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Discrimination

  • July 25, 2025

    Jury Awards $5M To Utility Inspector Fired Over Work Injuries

    A former field inspector for a Washington utility was awarded $5 million in emotional damages after a federal jury found his termination over his medical restrictions contravened state and federal prohibitions on disability discrimination.

  • July 25, 2025

    Los Angeles Seeks Early Win In Military Leave Bias Suit

    The city of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Police Department urged a California federal court Friday to grant them an early win in a proposed class action alleging the city didn't grant equal sick and vacation time to service members and wouldn't promote them because of their service obligations.

  • July 25, 2025

    Worker's Deposition Sinks Religious, Race Bias Suit Over Vax

    A North Carolina federal court tossed a Black worker's religious and race bias suit claiming she was fired by a hygiene products company for opposing its COVID-19 vaccine, ruling her suit fell apart when she admitted in a deposition that refusing the vaccine was a personal choice.

  • July 25, 2025

    Nordstrom Tobacco Health Fee Violates ERISA, Ex-Staff Say

    Three ex-workers for Nordstrom Inc. hit the retailer with a proposed class action in Washington federal court, alleging a $40-a-month surcharge on the health plans of tobacco-using employees was discriminatory in violation of federal benefits law.

  • July 25, 2025

    Calif. Forecast: Meta Challenges Hiring Bias Class Claims

    In the coming week, attorneys should keep an eye out for arguments on Facebook owner Meta's challenge to the scope of proposed classes in a citizenship discrimination suit. Here's a look at that case and other labor and employment matters coming up in California.

  • July 25, 2025

    1st Circ. Backs Ex-Pharma Director's $24M Disability Bias Win

    The First Circuit declined to scrap a $24 million verdict for a former lab director of a Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. subsidiary who claimed she was fired for seeking alternative public speaking arrangements due to her anxiety, ruling the evidence presented supported the jury's verdict.

  • July 25, 2025

    Employment Lawyers' Weekly DEI Cheat Sheet

    President Donald Trump called for restricting diversity, equity and inclusion concepts in the government's artificial intelligence tools, a prominent anti-DEI group said Cracker Barrel gives short shrift to white employees, and Skydance Media's commitment to cut DEI programs at Paramount helped clinch government approval for the two companies' $8 billion merger. Here, Law360 looks at notable DEI-related legal developments from the past week.

  • July 24, 2025

    FCC Signs Off On Skydance's $8B Acquisition Of Paramount

    The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday gave the green light to Skydance Media's controversial $8 billion acquisition of Paramount Global and its subsidiaries, including CBS' parent company, setting aside concerns that the deal will hurt competition.

  • July 24, 2025

    Law Firm Tells 2nd Circ. To Send Atty's Bias Suit To Arbitration

    Thompson Hine LLP urged the Second Circuit to require an ex-partner to arbitrate her claims that she faced a "toxic boys club" at the firm and was fired for complaining about it, arguing that a law barring mandatory arbitration for sexual harassment claims doesn't cover her case.

  • July 24, 2025

    Boeing Hit With Disability Bias Suit Over Bonus Exclusion

    Boeing employees on long-term disability leave missed out on a $12,000 bonus distributed after workers ratified a union contract in September, a new proposed class action alleges, claiming that limits on who qualified for the bonus violated Washington state discrimination law.

  • July 24, 2025

    Celebrity Cruises Can't Arbitrate Sexual Assault Case

    A former Celebrity Cruises Inc. employee will not have to argue her sexual assault case in an arbitration proceeding because a federal act requires such claims to be brought before a court, a Florida federal judge has ruled.

  • July 24, 2025

    Raytheon Must Face Ex-Worker's Trimmed Severance Fight

    A Massachusetts federal judge agreed to trim claims against Raytheon in a former employee's dispute over severance benefits, concluding claims of benefits retaliation failed to state a claim but that wrongful denial of benefits and fiduciary breach claims could proceed to discovery.

  • July 24, 2025

    Networking Co. Ends Fired President's HR Retaliation Suit

    Business Network International and its former U.S. president have agreed to end the ex-leader's suit claiming he was fired for complaining that a male executive made crude comments toward female colleagues, according to a North Carolina federal court filing.

  • July 24, 2025

    Jay-Z Defends Extortion Claims Against Buzbee, Other Attys

    Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter is urging an Alabama federal court to send toward trial his extortion lawsuit against attorney Tony Buzbee and his firm, a New York City lawyer and her firm, and a client of theirs who accused him of rape and then dropped her case.

  • July 24, 2025

    NC Fire Chief Never Finalized Race Bias Deal, Judge Rules

    A fire chief's race bias suit against the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, will go to trial more than three years after he believed the case to have settled, after a federal judge found the deal was never finalized and thus could not be enforced.

  • July 24, 2025

    Talent Exec Says Firm Took OnlyFans Clients, Ousted Her

    A Massachusetts talent management agency is facing a lawsuit in state court alleging it convinced a smaller competitor to bring her clients, including multiple OnlyFans performers, to the firm, then sidelined her and later broke an agreement to continue paying her commissions after she quit in frustration over her treatment.

  • July 24, 2025

    DOL Relaunches Employer Self-Audit FLSA Program

    The U.S. Department of Labor relaunched an employer self-audit program Thursday that supports employers that seek to resolve potential wage violations and avoid litigation — an initiative from the first Trump administration that was popular among employers.

  • July 24, 2025

    Paralegal Sues Firm, Alleging Harassment By Leader's Spouse

    A former senior paralegal for Connecticut-based Vargas Chapman Woods LLC claims in a recently filed federal lawsuit that the firm leadership retaliated against her and created a hostile workplace when she alleged sexual and racial harassment by the managing partner's spouse.

  • July 24, 2025

    5th Circ. Tells School District To Rehire Fired Worker

    The Fifth Circuit said an ex-maintenance worker who won his wrongful termination suit against a school district should be reinstated, faulting the lower court for finding that he couldn't be given a job because his previous position had been filled.

  • July 24, 2025

    EEOC Acting Chair Introduces New Leadership Team

    The acting chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Thursday that she had made three appointments to leadership roles at the agency.

  • July 24, 2025

    Trump's EEOC Nominee Teed Up For Full Senate Vote

    A Senate committee voted along party lines Thursday to advance the nomination of President Donald Trump's pick to join the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, bringing the agency closer to regaining its full decision-making capacity after months of limited operations.

  • July 24, 2025

    Seyfarth Shaw Employment Atty Jumps To Akerman In LA

    Akerman LLP is boosting its employment team, bringing in a Seyfarth Shaw LLP class action litigator as a partner in its Los Angeles office.

  • July 23, 2025

    Columbia Says It'll Pay $200M To Put To Rest Beef With Trump

    Columbia University said Wednesday that it has agreed to pay a $200 million settlement to the federal government to resolve the Trump administration's allegations the institution didn't do enough to protect Jewish students, a move Columbia said means the "vast majority" of federal funding will be restored.

  • July 23, 2025

    4th Circ. OKs Firing Of Worker After Pregnancy Complications

    The Fourth Circuit upheld a win for media giant Nexstar in a former account executive's pregnancy disability discrimination suit, finding the accommodations she'd proposed for her postpartum health issues were not reasonable for the company.

  • July 23, 2025

    As Dust Settles After Muldrow Ruling, Patterns Emerge

    A little more than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court eased the requirements for bringing workplace bias claims in Muldrow v. St. Louis, it's clear that the ruling is helping more workers keep discrimination cases alive. Here's a look at how courts have been applying the plaintiff-friendly decision.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • What Employers Can Learn From 'Your Friends & Neighbors'

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    The new drama series "Your Friends and Neighbors," follows a hedge fund firm manager who is terminated after an alleged affair with an employee in another department, and his employment struggles can teach us a few lessons about workplace policies, for cause termination and nonsolicitation clauses, says Anita Levian at Levian Law.