Discrimination

  • April 10, 2025

    Thompson Hine Appeals Arbitration Denial In Harassment Suit

    Thompson Hine LLP notified a New York federal court Wednesday of its plans to appeal last week's ruling that a former income partner who accused the firm of allowing a "toxic boys club" to flourish in its Manhattan office can still pursue her harassment suit outside arbitration.

  • April 10, 2025

    6th Circ. Backs Ford In Race, Sexual Harassment Suit

    The Sixth Circuit declined to scrap a jury win for Ford Motor Co. in a Black ex-employee's suit claiming she was sexually assaulted and racially harassed on the job, ruling the verdict lined up with a lack of evidence that Ford could have stopped the alleged mistreatment sooner.

  • April 09, 2025

    Split 11th Circ. Denies Rehearing In Ga. Tech Title IX Case

    A sharply divided Eleventh Circuit refused Tuesday to grant a full-court rehearing of a panel decision ending a sex discrimination suit from Georgia Tech's longtime women's basketball coach, prompting a rebuke from the court's Democratic-appointed judges who said the court has "just failed to learn the lesson" that educators deserve a right of action under Title IX.

  • April 09, 2025

    Hollywood Filmmaker Owes $1.7B For Sex Assault, Jury Says

    A New York state jury held Wednesday that Oscar-nominated screenwriter and director James Toback must pay $1.68 billion to 40 women he sexually assaulted over the course of four decades, according to an announcement from the victims' lawyers.

  • April 09, 2025

    Wigdor Can Drop Client But Must Face Black's Sanctions Bid

    A Manhattan federal judge on Wednesday allowed Wigdor LLP to withdraw as counsel for a Jane Doe plaintiff in a sexual assault lawsuit against ex-Apollo Global Management CEO Leon Black, but said the firm would remain in the case to face a sanctions motion by the billionaire.

  • April 09, 2025

    8th Circ. Says Minn. Bias Law Doesn't Cover Remote Worker

    The Eighth Circuit said Wednesday that a remote former worker for Medtronic USA can't use Minnesota law to sue the medical device maker for disability discrimination, ruling the law's language makes clear that it does not apply to nonresidents.

  • April 09, 2025

    AstraZeneca Agrees To End Ex-Worker's COVID Vax Bias Suit

    AstraZeneca resolved a former sales employee's lawsuit claiming it unlawfully refused to let him skip its COVID-19 vaccine requirement because of his Christian beliefs, the pharmaceutical company and the worker told an Ohio federal court.

  • April 09, 2025

    Tire Co. In Talks With EEOC To Resolve Harassment Case

    The owner of a Massachusetts scrap tire facility and the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission are in the process of drafting an agreement to resolve allegations that Hispanic workers faced harassment and threats on the job, then were fired in retaliation for striking, according to a Wednesday filing.

  • April 09, 2025

    LA DA Demoted Prosecutors Over Menendez Work, Suits Say

    The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has been sued by two former top prosecutors who say they were demoted in retaliation for advocating to have Erik and Lyle Menendez released from prison after serving more than 35 years for murder.

  • April 09, 2025

    Fertility Care Concerns Linger As PWFA Regs Face Revision

    Efforts to pare down the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's regulations requiring workplace accommodations for pregnancy-related conditions have centered largely on abortion, but experts warn that access to fertility treatment — which workers seek more frequently — may also become harder to get.

  • April 09, 2025

    Trial Court Too Tough On Laundromat Bias Suit, 2nd Circ. Says

    The Second Circuit reinstated a Black laundromat worker's suit claiming she was fired for complaining that her supervisor made racist comments and for requesting working adjustments due to a broken thumb, ruling Wednesday a lower court improperly tanked the case based on her "self-serving" testimony.

  • April 09, 2025

    Ga. Beverage Co. Worker Says Pregnancy Got Her Fired

    A former operations manager for a Georgia commercial beverage service company sued the company for pregnancy discrimination Tuesday, making good on an alleged invitation by her boss to "file a claim" if she had a problem with her abrupt firing last year.

  • April 09, 2025

    Florida Won't Hire Law Firms With DEI Initiatives, AG Says

    The state of Florida will no longer hire law firms with diversity, equity and inclusion programs to serve as outside general counsel, according to a new memo from Attorney General James Uthmeier.

  • April 09, 2025

    Female Teachers Must Identify Specific Men In Pay Bias Case

    A Pennsylvania federal judge on Wednesday refused to grant a posttrial win to two female teachers who accused a school district of paying women less than men and told the women to identify more specific male counterparts for the forthcoming second trial.

  • April 09, 2025

    5th Circ. Backs LSU's Win In Fired Director's Retaliation Suit

    The Fifth Circuit said an ex-football director for Louisiana State University isn't owed a new trial in her suit claiming she was fired for complaining that an assistant coach exposed himself to her, saying she couldn't overcome the university's position that a new head coach just wanted to clean house.

  • April 09, 2025

    Dinsmore Labor Duo Moves On To Greenspoon Marder

    Greenspoon Marder LLP has hired a labor and employment duo from Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, which they had joined in December after leaving a firm that one of them helped launch in 2022, the firm has announced.

  • April 09, 2025

    Data Analytics Co. Settles Ex-Worker's Trans Bias Suit

    A firm that analyzes mergers and acquisitions data agreed to resolve a former content editor's lawsuit claiming she was fired for being a transgender woman in her 70s with mobility issues, according to California federal court filings.

  • April 09, 2025

    Ex-EEOC Member Sues Trump Alleging Illegal Firing

    Former EEOC Commissioner Jocelyn Samuels sued President Donald Trump's administration in D.C. federal court Wednesday, saying that her January firing was unlawful and that she is seeking reinstatement. 

  • April 08, 2025

    Jenner & Block, WilmerHale Seek Shutdown Of Trump Orders

    Jenner & Block LLP and WilmerHale on Tuesday asked Washington, D.C., federal judges for permanent court orders blocking President Donald Trump's executive orders targeting the firms, saying the directives threaten the firms, their clients and the entire legal system.

  • April 08, 2025

    Jay-Z 'Trying To Punish' Buzbee For Advocacy, Judge Told

    Counsel for personal injury lawyer Tony Buzbee urged a California state judge on Tuesday to shut down Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter's extortion and defamation suit over now-dismissed rape claims, saying the rapper is "a well-funded, powerful figure who's trying to punish lawyers who do what lawyers do."

  • April 08, 2025

    Calif. Panel Wipes Professor's $10M Sex Harassment Verdict

    A California state appeals court on Monday reversed a former professor's $10 million sexual harassment jury verdict due to improper evidence let in by a judge who later made "extreme and bizarre" comments relating to race and was disqualified from the case.

  • April 08, 2025

    Whistleblower Suit Must Be Tossed Or Transferred, Pot Co. Says

    Jushi Holdings Inc., a retail cannabis company, is urging an Illinois federal court to dismiss or transfer to Florida a former executive's suit alleging that he was fired for attempting to bring facilities into compliance with safety standards.

  • April 08, 2025

    Starbucks Tears Into Missouri AG's 'Defective' DEI Lawsuit

    Starbucks urged a Missouri federal judge to toss a suit from the state's attorney general claiming the company employs diversity quotas that discriminate against white and male applicants, arguing the state hasn't presented any evidence that its diversity, equity and inclusion policies have negatively affected Missourians.

  • April 08, 2025

    2nd Circ. Says Ex-NYPD Officer Can't Revive Retaliation Case

    The Second Circuit refused Tuesday to reopen a former New York City police sergeant's lawsuit claiming he was disciplined and denied opportunities because he reported that a Black officer was treated harshly, saying he couldn't overcome the city's explanation that he was penalized for violating department rules.

  • April 08, 2025

    2nd Circ. Sinks Marital Bias Suit From Wendy Williams' Ex

    The Second Circuit reversed a win Tuesday for the ex-husband of television personality Wendy Williams in his suit claiming he lost his producer gig after Williams asked him for a divorce, issuing a ruling that clarified the scope of New York City's marital bias law.

Expert Analysis

  • 9 Considerations For Orgs Using AI Meeting Assistants

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    When deciding to use artificial intelligence meeting assistants, organizations must create and implement a written corporate policy that establishes the do's and don'ts for these assistants, taking into account individualized business operations, industry standards and legal and regulatory requirements, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • What's At Stake In High Court Transgender Care Suit

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    The outcome of U.S. v. Skrmetti will have critical implications for the rights of transgender youth and their access to gender-affirming care, and will likely affect other areas of law and policy involving transgender individuals, including education, employment, healthcare and civil rights, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • Determining What 'I Don't Feel Safe' Means In The Workplace

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    When an employee tells an employer "I don't feel safe," the phrase can have different meanings, so employment lawyers must adequately investigate to identify which meaning applies — and a cursory review and dismissal of the situation may not be a sufficient defense in case of future legal proceedings, says Karen Elliott at FordHarrison.

  • How EEOC Enforcement Priorities May Change Under Trump

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    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has already been rocked by the Trump administration's dramatic changes in personnel and policy, which calls into question how the agency may shift its direction from the priorities set forth in its five-year strategic enforcement plan in 2023, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • Handbook Hot Topics: Back To Basics After Admin Change

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    Having an up-to-date employee handbook is more critical now than ever, given the recent change in administration, and employers should understand their benefits and risks, including how they can limit employers’ liability and help retain employers’ rights, say Kasey Cappellano and Meaghan Gandy at Kutak Rock.

  • What Axed Title IX Gender Identity Rule Means For Higher Ed

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    Following a Kentucky federal court's recent decision in State of Tennessee v. Cardona to strike down a Biden-era rule that expanded the definition of Title IX to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity, institutions of higher education should prepare to reimplement policies that comply with the reinstated 2020 rule, say attorneys at Venable.

  • A Path Forward For Cos. Amid Trump's Anti-DEIA Efforts

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    Given the Trump administration’s recent efforts targeting corporate diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility programs — including threatening possible criminal prosecution — companies should carefully tailor their DEIA initiatives to comply with both the letter and the spirit of antidiscrimination law, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • Workforce Data Collection Considerations After DEI Order

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    Following President Donald Trump's executive order targeting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, employers should balance the benefits of collecting demographic data with the risk of violating the order’s prohibition on "illegal DEI," say Lynn Clements at Berkshire Associates, David Cohen at DCI Consulting and Victoria Lipnic at Resolution Economics.

  • How DOGE's Severance Plan May Affect Federal Employees

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    President Donald Trump's administration, working through the Department of Government Efficiency, recently offered a severance package to nearly all of the roughly 2 million federal employees, but unanswered questions about the offer, coupled with several added protections for government workers, led to fewer accepted offers than expected, says Aaron Peskin at Kang Haggerty.

  • Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises

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    “No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.

  • 10 Issues To Watch In Aerospace And Defense Contracting

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    This year, in addition to evergreen developments driven by national security priorities, disruptive new technologies and competition with rival powers, federal contractors will see significant disruptions driven by the new administration’s efforts to reduce government spending, regulation and the size of the federal workforce, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • Undoing An American Ideal Of Fairness

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    President Donald Trump’s orders attacking birthright citizenship, civil rights education, and diversity, equity and inclusion programs threaten hard-won constitutional civil rights protections and decades of efforts to undo bias in the law — undermining what Chief Justice Earl Warren called "our American ideal of fairness," says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Employer Tips For Wise Use Of Workers' Biometrics And Tech

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    Employers that collect employee biometric data and operate bring-your-own-device policies, which respectively offer better corporate security and more flexibility for workers, should prioritize certain best practices to protect the privacy and rights of employees and safeguard sensitive internal information, says Douglas Yang at Sheppard Mullin.