Discrimination

  • August 24, 2026

    'Old Boys Club' Tainted College Prof's Review, Jurors Told

    A former professor at The College of New Jersey told a Garden State jury on Monday that the college's finance department was run like an old boys club and that her contract was not renewed because she's a woman.

  • August 24, 2026

    Ex-Drink Co. Exec Says Part Owner Defamed, Harassed Her

    A part owner of a sports drink company spread false accusations that its female CEO used sex to get business opportunities, according to a new discrimination suit the former executive filed Monday in New York federal court.

  • August 24, 2026

    'History And Tradition' Allow For Religious Emails, USDA Says

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture urged a California federal court to toss a suit by federal workers and their labor union accusing the agency's secretary of sending "proselytizing" religious emails to employees, arguing the messages align with the "history and tradition" of public officials making references to religion.

  • August 24, 2026

    DHS Must Face Bias Suit Over Candidate's Ayahuasca Use

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security can't escape a lawsuit alleging it unlawfully nixed an applicant's job offer because her religious practice includes consuming the psychoactive tea ayahuasca, a Florida federal judge ruled Friday, rejecting the agency's assertion that the court can't review its hiring decisions on national security grounds.

  • August 24, 2026

    Former Disney Child Star Alleges Rape By Adult On Film Set

    A former Disney child actress has sued the entertainment giant in California state court, alleging that nobody protected her while an adult employee twice her age plied her with alcohol and raped her during the filming of a Disney Channel Original Movie, "The Poof Point," when she was 14.

  • August 24, 2026

    Texas Court Says Southwest Can't Probe Abortion Posts

    A Texas federal judge stopped Southwest Airlines Co. from snooping through an employee's social media posts about religion or abortion after the employee won a religious bias suit, issuing a court order blocking the airline from using future posts for disciplinary action.

  • August 24, 2026

    Drugmaker Beats Black Worker's Promotion Case At 7th Circ.

    The Seventh Circuit affirmed on Monday the dismissal of a Black worker's race and age bias suit claiming a drug manufacturer refused to promote him and picked a younger white candidate for a managerial role, ruling he hadn't shown bias infected the company's decision.

  • August 24, 2026

    Firm Blames AAA Check Flub For Workers' Axed Arbitration

    A New Jersey personal injury firm says it should not be held responsible and sanctioned for the termination of arbitration proceedings for former employees, telling a state court that the American Arbitration Association had seemingly lost its check for a $6,550 payment.

  • August 24, 2026

    Arbitrator Backs WaPo Columnist Fired After Kirk Posts

    The Washington Post was ordered to rehire an opinion columnist it fired for social media posts she made in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination, the columnist's union said Monday, after an arbitrator faulted the newspaper's "rushed" decision to let her go.

  • August 24, 2026

    EEOC, Packaging Co. Wrap Up Subpoena Compliance Case

    A Tennessee federal judge closed a suit by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission urging a packaging manufacturer to respond to an agency subpoena stemming from a sexual harassment charge.

  • August 21, 2026

    9th Circ. Rules Workers' Vaccine Bias Suit Must Go To Trial

    The Ninth Circuit ruled Friday that a jury must decide workers' religious-discrimination claims against the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, finding the lower court erred in concluding the agency accommodated the workers' religious-exemption requests from a COVID-19 vaccine mandate by offering them limited reassignment options.

  • August 21, 2026

    What To Know About Worker-Friendly 9th Circ. EFAA Ruling

    The Ninth Circuit's recent decision that a 2022 law barring mandatory arbitration of sexual harassment allegations shielded a former executive’s lawsuit may help workers keep a broader range of claims in court, but questions linger about the appellate ruling’s rationale. Here are three things to know about the divided opinion.

  • August 21, 2026

    GoDaddy Fired Designer After Sex Bias Complaint, Suit Says

    A former user experience designer for GoDaddy claims the web services company falsely promised her a "principal" title when hiring her, then punished and ultimately ousted her for complaining when two men with less experience were given the high-ranking status, according to a lawsuit filed Friday in Washington federal court.  

  • August 21, 2026

    Trump Seeks Justices' Review Of DEI Grant Termination Case

    The Trump administration is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Ninth Circuit decision requiring the federal government to reinstate research grants that were terminated due to presidential orders against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

  • August 21, 2026

    Ex-Software Engineer Says His ADHD Led To Bias, Firing

    An open source software developer fired an engineer after he raised concerns about disability discrimination in the workplace, was denied accommodations for his attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and had his symptoms labeled as performance problems, according to a case removed to North Carolina federal court Thursday.

  • August 21, 2026

    NJ Medicaid Fee Law Barred By ERISA, Trade Groups Argue

    A coalition of restaurant, retail and hotel industry groups has urged a New Jersey federal court to strike down a state law requiring businesses to pay a fine when their employees are enrolled in the state Medicaid program, arguing the statute conflicts with federal benefits law.

  • August 21, 2026

    RTX Unit Beats Gender Hiring Bias Appeal In Connecticut

    RTX Corp.'s Pratt & Whitney aircraft unit prevailed a second time Friday against a female candidate's claim that she wasn't hired because of her gender, with a Connecticut appeals court affirming gender wasn't a motivating factor and that some of the woman's arguments rested on hearsay.

  • August 21, 2026

    4th Circ. Leaves Bulk Of $22M Wells Fargo ADA Verdict Intact

    The Fourth Circuit ruled Friday that a $22 million jury verdict in favor of a former Wells Fargo employee who said he was terminated for seeking remote work was almost $2.9 million too high, telling the ex-worker to choose between a reduced award or a new trial.

  • August 21, 2026

    11th Circ. Won't Reopen ATF Worker's Disability Bias Suit

    The Eleventh Circuit refused to revive a lawsuit alleging the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives forced an employee with a heart condition to accept a demotion rather than let her take unpaid leave, ruling the agency wasn't required to supplement the paid time off she had available.

  • August 21, 2026

    NY Forecast: Target Seeks To Toss Unpaid Walking Time Suit

    This week, a New York federal judge will consider Target's bid to dismiss a proposed class action brought by warehouse employees who claim the company must compensate them for the time they spend walking to and from their departments before and after their shifts. Here, Law360 looks at this and other cases on the docket in the Empire State.

  • August 21, 2026

    Calif. Forecast: 9th Circ. Hears Gov. Layoffs Fight

    In the week ahead, attorneys should watch for Ninth Circuit arguments in a challenge by unions and other groups to the federal government's mass layoffs of probationary employees. Here's a look at that case and other labor and employment matters on deck in California.

  • August 21, 2026

    Feds Get Deal With Sheriff's Office On Age, Race Bias Claims

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Friday that the St. Louis Sheriff's Office has reached an agreement to resolve 13 race and age discrimination charges alleging it unlawfully fired a group of largely older white workers.

  • August 20, 2026

    Insurer's Win In 1st Circ. Bias Row Highlights Endorsements

    The First Circuit freed an insurer from paying a tech company's judgment in a worker discrimination and retaliation suit, highlighting the importance of endorsements and the principles of interpreting them in light of the base policy.

  • August 20, 2026

    TikTok's Ex-Legal Head Made Racist Comments, Suit Says

    TikTok and its former head of global legal operations have been accused in a California state court lawsuit of harassment and discrimination based on race and sex by a former legal department employee who claims the executive subjected her and other nonwhite colleagues to an "unrelenting campaign of harassment."

  • August 20, 2026

    LSU Gets Damages Sliced In Attys' Pay Bias Suit

    A Louisiana federal judge has slashed the damages awarded to two former in-house attorneys who won a retaliation verdict against their university employer over gender pay equity complaints, cutting each award from $750,000 to $280,000 while rejecting bids for a new trial or outright dismissal.

Expert Analysis

  • How To Balance AI Adoption With Employee Privacy Risks

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    As artificial intelligence transforms the workplace, organizations must learn to leverage AI's capabilities while safeguarding against employee privacy risks and complying with a complex web of regulations, including by vetting vendors, mitigating employee misuse and establishing a governance framework, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

  • How Ending OFCCP Will Affect Affirmative Action Obligations

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    As President Donald Trump's administration plans to eliminate the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, which enforces federal contractor antidiscrimination compliance and affirmative action program obligations, contractors should consider the best compliance approaches available to them, especially given the False Claims Act implications, say attorneys at Ogletree.

  • Employer Best Practices For Navigating Worker Separations

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    As job cuts hit several major industries, employers should take steps to minimize their exposure to discrimination claims, information leaks and enforcement challenges, such as maintaining sound documentation, strategic planning and legal coordination, says Mark Romance at Day Pitney.

  • Employer Tips For Responding To ICE In The Workplace

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    Increased immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump's administration has left employers struggling to balance their compliance obligations with their desire to provide a safe workplace, so creating a thorough response plan and training for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's presence at the workplace is crucial, say attorneys at Hanson Bridgett.

  • Handbook Hot Topics: Shifting Worker Accommodation Rules

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    Since President Donald Trump took office, many changes have directly affected how employers must address accommodation requests, particularly those concerning pregnancy-related medical conditions and religious beliefs, underscoring the importance of regularly reviewing and updating accommodation policies and procedures, say attorneys at Kutak Rock.

  • Shifting DEI Expectations Put Banks In Legal Crosshairs

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    The Trump administration's rollbacks on DEI-friendly policies create something of a regulatory catch-22 for banks, wherein strict compliance would contradict established statutory and administrative mandates regarding access to credit for disadvantaged communities, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

  • Compliance Tips After Court Axes EEOC's Trans Rights Take

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    A Texas federal court's recent decision struck portions of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's 2024 guidance pertaining to sexual orientation and gender identity under Title VII, barring their use nationwide and leaving employers unsure about how to proceed in their compliance efforts, say attorneys at Dorsey & Whitney.

  • 5 Insurance Claims That Could Emerge After NCAA Settlement

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    Following the recent NCAA class action settlement that will allow revenue sharing with college athletes, there may be potential management liability for universities, their executive leadership and boards that could expose insurers to tax, regulatory, breach of contract and other claims, says Sarah Abrams at Baleen Specialty.

  • 8th Circ. Ruling Highlights Complicated Remote Work Analysis

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    The Eighth Circuit’s recent opinion in Kuklenski v. Medtronic USA demonstrates that the applicability of employment laws to remote workers is often a fact-driven analysis, highlighting several parameters to consider when evaluating what state and local laws may apply to employees who work remotely, say attorneys at Vedder Price.

  • Philly Law Initiates New Era Of Worker Protections

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    A new worker protection law in Philadelphia includes, among other measures, a private right of action and recordkeeping requirements that may amount to a lower evidentiary standard, introducing a new level of accountability and additional noncompliance risks for employers, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Justices' Ruling Lowers Bar For Reverse Discrimination Suits

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous opinion in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, lowering the evidentiary burden for plaintiffs bringing so-called reverse discrimination claims, may lead to more claims brought by majority group employees — and open the door to legal challenges to employer diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, say attorneys at Ice Miller.

  • 4 Midyear Employer Actions To Reinforce Compliance

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    The legal and political landscape surrounding what the government describes as unlawful diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives has become increasingly complex over the past six months, and the midyear juncture presents a strategic opportunity to reinforce commitments to legal integrity, workplace equity and long-term operational resilience, say attorneys at Krevolin & Horst.

  • Proposed State AI Rule Ban Could Alter Employer Compliance

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    A proposal in the congressional budget bill that would ban state and local enforcement of laws and regulations governing artificial intelligence may offer near-term clarity by freezing conflicting rules, but long-term planning would remain difficult for employers seeking safe, lawful AI deployment strategies, say attorneys at Fisher Phillips.