Discrimination

  • October 15, 2024

    Chicago Workers Can't Pursue Vax Policy 'Fishing Expedition'

    An Illinois state appellate panel has backed a trial court's decision to toss a group of Chicago employees' lawsuit accusing the city of illegally adopting its COVID-19 vaccination policy, agreeing the workers have no legal basis for their claim.

  • October 15, 2024

    Popeyes Franchisee Settles EEOC Pregnancy Bias Probe

    A Popeyes franchisee in Florida reached a deal with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after the agency found reasonable cause to believe the restaurant fired a worker because it learned she was pregnant. 

  • October 15, 2024

    Law Firms Diverge As Anti-ESG Pushback Continues

    A continuing onslaught of legislation and litigation opposing corporate environmental, social and governance actions has created a fork in the road for law firms, with some choosing to scale back efforts and others pushing ahead with their internal ESG and diversity, equity and inclusion goals.

  • October 15, 2024

    The 2024 Law360 Pulse Social Impact Leaders

    Check out our Social Impact Leaders ranking, analysis and interactive graphics to see which firms stand out for their engagement with social responsibility and commitment to pro bono service.

  • October 15, 2024

    U. Of Kentucky Axes Religious Challenge To COVID Vax Policy

    The Sixth Circuit upheld the University of Kentucky's win in a department manager's suit claiming she was forced into retirement after opposing its COVID-19 vaccine and testing mandate because of her religious convictions, ruling her case lacked proof of her beliefs.

  • October 15, 2024

    Equinox Says Poor Performance, Not Bias, Got Worker Axed

    Fitness company Equinox urged a New York federal court to throw out a former high-level employee's suit alleging the company's "bro culture" placed her on the chopping block, saying she was part of its COVID-induced reduction-in-force because her performance was waning.

  • October 11, 2024

    Up Next At High Court: CBD Injuries & The Clean Water Act

    The U.S. Supreme Court will be closed Monday, but the justices will return to the bench Tuesday to hear arguments over whether the federal Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act allows litigants to pursue claims of economic harm tied to personal injuries, and how specific pollutant discharge limits have to be under the Clean Water Act.

  • October 11, 2024

    Judge OKs Deal In One Of EEOC's First PWFA Suits

    A Florida federal judge on Friday approved a nearly $100,000 consent decree between a Florida resort and a line cook fired when she requested time off after a stillbirth, in one of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's first batch of cases accusing employers of violating the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

  • October 11, 2024

    5 Questions About NY's Workplace Violence Prevention Law

    A recently adopted New York law will soon require retail employers to craft detailed plans to prevent violence on job sites, presenting a new compliance hurdle for businesses and joining a growing number of mandates from other states requiring employers to take steps to curtail workplace threats. Here are five questions attorneys have now that the new Empire State law is on the books.

  • October 11, 2024

    EEOC Tells Full 8th Circ. To Revive Diabetic Worker's ADA Suit

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission urged the full Eighth Circuit to uphold the revival of a lawsuit alleging a Hardee's franchisee fired a manager over her diabetes, arguing Friday that an employer's honest belief that a worker violated corporate policy doesn't automatically defeat disability bias claims.

  • October 11, 2024

    11th Circ. Backs MetLife's Win In Former Exec's Sex Bias Suit

    The Eleventh Circuit refused Friday to reopen a former MetLife executive's lawsuit claiming she was assigned administrative tasks because she's a woman and had certain responsibilities taken away after she complained, ruling the male colleagues she said were treated better weren't actually comparable.

  • October 11, 2024

    3rd Circ. Won't Deem Bus Driver's Migraines FMLA-Eligible

    A Pennsylvania public transit employee didn't have the requisite "serious health condition" to back his workplace retaliation claims under the federal Family Medical Leave Act, the Third Circuit ruled Friday, declining to reinstate a trial victory for the bus driver. 

  • October 11, 2024

    No Coverage For Wage Disclosure Suits, Insurer Says

    An insurer said it has no duty to defend or indemnify two restaurant franchise operators accused of violating Washington's Equal Pay and Opportunities Act, telling a federal court that the allegations do not trigger coverage under an employment practices liability insurance policy.

  • October 11, 2024

    Babson College, South Asian Professor Resolve Bias Suit

    A former Babson College professor of South Asian descent has resolved a suit alleging she was demeaned by a white male colleague and blocked by the school from advancing her career.

  • October 11, 2024

    Michigan Tech Wants New Trial In Prof's Pregnancy Bias Case

    Michigan Technological University has asked a judge to toss a jury verdict in favor of a former professor in a pregnancy discrimination case, saying evidence related to the professor's theory that the college was planning to deny her tenure should have been kept out of trial.

  • October 11, 2024

    Weinstein Charges Should Be Combined For Retrial, DA Says

    Prosecutors asked a New York state court judge to consolidate Harvey Weinstein's 2018 rape indictment with newly filed sexual assault charges ahead of his retrial, panning the former Hollywood producer's "creative" arguments for separate trials.

  • October 11, 2024

    Ind. City Screened Out Female, Black Cop Hopefuls, DOJ Says

    An Indiana city's police department used written and physical fitness tests that disadvantaged Black and female applicants, effectively screening them out for officer positions, the U.S. Department of Justice alleged Friday in a new federal lawsuit.

  • October 11, 2024

    NY Forecast: 2nd Circ. Hears Blue Man Group Union Dispute

    This week, the Second Circuit will consider the National Labor Relations Board's bid to enforce an order finding a school founded by members of the Blue Man Group refused to bargain with a United Auto Workers local after the union's 2021 election victory.

  • October 11, 2024

    Farm Labor Contractor Settles EEOC Pregnancy Bias Charge

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced it reached a deal with a farm labor contractor to resolve a worker's discrimination charge claiming the business pulled her off the job when she asked to attend pregnancy-related medical appointments.

  • October 11, 2024

    Calif. Forecast: $12M PNC Wage Deal Heads To Judge

    In the coming week, attorneys should keep an eye out for the potential final approval of a nearly $12 million deal to resolve a wage and hour class action against PNC Bank NA. Here's a look at that case and other labor and employment matters coming up in California.

  • October 10, 2024

    Ousted Chair's Claims To Go Before Arbitrator, Judge Says

    A New York federal judge ruled that an arbitrator must decide whether the ousted former chairperson of software investment company The Resource Group International Ltd., who was forced to resign in late 2021 following a widely reported sexual harassment scandal, can pursue some of his claims in arbitration.

  • October 10, 2024

    Ye Investigated Kardashians For Sex Trafficking, Suit Says

    A former worker for Ye's short-lived presidential campaign sued in California state court Thursday alleging the Grammy-winning rapper had him investigate the Kardashian family for alleged sex trafficking before their relationship soured and Ye threatened to kill him.

  • October 10, 2024

    Charter Communications Ends Fired Producer's Sex Bias Suit

    Charter Communications and a former employee told a New York federal court Thursday that they have agreed to dismiss the former NY1 senior producer's suit alleging she was fired for opposing a male colleague's sexual advances within a company culture that disparaged older female employees.

  • October 10, 2024

    8th Circ. Shuts Down Black VA Worker's Race Bias Suit

    A U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs social worker can't revive her suit claiming she was denied a promotion because she's Black, the Eighth Circuit ruled Thursday, saying she has not demonstrated that her race impacted the decision to select a different candidate.

  • October 10, 2024

    Justices May Widen ADA's Reach In Retirement Benefits Fight

    A pending U.S. Supreme Court case in which a former firefighter alleges a cut in her retirement benefits violated the Americans with Disabilities Act could eventually yield a ruling that brings more people under the ADA's protections, experts say.

Expert Analysis

  • Big Business May Come To Rue The Post-Administrative State

    Author Photo

    Many have framed the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decisions overturning Chevron deference and extending the window to challenge regulations as big wins for big business, but sand in the gears of agency rulemaking may be a double-edged sword, creating prolonged uncertainty that impedes businesses’ ability to plan for the future, says Todd Baker at Columbia University.

  • A Timeline Of Antisemitism Legislation And What It Means

    Author Photo

    What began as hearings in the House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce has expanded to a House-wide effort to combat antisemitism and related issues, with wide-ranging implications for education, finance and nonprofit entities, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Colo. Ruling Adopts 'Actual Discharge' Test For The First Time

    Author Photo

    After a Colorado court’s recent decision in Potts v. Gaia Children, adopting for the first time a test for evaluating an actual discharge claim, employers must diligently document the circumstances surrounding termination of employment, and exercise particular caution when texting employees, says Michael Laszlo at Clark Hill.

  • It's Time For Nationwide Race-Based Hair Protections

    Author Photo

    While 24 states have passed laws that prohibit race-based hair discrimination, this type of bias persists in workplaces and schools, so a robust federal law is necessary to ensure widespread protection, says Samone Ijoma and Erica Roberts at Sanford Heisler.

  • After Chevron: EEOC Status Quo Will Likely Continue

    Author Photo

    As the legal landscape adjusts to the end of Chevron deference, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s rulemaking authority isn’t likely to shift as much as some other employment-related agencies, says Paige Lyle at FordHarrison.

  • After Chevron: Various Paths For Labor And Employment Law

    Author Photo

    Labor and employment law leans heavily on federal agency guidance, so the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to toss out Chevron deference will ripple through this area, with future workplace policies possibly taking shape through strategic litigation, informal guidance, state-level regulation and more, says Alexander MacDonald at Littler.

  • FIFA Maternity Policy Shows Need For Federal Paid Leave

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.