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

  • NWSL's $5M Player Abuse Deal Shifts Standard For Employers

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    The National Women's Soccer League's recent $5 million settlement addressing players' abuse allegations sends a powerful message to leagues, entertainment entities and employers everywhere that employee safety, accountability and transparency are no longer optional, say attorneys at Michelman & Robinson.

  • Navigating The Use Of AI Tools In Workplace Investigations

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Artificial intelligence tools can be used in workplace investigations to analyze evidence and conduct interviews, among other things, but employers should be aware of the legal and practical risks, including data privacy concerns and the potential for violating antidiscrimination laws, say attorneys at Fisher Phillips.

  • How Justices Rule On Straight Bias May Shift Worker Suits

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    Following oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, in which a heterosexual woman sued her employer for sexual orientation discrimination, the forthcoming decision may create a perfect storm for employers amid recent attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • Employer Tips To Navigate Cultural Flashpoints Investigations

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    As companies are increasingly flooded with complaints of employees violating policies related to polarizing social, cultural or political issues, employers should beware the distinct concerns and increased risk in flashpoints investigations compared to routine workplace probes, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • A Path Forward For Employers, Regardless Of DEI Stance

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    Whether a company views the Trump administration's executive orders ending diversity, equity and inclusion programs as a win or a loss, the change rearranges the employment hazards companies face, but not the non-DEI and nondiscriminatory economic incentive to seek the best workers, says Daniel S. Levy at Advanced Analytical Consulting Group.

  • Bias Suit Shows WNBA Growing Pains On Court And In Court

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    A newly filed disability discrimination and retaliation lawsuit against the Los Angeles Sparks is the latest in a series of employment discrimination disputes filed by WNBA professionals, highlighting teams' obligation to meet elevated workplace expectations and the league's role in facilitating an inclusive work environment, say attorneys at Michelman & Robinson.

  • 2 Areas Of Labor Law That May Change Under Trump

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    Based on President Donald Trump's recent moves, employers should expect to see significant changes in the direction of law coming out of the National Labor Relations Board, particularly in two areas where the Trump administration will seek to roll back the Biden NLRB's changes, says Daniel Johns at Cozen O’Connor.

  • Justices' Revival Ruling In Bias Suit Exceeds Procedural Issue

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Waetzig v. Halliburton allowed the plaintiff in an age discrimination lawsuit to move to reopen his case after arbitration, but the seemingly straightforward decision on a procedural issue raises complex questions for employment law practitioners, says Christopher Sakauye at Dykema.

  • Water Cooler Talk: 'Late Night' Shows DEI Is More Than Optics

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    Amid the shifting legal landscape for corporate diversity, equity and inclusion programs, Troutman's Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter chat with their firm's DEI committee chair, Nicole Edmonds, about how the 2019 film "Late Night" reflects the challenges and rewards of fostering meaningful inclusion.

  • 9 Considerations For Orgs Using AI Meeting Assistants

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    When deciding to use artificial intelligence meeting assistants, organizations must create and implement a written corporate policy that establishes the do's and don'ts for these assistants, taking into account individualized business operations, industry standards and legal and regulatory requirements, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • What's At Stake In High Court Transgender Care Suit

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    The outcome of U.S. v. Skrmetti will have critical implications for the rights of transgender youth and their access to gender-affirming care, and will likely affect other areas of law and policy involving transgender individuals, including education, employment, healthcare and civil rights, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • Determining What 'I Don't Feel Safe' Means In The Workplace

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    When an employee tells an employer "I don't feel safe," the phrase can have different meanings, so employment lawyers must adequately investigate to identify which meaning applies — and a cursory review and dismissal of the situation may not be a sufficient defense in case of future legal proceedings, says Karen Elliott at FordHarrison.

  • How EEOC Enforcement Priorities May Change Under Trump

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    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has already been rocked by the Trump administration's dramatic changes in personnel and policy, which calls into question how the agency may shift its direction from the priorities set forth in its five-year strategic enforcement plan in 2023, say attorneys at Seyfarth.