Discrimination

  • September 19, 2024

    MrBeast Co., Amazon Accused Of Exploiting TV Contestants

    Reality show contestants have hit an Amazon Studios unit and the maker of the MrBeast YouTube channel with a proposed labor class action in California court, alleging they "shamelessly" exploited "Beat Games" contestants while threatening their livelihoods and misrepresenting their odds at winning the new show's $5 million grand prize.

  • September 19, 2024

    NC Justice Dept. Resolves Atty's Sex, Race Bias Suit

    The North Carolina Department of Justice agreed to settle a Black attorney's lawsuit alleging she was passed over for promotion in favor of a less qualified white man, according to court filings, just weeks after a federal judge refused to toss the case.

  • September 19, 2024

    Boeing Beats Suit Over Workers' Love-Triangle Murder

    A Washington federal judge has again tossed a lawsuit against Boeing over a love triangle that led a Boeing employee to murder his coworker, dismissing the case for good because the killing did not occur during working hours or at the workplace.

  • September 19, 2024

    5th Circ. Won't Revive Black Cops' Racial Retaliation Suit

    The Fifth Circuit upheld the dismissal of a suit from three Black Louisiana police officers who claimed they suffered racist harassment and were fired or demoted after complaining that the city botched a use-of-force investigation, ruling they lacked proof of retaliation and the abuse they allegedly endured didn't qualify as severe.

  • September 19, 2024

    Ex-Ballard Spahr Legal Assistant Drops Wrongful Firing Suit

    A former Ballard Spahr LLP legal assistant on Thursday agreed to drop a Pennsylvania civil rights lawsuit alleging that the firm fired her in retaliation for taking leave protected by the Family and Medical Leave Act in order to care for her husband, who was battling cancer.

  • September 19, 2024

    Staffing Co. Accused Of Obliging Client Bias Ends Fed Probe

    An Indiana-based staffing agency struck a deal to resolve allegations that accommodated clients' preferences for workers based on protected characteristics like race and sex, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said. 

  • September 19, 2024

    7th Circ. Asks If Law School Should Be 'Safe Space'

    Seventh Circuit judges considering a retaliation suit from a University of Illinois Chicago Law School professor who used a racist slur in an exam hypothetical asked Thursday if law schools should really be a "safe space" shielding students from the kind of "horrific facts" courts deal with regularly. 

  • September 19, 2024

    Feds, Wis. Military Affairs Office Ink Deal In Pay Bias Suit

    The Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs will pay $175,000 to end a U.S. Department of Justice suit alleging it offered a female job applicant a lower salary than what it paid a man for the same position, according to a filing Thursday in federal court. 

  • September 19, 2024

    Philly Legal Org Fights Attorney's Race Bias Claims

    The Defender Association of Philadelphia says a Black former public defender has no basis for racial bias allegations stemming from her allegedly discriminatory firing, arguing that her claims were investigated and rejected by the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.

  • September 19, 2024

    Airline Sinks Bias Suit From Worker Fired Over Drug Test

    A Pennsylvania federal judge tossed a race and disability bias suit from an American Airlines worker who said she was fired over a positive drug test triggered by her ADHD medication, ruling she hadn't presented evidence that bias drove the decision to let her go.

  • September 19, 2024

    Logistics Co. Can't Avoid Ex-Worker's Suit Over Racist Threat

    A logistics company must face a Black former employee's suit alleging it failed to prevent a white co-worker who displayed a Confederate flag on his phone from subjecting him to a racist threat, a Pennsylvania federal judge ruled, saying a jury should weigh whether the company should have stepped in.

  • September 19, 2024

    NY Knicks Owner Escapes Federal Sex Trafficking Claims

    A California federal judge has dismissed sexual assault and trafficking claims against New York Knicks owner James Dolan, casting a hired massage therapist's accusations against him as "speculative" but leaving the door open for further litigation in state court.

  • September 18, 2024

    Verizon Maryland, EEOC Resolve Hypertension Bias Suit

    Verizon's Maryland arm has agreed to pay $115,000 to end a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit alleging it refused to let an employee transfer to a job that wouldn't aggravate his hypertension, the agency told a federal court.

  • September 18, 2024

    Senate Panel Backs Bill Easing Pot Rules For Federal Hires

    A Democrat-backed bill that would curb federal agencies' ability to use past medical or recreational cannabis use as a factor in hiring and security clearance decisions was advanced out of a Senate committee Wednesday, paving the way for a vote before the whole chamber.

  • September 18, 2024

    EEOC Nabs $85K For Ex-Walmart Worker Who Needed Leave

    Walmart has agreed to pay a former sales associate $85,000 to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming the retail giant fired her when she requested medical leave to treat her Crohn's disease, according to a North Carolina federal court filing.

  • September 18, 2024

    Mass. Appeals Court Backs Pot Shop's Arbitration Agreement

    A Massachusetts medical marijuana dispensary can enforce an arbitration clause in its employment agreement even when it did not specify the rights a worker was waiving, an intermediate state appellate court has said.

  • September 18, 2024

    Ex-Employees Can Bring ADA Benefits Suits, High Court Told

    A retired Florida firefighter called on the U.S. Supreme Court to find that former employees can bring claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act pertaining to post-employment benefits, challenging an Eleventh Circuit ruling that determined only current employees can file these disability bias suits.

  • September 18, 2024

    UPenn Escapes Black Hospital Pharmacist's Race Bias Suit

    A federal judge threw out a suit from a Black pharmacist who said racial bias led to him being disciplined after he was falsely accused of falling asleep on the job at the University of Pennsylvania hospital, ruling there wasn't enough proof that prejudice was involved.

  • September 18, 2024

    Weinstein Pleads Not Guilty To New Sex Assault Charge

    Harvey Weinstein pled not guilty to a new sexual assault indictment in Manhattan state court on Wednesday as he faces a November retrial after his earlier New York rape conviction was vacated.

  • September 18, 2024

    Walmart Strikes Deal In EEOC Disability Bias Suit

    Walmart will pay $50,000 to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission disability bias suit claiming the retailer ran afoul of disability bias law by firing a worker who racked up absences because of epileptic seizures, according to a North Carolina federal court filing. 

  • September 18, 2024

    Penn State To Pay Over $703K To End DOL Pay Bias Probe

    Penn State University said Wednesday it will pay over $703,700 to resolve U.S. Department of Labor allegations that it paid dozens of women working in maintenance, research, teaching and administrative positions less than their male counterparts.

  • September 18, 2024

    FBI Agent's Firing Squares With First Amendment, Feds Say

    The U.S. Department of Justice asked a District of Columbia federal judge to reject First Amendment claims by Peter Strzok, the FBI agent who was fired in 2018 after his disparaging text messages about Donald Trump became public and caused a scandal for the agency.

  • September 18, 2024

    Chicago Slams Airline Group's Suit Against Sick Leave Law

    Chicago's recently enacted paid sick leave law doesn't clash with federal law because it doesn't affect airlines' prices or routes, the city said, urging an Illinois federal judge to toss a trade group's challenge to the ordinance.

  • September 18, 2024

    Walmart Settles EEOC Suit Over Epileptic Worker's Firing

    Walmart has agreed to pay $40,000 to end a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission disability bias suit claiming the store demoted and eventually fired a worker who was late to work and missed shifts because of epileptic seizures, according to a North Carolina federal court filing.

  • September 18, 2024

    Car Dealership Strikes Deal To End EEOC Disability Bias Suit

    A Maryland car dealership agreed to settle a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit alleging it demoted and ultimately fired an employee because she suffered a traumatic brain injury in a motorcycle crash, according to a federal court order.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Where Anti-Discrimination Law Stands 4 Years After Bostock

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    On the fourth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Bostock ruling, Evan Parness and Abby Rickeman at Covington take stock of how the decision, which held that Title VII protects employees from discrimination because of their sexual orientation and gender identity, has affected anti-discrimination law at the state and federal levels.

  • Politics In The Workplace: What Employers Need To Know

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    As the 2024 election approaches and protests continue across the country, employers should be aware of employees' rights — and limits on those rights — related to political speech and activities in the workplace, and be prepared to act proactively to prevent issues before they arise, say attorneys at Littler.

  • What High Court Ruling Means For Sexual Harassment Claims

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    In its recent Smith v. Spizzirri decision, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a district court compelling a case to arbitration is obligated to stay the case rather than dismissing it, but this requirement may result in sexual harassment cases not being heard by appellate courts, says Abe Melamed at Signature Resolution.

  • 5 Steps For Gov't Contractor Affirmative Action Verification

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    As the federal contractor affirmative action program certification deadline approaches, government contractors and subcontractors should take steps to determine their program obligations, and ensure any required plans are properly implemented and timely registered, say Christopher Wilkinson at Perkins Coie and Joanna Colosimo at DCI Consulting.

  • New OSHA Memo Helps Clarify Recordkeeping Compliance

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    Based on recent Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidance on whether musculoskeletal disorders are recordable injuries under the agency's recordkeeping regulation, it appears that OSHA may target active release techniques and stretching programs during its inspections, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Cos. Must Stay On Alert With Joint Employer Rule In Flux

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    While employers may breathe a sigh of relief at recent events blocking the National Labor Relations Board's proposed rule that would make it easier for two entities to be deemed joint employers, the rule is not yet dead, say attorneys at ​​​​​​​Day Pitney.

  • One Contract Fix Can Reduce Employer Lawsuit Exposure

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    A recent Fifth Circuit ruling that saved FedEx over $365 million highlights how a one-sentence limitation provision on an employment application or in an at-will employment agreement may be the easiest cost-savings measure for employers against legal claims, say Sara O'Keefe and William Wortel at BCLP.

  • The State Of Play In DEI And ESG 1 Year After Harvard Ruling

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    Almost a year after the U.S. Supreme Court decided Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, attorney general scrutiny of environmental, social and governance-related efforts indicates a potential path for corporate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives to be targeted, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.