit claiming she was punished for reporting that elementary school personnel mistreated students of color, faulting a trial court's conclusion that she hadn't done enough to satisfy presuit obligations.

  • April 01, 2025

    Chipotle To Pay $20K To Wrap Up EEOC Religious Bias Suit

    A Chipotle in Kansas will pay $20,000 to end a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit alleging a supervisor pulled part of a hijab off a Muslim employee's head after repeatedly asking to see her hair, according to a federal court filing.

Expert Analysis

  • Big Business May Come To Rue The Post-Administrative State

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    Many have framed the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decisions overturning Chevron deference and extending the window to challenge regulations as big wins for big business, but sand in the gears of agency rulemaking may be a double-edged sword, creating prolonged uncertainty that impedes businesses’ ability to plan for the future, says Todd Baker at Columbia University.

  • A Timeline Of Antisemitism Legislation And What It Means

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    What began as hearings in the House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce has expanded to a House-wide effort to combat antisemitism and related issues, with wide-ranging implications for education, finance and nonprofit entities, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Colo. Ruling Adopts 'Actual Discharge' Test For The First Time

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    After a Colorado court’s recent decision in Potts v. Gaia Children, adopting for the first time a test for evaluating an actual discharge claim, employers must diligently document the circumstances surrounding termination of employment, and exercise particular caution when texting employees, says Michael Laszlo at Clark Hill.

  • It's Time For Nationwide Race-Based Hair Protections

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    While 24 states have passed laws that prohibit race-based hair discrimination, this type of bias persists in workplaces and schools, so a robust federal law is necessary to ensure widespread protection, says Samone Ijoma and Erica Roberts at Sanford Heisler.

  • After Chevron: EEOC Status Quo Will Likely Continue

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    As the legal landscape adjusts to the end of Chevron deference, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s rulemaking authority isn’t likely to shift as much as some other employment-related agencies, says Paige Lyle at FordHarrison.

  • After Chevron: Various Paths For Labor And Employment Law

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    Labor and employment law leans heavily on federal agency guidance, so the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to toss out Chevron deference will ripple through this area, with future workplace policies possibly taking shape through strategic litigation, informal guidance, state-level regulation and more, says Alexander MacDonald at Littler.

  • FIFA Maternity Policy Shows Need For Federal Paid Leave

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    While FIFA and other employers taking steps to provide paid parental leave should be applauded, the U.S. deserves a red card for being the only rich nation in the world that offers no such leave, says Dacey Romberg at Sanford Heisler.

  • What 2 Rulings On Standing Mean For DEI Litigation

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    Recent federal court decisions in the Fearless Fund and Hello Alice cases shed new light on the ongoing wave of challenges to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, with opposite conclusions on whether the plaintiffs had standing to sue, say attorneys at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Eye On Compliance: A Brief History Of Joint Employer Rules

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    It's important to examine the journey of the joint employer rule, because if the National Labor Relations Board's Fifth Circuit appeal is successful and the 2023 version is made law, virtually every employer who contracts for labor likely could be deemed a joint employer, say Bruno Katz and Robert Curtis at Wilson Elser.

  • Top 5 Issues For Employers To Audit Midyear

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    Six months into 2024, developments from federal courts and regulatory agencies should prompt employers to reflect on their progress regarding artificial intelligence, noncompetes, diversity initiatives, religious accommodation and more, say Allegra Lawrence-Hardy and Lisa Haldar at Lawrence & Bundy.

  • Tailoring Compliance Before AI Walks The Runway

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    Fashion industry players that adopt artificial intelligence to propel their businesses forward should consider ways to minimize its perceived downsides, including potential job displacements and algorithmic biases that may harm diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, say Jeffrey Greene and Ivory Djahouri at Foley & Lardner.

  • Where Anti-Discrimination Law Stands 4 Years After Bostock

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    On the fourth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Bostock ruling, Evan Parness and Abby Rickeman at Covington take stock of how the decision, which held that Title VII protects employees from discrimination because of their sexual orientation and gender identity, has affected anti-discrimination law at the state and federal levels.

  • Politics In The Workplace: What Employers Need To Know

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    As the 2024 election approaches and protests continue across the country, employers should be aware of employees' rights — and limits on those rights — related to political speech and activities in the workplace, and be prepared to act proactively to prevent issues before they arise, say attorneys at Littler.