Ƶ

Discrimination

  • September 12, 2025

    Va. City Attorney Tells 4th Circ. He's Immune From FMLA Suit

    A Virginia federal judge erred by allowing a Family and Medical Leave Act suit against a municipal attorney to head to trial, the attorney said Friday, asking the Fourth Circuit to hold that he is immune from suit.

  • September 12, 2025

    Calif. Forecast: Google Wants Worker-Protesters' Suit Tossed

    In the coming week, attorneys should watch for a dismissal bid hearing in a proposed discrimination class action against Google by a group of former employees who staged protests. Here's a look at that case and other labor and employment matters on deck in California.

  • September 12, 2025

    Black Worker Says Trailer Co. Fired Him For Reporting Bias

    A Black salesperson was fired by a trailer company for complaining that a white supervisor excluded him from team meetings, blamed him for colleagues' mistakes and threatened to shoot a Black co-worker for working too slowly, according to a suit filed in Georgia federal court.

  • September 12, 2025

    Lack Of EEOC Quorum Can't Fell Bias Suit, Agency Says

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission doesn't need a quorum to sue a tire manufacturer alleging it fired workers out of disability bias because they took prescribed narcotics, the agency told a Tennessee federal court, urging rejection of the business' motion to dismiss.

  • September 11, 2025

    Industrial Tech Co. Sanctioned For Deleted Texts In Title VII Suit

    A New York federal judge has sanctioned ultrasonic testing company Sonotec after two of its staff members were found to have deleted text messages about a former employee who is pursuing sexual harassment retaliation claims against the company, finding they should have known litigation was imminent at the time they erased the correspondence.

  • September 11, 2025

    6th Circ. Backs Hospital In Nurse's Suit Over Vaccine Mandate

    The Sixth Circuit upheld an Ohio medical center's win in a suit claiming it unlawfully placed a Christian nurse on unpaid leave because of religious objections to COVID-19 vaccines and testing methods, ruling Thursday that excusing her from the infection prevention methods would have been too burdensome.

  • September 11, 2025

    UPS Avoids Fired Worker's Age, Gender Bias Suit

    A North Carolina federal judge tossed an ex-UPS worker's suit claiming the delivery company fired him out of age and gender bias and because his retirement benefits were about to vest, ruling he failed to discredit his ex-employer's position that he was terminated for sexually harassing a trainee.

  • September 11, 2025

    Vax Battle Offers Justices Vehicle To Widen Religious Rights

    The U.S. Supreme Court will consider taking up a case brought by a group of religious healthcare workers challenging a New York state vaccination requirement, setting up an opportunity for the high court to broaden workers' ability to secure faith-related job accommodations.

  • September 11, 2025

    AI Co. Employee Says Complaining Of Sex Bias Got Her Fired

    An artificial intelligence software developer fired a data scientist after she complained that colleagues had minimized her contributions, held her to different standards than male co-workers and subjected her to unwanted sexual advances, according to a lawsuit filed in New York federal court.

  • September 11, 2025

    Theater Forced Out Worker With Cerebral Palsy, EEOC Says

    A manager of an AMC Theatres location in Maryland unlawfully rescinded accommodations given to an employee with cerebral palsy, berated him and drastically cut his hours until he was forced out, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleged Thursday in federal court.

  • September 11, 2025

    Luxury Gym Cos. Settle Trainer's Wage, Harassment Claims

    A former trainer asked a New York federal court Thursday to sign off on a settlement to resolve wage and hour and sexual harassment claims against the operators of luxury fitness centers.

  • September 11, 2025

    4th Circ. Seems Wary Of Backing Freeze On Trump DEI Orders

    A Fourth Circuit panel appeared reluctant Thursday to uphold an injunction blocking parts of President Donald Trump's executive orders that aimed to cut grants and rein in diversity programs among federal contractors, posing tough questions to the groups who claim the orders are unconstitutional.

  • September 11, 2025

    Electronics Co., EEOC Resolve Disability Bias Suit

    An electronics manufacturer has agreed to pay $78,000 to end a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit alleging it refused to accommodate an engineering analyst who asked to work from home after the pandemic when her osteoarthritis worsened, according to an Alabama federal court filing.

  • September 10, 2025

    En Banc 11th Circ. Ruling Hints At Broad Reach For Skrmetti

    The Eleventh Circuit invoking a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that backed a Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for minors to rule against a transgender Georgia sheriff's deputy who challenged her health plan's coverage exclusions invites lower courts to import the justices' rationale into workplace discrimination cases, experts say.  

  • September 10, 2025

    6th Circ. Splits In Racial Bias Suit Over Hearsay Evidence

    A divided Sixth Circuit panel upheld an elevator manufacturer's defeat of a former employee's retaliation suit Wednesday, saying a human resources representative's secondhand statement about the reason for the employee's termination was correctly kept out of the case.

  • September 10, 2025

    State AGs Back Trans Worker In Liberty U.'s 4th Circ. Appeal

    A group of 19 states and Washington, D.C., urged the Fourth Circuit to back a trial court's decision to keep a former Liberty University employee's transgender bias case in court, arguing the religious university's interpretation of the First Amendment would decimate anti-discrimination efforts.

  • September 10, 2025

    Emirates Wants To Land Laid-Off Workers' Class Cert. Bid

    A group of former Emirates employees should not receive class certification in their suit claiming the airline discriminated against American employees during its 2020 layoffs that they said were made without proper notice, the airline told a New York federal court.

  • September 10, 2025

    Nursing Home Illegally Fired Pregnant Worker, EEOC Says

    A nursing facility and its operator violated the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act when they effectively fired an employee who requested light duty to accommodate her pregnancy, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claimed in a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Maryland federal court.

  • September 10, 2025

    2nd Circ. Won't Revive Healthcare Workers' Vax Bias Suit

    The Second Circuit backed Northwell Health's win over a lawsuit claiming it unlawfully terminated 30 employees who requested religious exemptions from the healthcare system's COVID-19 vaccination policy, ruling Wednesday that granting those requests would have conflicted with New York state law.

  • September 10, 2025

    4th Circ. Backs Dismissal Of Black VCU Prof's Retaliation Suit

    A split Fourth Circuit panel refused Wednesday to revive a Black professor's suit claiming Virginia Commonwealth University pulled her off a supplemental director role because she made race bias complaints, despite a dissent from one judge who said the suit should go to a jury.

  • September 10, 2025

    VA, Ex-Worker End Bias Suit Over FMLA Issues

    A Black former employee of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has agreed to end her suit alleging she was charged with not reporting to work despite having approved intermittent medical leave and was discriminated against because of her race and sex, a Missouri federal court said Wednesday.

  • September 10, 2025

    Terminal Co. Inks $20K Deal In EEOC Disability Bias Suit

    A marine terminal operator has agreed to pay $20,000 to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming it refused to return a truck driver with a heart condition to his job after he received medical clearance, the EEOC said Wednesday.

  • September 09, 2025

    7th Circ. Doubts Proof In Chicago Cop's COVID-19 Death Case

    A Seventh Circuit panel seemed unconvinced Tuesday that a Chicago police officer's widow has enough evidence to go to trial on claims that he contracted COVID-19 and died days later because his superiors never responded to his work accommodation request.

  • September 09, 2025

    5th Circ. Backs Texas University In Medical Leave Suit

    The Fifth Circuit upheld Texas Christian University's win over a former employee's lawsuit claiming she was fired for taking medical leave, saying she failed to show she was eligible for federally protected time off to take care of her mental health.

  • September 09, 2025

    10th Circ. Seems Unsure About Reviving Rehab Worker's Suit

    An occupational therapist tried to persuade a Tenth Circuit panel Tuesday to revive her suit alleging she was illegally punished after complaining about sexual harassment, with several judges questioning whether the circumstances surrounding her resignation amount to the sort of negative employment decision needed to keep her case alive.

Expert Analysis

  • 6 Ways The Dole Act Alters USERRA Employment Protections

    Author Photo

    The recently passed Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act continues a long-standing trend of periodically increasing the scope of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, expanding civilian employment rights for service members and veterans with some of the most significant changes yet, say attorneys at Littler.

  • TikTok Bias Suit Ruling Reflects New Landscape Under EFAA

    Author Photo

    In Puris v. Tiktok, a New York federal court found an arbitration agreement unenforceable in a former executive's bias suit, underscoring an evolving trend of broad, but inconsistent, interpretation of the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, say attorneys at Williams & Connolly.

  • Water Cooler Talk: Takeaways From 'It Ends With Us' Suits

    Author Photo

    Troutman’s Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter discuss how the lawsuits filed by “It Ends With Us” stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni hold major lessons about workplace harassment, retaliation and employee digital media use.

  • Running A Compliant DEI Program After EEOC, DOJ Guidance

    Author Photo

    Following recent guidance from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice that operationalized the Trump administration's focus on ending so-called illegal DEI, employers don't need to eliminate DEI programs, but they must ensure that protected characteristics are not considered in employment decisions, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

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

    Author Photo

    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
    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.