Discrimination

  • July 03, 2025

    7th Circ. Says Record Backs Accenture Win, But Bias Possible

    The Seventh Circuit on Wednesday affirmed summary judgment for Accenture LLP in a Black former manager's suit alleging he was fired for complaining about racial discrimination, but noted that its finding is based on "the record and binding case law, not blindness to the reality [he] presses — that bias affected aspects of his work experience."

  • July 03, 2025

    Pa. School District Fights $2.7M Fee Bid After $165K Verdict

    The Central Bucks School District in Pennsylvania says counsel representing two female teachers awarded $165,000 in an equal pay lawsuit should not be given $2.7 million in fees, arguing that request is not proportionate to the result.

  • July 03, 2025

    Circuit-By-Circuit Recap: Justices Send Message To Outliers

    It was a tough term at the U.S. Supreme Court for two very different circuits — one solidly liberal, one solidly conservative — that had their rulings overturned in eye-popping numbers. But it was another impressive year for a relatively moderate circuit that appears increasingly simpatico with the high court.

  • July 03, 2025

    4 Cases Discrimination Attys Should Watch As 2025 Rolls On

    A former member of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has asked a D.C. federal court to declare her dismissal by President Donald Trump unlawful, and the Fifth Circuit is poised to rule on whether the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act's enactment by Congress passes constitutional muster.  Here, Law360 looks at these and two other discrimination cases attorneys will be tracking in the latter half of the year.

  • July 03, 2025

    The Moments That Shaped The Universal Injunction Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court voted along ideological lines when it hindered the ability of federal district court judges to issue nationwide pauses on presidential policies, but that outcome didn't seem like a foregone conclusion during oral arguments earlier this year. What do the colloquies suggest about the justices' thinking? Here are some moments that may have swayed them.

  • July 03, 2025

    McCarter & English, Atty Debate Vets' Rights Law In Bias Case

    McCarter & English LLP argued a veterans' rights law does not apply in a former attorney's anti-veteran discrimination suit against the firm, while the attorney fought to preserve his claims relating to the law, according to briefs they filed in New Jersey state court Thursday.

  • July 03, 2025

    Ex-NJ Judge's Conduct Raises Security Concerns, State Says

    New Jersey is seeking a protective order to halt an ex-workers' compensation judge's "harassing" inquiries in her suit over her removal, telling a state court that her conduct over the past month raises serious concerns about the security of the individuals she is targeting.

  • July 03, 2025

    Illinois Cases To Watch In 2025: Midyear Report

    The impact of regulatory permits on insurance policy pollution exclusions, the debate over ditching two-step collective certifications and further interpretation of Illinois' biometric privacy law are at the heart of some of the state's biggest cases to watch through the end of the year.

  • July 03, 2025

    Employment Lawyers' Weekly DEI Cheat Sheet

    A Kentucky law banning college-level diversity, equity and inclusion programs went into effect, the Los Angeles Dodgers were targeted by an anti-DEI group, Missouri's attorney general demanded documents on the city of Columbia's racial equity work and the U.S. Department of Education defended an anti-DEI policy in court. Here, Law360 looks at notable DEI-related legal developments from the past week.

  • July 03, 2025

    What To Watch In Mass. Courts In The Second Half Of 2025

    Massachusetts courts should be busy through the second half of 2025, with litigation against the Trump administration playing a starring role at both the state and federal level. Here are some of the key cases and issues that attorneys are monitoring.

  • July 03, 2025

    7th Circ. Backs Firing Of Counselor Over Anti-Trans Speech

    The Seventh Circuit upheld the Milwaukee public school district's win over a former counselor's suit claiming she was unlawfully fired for speaking at an anti-trans rally, saying the district reasonably concluded that her expletive-laden public remarks didn't mesh with her professional responsibilities.

  • July 03, 2025

    The Firms That Won Big At The Supreme Court

    The number of law firms juggling three or more arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court this past term nearly doubled from the number of firms that could make that claim last term.

  • July 03, 2025

    Breaking Down The Vote: The High Court Term In Review

    The U.S. Supreme Court once again waited until the term's closing weeks — and even hours — to issue some of its most anticipated and divided decisions.

  • July 03, 2025

    Call Center Co. Wants Out Of Misclassification Suit

    A suit by workers accusing a call center company of incorrectly classifying them as independent contractors and then firing them when they complained must be thrown out, the company told a Florida federal court, saying the complaint is a "textbook impermissible shotgun pleading."

  • July 03, 2025

    PWFA Litigation Comes Into Focus In 1st Half Of 2025

    The second anniversary of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act's effective date recently passed, and though courts haven't shed much light yet on how they'll interpret the statute, new suits and settlements from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission offer insights for both employers and workers. Here, Law360 offers a midyear overview of the EEOC's efforts to enforce the PWFA.

  • July 03, 2025

    Supreme Court Takes Up Transgender Sports Bans

    The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Thursday to hear challenges to West Virginia and Idaho laws barring transgender athletes from competing on sports teams consistent with their gender identity, putting yet more anti-trans legislation to the test after upholding Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors this term. 

  • July 02, 2025

    Amid DEI Uncertainty, Cos. Face Pressure From All Sides

    Attorneys have been analyzing the Trump administration's many pronouncements against diversity, equity and inclusion programs over the past several months, only to be left with questions as to what exactly "illegal DEI" is and what the government will do to police it.

  • July 02, 2025

    11th Circ. Won't Revive Disney Workers' COVID Vax Bias Suit

    The Eleventh Circuit refused to revive a discrimination suit by former Disney employees over the company's COVID-19 vaccine mandate and augmented protocols requiring unvaccinated workers to socially distance and wear masks, ruling Wednesday the appellants never made religious objections to those protocols and never sought religious-based accommodations. 

  • July 02, 2025

    EEOC Can Press ADA Claim In Disabled Nurse's Transfer Case

    A Michigan hospital must face the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's claim that it violated federal disability law by not transferring a nurse who suffers from a metabolic disorder to a less-demanding role, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

  • July 02, 2025

    Veterans Sue Air Force For Disability Review Failures

    Three former service members hit the U.S. Air Force with a proposed class action challenging the lawfulness of a screening process used to determine if people should be retained or referred to a formal disability evaluation process.

  • July 02, 2025

    Ex-Director Claims Seminary Made False Diversity Promises

    A Pittsburgh Presbyterian seminary promised to fight discrimination and promote diversity, but the promise was hollow, according to a former interim director who claims her bosses ignored her complaints about discrimination and responded to litigation by insisting the seminary fell under a "ministerial exemption" to antidiscrimination laws.

  • July 02, 2025

    Ex-Worker Says Sto Corp. Fired Him After Hospitalization

    A former Georgia worker for construction materials manufacturer Sto Corp. accused the company in a Tuesday disability discrimination lawsuit of showing him the door after he was hospitalized with a heart condition.

  • July 02, 2025

    EEOC Says Ski Park Fired Christian Worker Over Bible Posts

    A Wisconsin winter sports park unlawfully fired a Christian manager who posted Bible passages it perceived as homophobic, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in complaint Wednesday.

  • July 02, 2025

    States Seen Taking Lead On AI Regulation In 2025's 2nd Half

    With President Donald Trump's administration pulling back sharply on Biden-era efforts to regulate artificial intelligence, discrimination attorneys will be looking to states like California — which recently enacted new rules — for meaningful developments in the latter half of the year. Here's a look at AI regulations and legislation that employer-side attorneys will be watching in the second half of 2025.

  • July 02, 2025

    Inspire Brands Sued For Firing Director After Bias Complaint

    The company that owns and franchises restaurant chains like Arby's, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin' and Jimmy John's has been sued in Georgia federal court by an ex-employee who alleges she was fired after threatening to report a manager for discrimination.

Expert Analysis

  • 10 Key Worker-Friendly California Employment Law Updates

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    New employment laws in California expand employee rights, transparency and enforcement mechanisms, and failing to educate department managers on these changes could put employers at risk, says Melanie Ronen at Stradley Ronon.

  • How PAGA Reform Can Inform Employer Strategies In 2025

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    While recent changes to California's Private Attorneys General Act will not significantly reduce PAGA claims, employers can use the new law to potentially limit their future exposure, by taking advantage of penalty reduction opportunities and more, say attorneys at Thompson Coburn.

  • How Deregulation Could Undermine Trump's Anti-DEI Agenda

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    While rolling back federal agency power benefited conservative policies during the Biden administration, it will likely undermine President Donald Trump's ability to wield agencies like the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives beyond the federal workforce and into the private sector, says Ally Coll at the Purple Method.

  • Trump Should Pass On Project 2025's Disparate Impact Plan

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    The Trump administration should reject Project 2025's call to eliminate the disparate impact doctrine because, as its pro-business Republican creators intended, a focus on dismantling unnecessary barriers to qualified job candidates serves companies' best interests more successfully than the alternatives, says Susan Carle at American University.

  • Expect A Big Shake Up At The EEOC Under 2nd Trump Admin

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    During President-elect Donald Trump’s second term, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is likely to significantly shift its focus and priorities, especially where workplace DEI initiatives, immigration enforcement, LGBTQ+ rights and pregnancy protections are concerned, say attorneys at Stoel Rives.

  • 4 Novel Issues From The Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni Suits

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    A series of lawsuits arising from actress Blake Lively's sexual harassment and retaliation complaint against her "It Ends With Us" co-star, Justin Baldoni, present novel legal issues that employment and defamation practitioners alike should follow as the litigation progresses, say attorneys at Dorsey & Whitney.

  • Religious Accommodation Lessons From $12.7M Vax Verdict

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    A Michigan federal jury’s recent $12.7 million verdict against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan starkly reminds employers of the risks they face when assessing employees’ religious accommodation requests, highlighting pitfalls to avoid and raising the opportunity to consider best practices to follow, say attorneys at Williams & Connolly.

  • Lessons From United's Axed Win In Firing Over Online Pics

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    In Wawrzenski v. United Airlines, a California state appeals court revived a flight attendant’s suit over her termination for linking photos of herself in uniform to her OnlyFans account, providing a cautionary tale for employers navigating the complexities of workplace policy enforcement in the digital age, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • How Trump Admin May Approach AI In The Workplace

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    Key indicators suggest that the incoming Trump administration will adopt a deregulatory approach to artificial intelligence, allowing states to fill the void, so it is critical that employers pay close attention to developing legal authority concerning AI tools, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Lessons Learned From 2024's Top FMLA Decisions

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    Last year's major litigation related to the Family and Medical Leave Act underscores why it is critical for employers to understand the basics of when leave and accommodations are required, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Lessons Learned From 2024's Top ADA Decisions

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    Last year's major litigation related to the Americans with Disabilities Act highlights that when dealing with accommodation requests, employers must communicate clearly, appreciate context and remain flexible in addressing needs, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Top 10 Employer Resolutions For 2025

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    While companies must monitor for policy shifts under the new administration in 2025, it will also be a year to play it safe and remember the basics, such as the importance of documenting retention policies and conducting swift investigations into workplace complaints, say attorneys at Krevolin Horst.

  • What To Expect From EEOC Next Year After An Active 2024

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    While highlights this year for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission include its first-ever Pregnant Workers Fairness Act cases and comprehensive workplace harassment guidance, the question for 2025 is whether the commission will sustain its momentum or shift its focus in a new direction, says Shannon Kelly at GrayRobinson.