Discrimination

  • September 04, 2024

    3rd Circ. Revives Machinery Worker's Disability Bias Suit

    The Third Circuit reopened a former machinery worker's lawsuit alleging he was fired because he requested light-duty assignments following an on-the-job back injury, saying Wednesday a trial court used an outdated standard to conclude that federal law didn't consider his temporary pain a disability.

  • September 04, 2024

    Warner Music, Atlantic Beat Suit Over Alleged Abuse In 1980s

    A New York state judge released Warner Music Group and Atlantic Records from a suit claiming their negligence allowed Atlantic's then-CEO to sexually assault the plaintiff in the 1980s and that they violated their duty of care by failing to fire him, finding the entities didn't exist at the time.

  • September 04, 2024

    Ex-Cop Cuts Deal To End Bias Suit That Rose To High Court

    The city of St. Louis has tentatively settled a former cop's bias suit claiming she was illegally transferred due to her gender, according to a court filing on Wednesday, potentially ending a legal battle that prompted the U.S. Supreme Court to clarify Title VII's scope.

  • September 04, 2024

    Ex-Twitter Worker Class Conditionally Certified In Age Bias Suit

    A California federal judge has conditionally certified a collective action on behalf of former Twitter workers aged 50 and older who were fired after Elon Musk acquired the company, saying while this isn't the stage "to weigh the evidence," the complaint shows "beyond mere speculation" Twitter may have discriminated against older employees.

  • September 04, 2024

    Jury Says Glass Co. Owes Black Applicant $1.1M In Bias Suit

    An Indiana federal jury said a glass manufacturer should pay nearly $1.1 million to a Black job applicant who said he was passed over in favor of several white candidates because of his race.

  • September 04, 2024

    Union Discriminates Against Blacks, Latinos, Technician Says

    An entertainment industry union local's admissions and job referral practices make it harder for Black and Latino applicants to secure union membership and positions at production studios like HBO and CBS, an electrical technician alleged in a proposed class action filed in New York federal court.

  • September 04, 2024

    2nd Circ. Hears Unvaxxed NY Judge's 'Exile' Challenge

    A Second Circuit panel on Wednesday voiced some skepticism of a bid to revive a New York state judge's lawsuit over his "exile" after he failed to get a religious exemption from the court system's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

  • September 04, 2024

    Ex-Driver And Papa John's Settle Race Bias, Pay Suit

    An Alabama federal judge signed off on a settlement agreement between a Papa John's franchise and a Black former pizza delivery driver who alleged he faced a hostile work environment and was under-reimbursed for mileage, according to court papers.

  • September 04, 2024

    EEOC Tells 5th Circ. To Revive ADA Suit Over Service Dog Bid

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission backed a worker who said a school district unlawfully slow-walked its response to her request to bring a service dog to work, telling the Fifth Circuit that a trial court missed the big picture when it tossed her case.

  • September 04, 2024

    Construction Co. Strikes Deal In EEOC Sex Harassment Suit

    A highway construction company agreed to pay $80,000 to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit alleging it didn't appropriately respond when a female truck driver complained that male colleagues were sending explicit pictures and making sexual comments, the agency told a North Carolina federal court.

  • September 03, 2024

    Ex-VP Says Health Co. Tried To Call Firing Retirement

    A former vice president and chief human resources officer for The Elevance Health Companies Inc. claims it terminated his employment to hire a substantially younger person and tried to call it a retirement, according to an age discrimination suit filed in a Georgia federal court Tuesday.

  • September 03, 2024

    6th Circ. Revives Asthmatic Worker's Disability Bias Suit

    The Sixth Circuit reinstated a former employee's suit Tuesday claiming she was fired by a painting company after she asked to be placed in a department with fewer paint fumes to accommodate her asthma, stating a jury needs to sort out whether her request was reasonable.

  • September 03, 2024

    Seattle Court Accused Of Fostering Racist, Hostile Workplace

    An African American former employee at the Seattle Municipal Court has alleged that she was the target of racist and sexist comments and that a court administrator falsely claimed in a courtwide email that she had been arrested and charged with a serious crime when she was on sick leave.

  • September 03, 2024

    Retailer Says No Good Faith In Worker's Wash. Pay Range Suit

    Retailer Aaron's urged a Washington state court to throw out a job applicant's proposed class action accusing it of failing to post salary ranges in job advertisements, saying the worker's 15 other similar lawsuits show he had no interest in actually getting a job at the company.

  • September 03, 2024

    Union-Backed 'Captive Audience' Bill Heads To Calif. Governor

    The California Senate voted in favor of a union-backed bill that would bar employers from requiring employees to attend meetings related to religious or political matters — including company-organized meetings used to discourage union-formation — sending the so-called captive audience bill to the governor's desk.

  • September 03, 2024

    4 Argument Sessions Bias Attys Should Watch In September

    The Eighth Circuit will consider reviving a red state challenge to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's Pregnant Workers Fairness Act regulations, and the Eleventh Circuit will decide whether to let Florida bar a transgender teacher from sharing her preferred pronouns and title at work. Here, Law360 looks at four argument sessions employment discrimination attorneys should keep tabs on in September.

  • September 03, 2024

    8th Circ. Says Union Pacific Must Face Color Vision Bias Suit

    The Eighth Circuit revived a former Union Pacific conductor's lawsuit alleging he was unlawfully fired after failing a color vision test, ruling Tuesday that a lower court erroneously said his participation in a defunct class action couldn't save his claims.

  • September 03, 2024

    Ex-Teacher Asks 7th Circ. To Revive Bias Fight Over Pronouns

    An evangelical teacher urged the Seventh Circuit to revive his religious bias lawsuit alleging he was unlawfully fired for refusing to use transgender students' gender-affirming names and pronouns, arguing a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision backs keeping his case in court.

  • September 03, 2024

    Duane Morris Wants Bulk Of Atty's Equal Pay Suit Tossed

    Duane Morris LLP is asking a California federal court to toss most of the claims in a proposed class action alleging the firm systemically underpaid female and nonwhite attorneys, saying the attorney who filed the complaint has been fairly treated and compensated and her claims lack validity.

  • September 03, 2024

    Fla. Judge Faces DQ Bid Over 'Hostility' In Ex-Law Prof's Case

    A former law professor at Florida A&M University wants the federal judge assigned to her retaliation lawsuit against the university to recuse himself, saying he has shown a "pattern of hostility" toward her in multiple court orders, according to a motion filed Tuesday.

  • September 03, 2024

    Packaging Co. Fired Workers Over COVID-19 Vax, EEOC Says

    A gas packaging manufacturer illegally fired 10 employees who refused its COVID-19 vaccine mandate on religious grounds or because they had a disability, according to a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit filed in Oklahoma federal court.

  • September 03, 2024

    Sprouts Fired Worker For Reporting Harassment, Suit Says

    A former employee at an Atlanta-area Sprouts Farmers Market hit the grocery chain with a lawsuit alleging she was unlawfully fired for complaining about harassing comments a co-worker repeatedly made about her sexuality.

  • August 31, 2024

    EEOC's Sonderling Touts AI, Compliance Work As Successes

    Outgoing U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission member Keith Sonderling told Law360 in an exclusive interview that elevating the agency's visibility on the artificial intelligence front and reviving the U.S. Department of Labor's use of opinion letters rank among his top accomplishments during his nearly decadelong stint in federal government.

  • August 30, 2024

    11th Circ. Reinstates Ex-Amerijet Worker's Discrimination Suit

    The Eleventh Circuit revived a former Amerijet employee's lawsuit alleging the cargo airline fired her because she's a Black woman, ruling Friday that a lower court used an erroneously high standard when tossing her claims.

  • August 30, 2024

    WWE Accuser's Discovery Bid Must Fail, Conn. Doctor Says

    The woman accusing World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. and two former executives of sexual abuse and trafficking in Connecticut federal court should lose her separate but related bid for discovery against a celebrity doctor who treated her, the doctor has argued in a motion to dismiss the state court action.

Expert Analysis

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: July Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy considers cases touching on pre- and post-conviction detainment conditions, communications with class representatives, when the American Pipe tolling doctrine stops applying to modified classes, and more.

  • How To Comply With Chicago's New Paid Leave Ordinance

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    Chicago's new Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance went into effect earlier this month, so employers subject to the new rules should update leave policies, train supervisors and deliver notice as they seek compliance, say Alison Crane and Sarah Gasperini at Jackson Lewis.

  • 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.