Discrimination

  • July 08, 2025

    HHS Can't Dodge Suit Over Nixed LGBTQ Bias Protections

    A New York federal judge declined Tuesday to toss a transgender woman's suit challenging President Donald Trump's decision to roll back anti-discrimination regulations for LGBTQ patients during his first term, rejecting arguments from the government that the case is moot given that a Biden-era rule restored the protections.

  • July 08, 2025

    3rd Circ. Gives Philly Bus Driver Fresh Chance At FMLA Suit

    The Third Circuit on Tuesday reinstated a former Philadelphia bus driver's lawsuit alleging public transit authority SEPTA bucked the Family and Medical Leave Act when it fired him for missing work due to his sickle cell anemia.

  • July 08, 2025

    Calif. Agency Rolls Out Guidance For Violence Survivor Leave

    The California Civil Rights Department rolled out its latest guidance and model notice for employees who are victims of violence or abuse and wish to take time off under a law that went into effect in the state in January.

  • July 08, 2025

    NY Lawyer Wants Jay-Z's Claims In Suit Against Buzbee Tossed

    A New York City lawyer wants a court to dismiss allegations that she took part in a conspiracy with prominent attorney Tony Buzbee to extort Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter via a since-dropped rape case, arguing that the hip-hop mogul's claims against her were brought in an improper forum and that he failed to state a claim.

  • July 08, 2025

    Feds Say Trade Group Lacks Standing In Anti-DEI Orders Suit

    A Chicago-based trade group can't show that Trump administration executive orders restricting federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs infringe on its free speech rights, the federal government argued, telling an Illinois federal court it should toss the organization's suit alleging the directives are unconstitutional.

  • July 08, 2025

    Org Says EEOC Can't 'Jam' Class Claims Into Harassment Suit

    A mental health organization urged a North Carolina federal judge to ax classwide claims from a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming a male supervisor harassed female co-workers with unwanted hugs and sexual comments, arguing the case lacks necessary details about the collective allegations.

  • July 08, 2025

    W&H Attorneys' Wish List For The Rest Of 2025

    Updating the Fair Labor Standards Act to reflect the nuances of remote work, reforming arbitration and tackling the issue of salary expectations to further reduce the pay gap are all issues employment lawyers wish policymakers would tackle in the latter half of the year. Here, Law360 explores what kind of changes attorneys would like to see in an ideal world.

  • July 07, 2025

    Morehouse Settles Ex-Prof's Wrongful Termination Suit

    Morehouse College has agreed to settle a former media professor's suit claiming he was fired for supporting a student's discrimination case against the institution alleging they were denied entry into a college program because they were HIV-positive, according to a filing in Georgia federal court Monday.

  • July 07, 2025

    Fed Says Ex-Worker's Vaccine Bias Suit Belongs In DC

    Federal Reserve Board leadership urged a North Carolina federal court Monday to trim a former employee's lawsuit claiming he was fired for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine and ship it to D.C., arguing he can't keep the case in the Tar Heel State because he worked remotely.

  • July 07, 2025

    11th Circ. Backs Fla. County In Firing Over Anti-Gay Blog

    The Eleventh Circuit has affirmed a lower court decision tossing a lawsuit brought by a former Miami-Dade County communications aide who was fired for authoring a transphobic and anti-gay blog post, ruling the county's interest in effectively fulfilling its responsibilities outweighed the aide's free speech rights.

  • July 07, 2025

    Ex-Officer Sues Ga. City Over Police Dept.'s Alleged Bias

    The city of South Fulton, Georgia, has been sued in federal court by a former South Fulton Police Department officer who alleges she and other white employees were routinely discriminated against because of their race, and that she was fired as a result.

  • July 07, 2025

    Law Firm, Worker Seek Pre-Trial Wins In Pregnancy Bias Suit

    A personal injury law firm told a New Mexico federal court Monday that a legal assistant was pushed out not because she was pregnant but because she was a poor performer, while the former employee argued the firm reneged on its promise to pay her in exchange for quitting.

  • July 07, 2025

    Former HR Exec Brings Disability Bias Suit Against Health Co.

    A former human resources executive at a New Jersey-based neurological services company alleged in Garden State federal court that she was discriminated against and ultimately fired in retaliation for disclosing her mental health disabilities and pursuing accommodation requests.

  • July 07, 2025

    Jury To Weigh Ex-Red Cross Vax Refuser's Religious Beliefs

    A Michigan federal jury is set to decide this week whether a nurse fired from the American Red Cross for not receiving a mandated COVID-19 vaccine held a sincere religious belief that conflicts with the injection, with the nurse arguing the organization was "on the lookout" for reasons to deny her request.  

  • July 07, 2025

    Logistics Worker Axed Over Harassment Reports, Court Told

    A logistics company failed to act on an employee's complaints that colleagues and supervisors made unwelcome advances and treated her differently because she's a masculine-presenting woman, the worker told a Georgia federal court, saying she was fired shortly after a co-worker spoke up on her behalf.

  • July 07, 2025

    IBM Settles White Worker's 'Reverse Discrimination' Suit

    IBM has agreed to resolve a white male ex-consultant's bias claims that he was fired so that the company could hire women and people of color to fulfill workforce diversity quotas, according to a filing in Michigan federal court Monday.

  • July 07, 2025

    NJ Prosecutor's Office, State Judiciary Face Racial Bias Suit

    A former Middlesex County assistant probation head is suing the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office and the state judiciary for racial discrimination, alleging that a prosecutor undermined him at work and used racist language about him in court.

  • July 07, 2025

    Settlement Unlikely In Airline Group's Colo. Sick Leave Suit

    An airline lobby and the state of Colorado told a federal court last week that a settlement "appears unlikely" in the airline group's case claiming the state's sick leave law is preempted by federal law.

  • July 07, 2025

    New DC Bar Leader On Guiding Group Amid Political Tumult

    New D.C. Bar President Sadina Montani wasn’t on the ballot this year, but she is taking the reins of the nation’s largest mandatory bar after a contentious election in which national politics took center stage.

  • July 07, 2025

    Restaurant Cut Pay Over Harassment Complaint, Worker Says

    A Golden Corral franchisee misclassified an assistant kitchen manager as a salaried employee, lowered his pay and ultimately fired him for complaining that the owner's son was making inappropriate sexual comments, according to a suit filed Monday in Pennsylvania federal court.

  • July 07, 2025

    Feds Cite National Security As Trial Over Student Visas Begins

    A Trump administration lawyer told a Massachusetts federal judge Monday that the government's decision to revoke the visas of hundreds of college students and faculty over their pro-Palestinian speech was not viewpoint discrimination but a response to what it contends are threats to national security.

  • July 07, 2025

    Ex-Oklahoma Pot Regulator's Discrimination Claims Tossed

    An Oklahoma federal judge has thrown out discrimination claims filed by a former employee of the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority in a suit alleging she was terminated for whistleblowing, saying she failed to allege that she was dismissed in retaliation for protected speech or activities.

  • July 07, 2025

    11th Circ. Won't Reopen Sales Worker's Race Bias, FMLA Case

    The Eleventh Circuit declined to revive a suit claiming a sales services company fired a Black project manager out of race discrimination and because she took medical leave, ruling she failed to put forward evidence of prejudice or show that her bias trial was mismanaged.

  • July 03, 2025

    Pa. DA's Office Seeks Win In Ex-Clerk's Bias Suit

    A central Pennsylvania county prosecutor's office on Thursday urged a federal court to grant an early win in an ex-clerk's race discrimination suit, arguing a "single, isolated incident" in which the clerk overheard a racial slur could not be tied into her firing weeks later.

  • July 03, 2025

    EEOC Says Calif. Supermarket Chain Obstructing Bias Probe

    A California supermarket chain has refused to turn over applicant and employee data to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, hindering its investigation into whether the retailer discriminated against non-Hispanic workers, the agency told a federal court.

Expert Analysis

  • What Trump Admin's Anti-DEI Push Means For FCA Claims

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    President Donald Trump's recent rescission of a 60-year-old executive order imposing nondiscrimination requirements on certain federal contractors has far-reaching implications, including potential False Claims Act liability for contractors and grant recipients who fail to comply, though it may be a challenge for the government to successfully establish liability, say attorneys at Bass Berry.

  • It Starts With Training: Anti-Harassment After 'It Ends With Us'

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    Actress Blake Lively's recent sexual harassment and retaliation allegations against her "It Ends With Us" co-star, director and producer, Justin Baldoni, should remind employers of their legal obligations to implement trainings, policies and other measures to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, say attorneys at Morrison Cohen.

  • What Day 1 Bondi Memos Mean For Corporate Compliance

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    After Attorney General Pam Bondi’s flurry of memos last week declaring new enforcement priorities on issues ranging from foreign bribery to diversity initiatives, companies must base their compliance programs on an understanding of their own core values and principles, says Hui Chen at CDE Advisors.

  • 5 Things For Private Employers To Do After Trump's DEI Order

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    Following President Donald Trump's recent executive order pushing the private sector to narrow, and even end, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, employers should ensure DEI efforts align with their organization's mission and goals, are legally compliant, and are effectively communicated to stakeholders, say attorneys at Mintz.

  • Zuckerberg's Remarks Pose Legal Risk For Meta Amid Layoffs

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    Within days of announcing that Meta Platforms will cut 5% of its lowest-performing employees, Mark Zuckerberg remarked that corporations are becoming "culturally neutered" and need to bring back "masculine energy," exposing the company to potential claims under California employment law, says Andi Mazingo at Lumen Law Center.

  • Preparing For A Possible End To The Subminimum Wage

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    The U.S. Department of Labor's proposed rule to end the subminimum wage for employees with disabilities may significantly affect the community-based rehabilitation and training programs that employ these workers, so certified programs should be especially vigilant about compliance during this period of evaluation and scrutiny, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

  • Water Cooler Talk: 'Harry Potter' Reveals Magic Of Feedback

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    Troutman Pepper's Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter chat with Wicker Park Group partner Tara Weintritt about various feedback methods used by "Harry Potter" characters — from Snape's sharp and cutting remarks to Dumbledore's lack of specificity and Hermione's poor delivery — and explore how clear, consistent and actionable feedback can transform workplaces.

  • What To Expect From Trump's Deputy Labor Secretary Pick

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    President Donald Trump's nominee for deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, Keith Sonderling, has a track record of prioritizing clear guidance on both traditional and cutting-edge issues, which can provide insight into what employers can expect from his leadership, say attorneys at Littler.

  • A Look At Order Ending Federal Contractor Affirmative Action

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    To comply with President Donald Trump's executive order revoking affirmative action requirements in the next 90 days, federal contractors should focus on identification of protected groups, responsibilities of "diversity officer" positions and annual compliance reviews, says Jeremy Burkhart at Holland & Knight.

  • Parsing 3rd Circ. Ruling On Cannabis, Employee Private Suits

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    The Third Circuit recently upheld a decision that individuals don't have a private right of action for alleged violations of New Jersey's Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance and Marketplace Modernization Act, but employers should stay informed as the court encouraged the state Legislature to amend the law, say attorneys at Mandelbaum Barrett.

  • EEOC Wearable Tech Guidance Highlights Monitoring Scrutiny

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    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's recent fact sheet on wearable technologies cautions against potential issues with federal anti-discrimination laws and demonstrates growing concern from regulators and legislators about intrusive technologies in the workplace, say attorneys at Littler.

  • 4 Employment Law Areas Set To Change Under Trump

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    President Donald Trump's second term is expected to bring significant changes to the U.S. employment law landscape, including the potential for updated worker classification regulations, and challenges to diversity, equity and inclusion that are already taking shape, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • What Employment Bias Litigation Looks Like After Muldrow

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    Nine months after the U.S. Supreme Court created an undemanding standard for discrimination claims in Muldrow v. St. Louis, Eric Schnapper at the University of Washington discusses how the Title VII litigation landscape has changed and what to expect moving forward.