Discrimination

  • November 20, 2024

    Delta Fired Worker For Reporting Race Bias, Suit Says

    Delta Air Lines Inc. was sued Tuesday in Georgia federal court by a former Black employee who said he was given a verbal warning and then fired for reporting racial discrimination he and other Black workers faced in the workplace.

  • November 20, 2024

    Amazon Settles Military Leave Bias Suit Ahead Of Trial

    Amazon has settled an employee's suit claiming the online retail giant blocked him from promotions because he took leave to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, prompting a Washington federal judge on Wednesday to halt a trial that was set to begin in the case next month.

  • November 20, 2024

    Wynn Seeks Slashed Verdict, Sanctions In Server's FMLA Suit

    Wynn Las Vegas urged a Nevada federal court to cut a server's $321,000 jury award and sanction her counsel in a suit alleging the casino interfered with her Family and Medical Leave Act rights, saying the award clashes with trial evidence and her counsel improperly made an eleventh-hour damages argument.

  • November 20, 2024

    US Chamber Backs Fla. City In ADA Retirement Benefits Suit

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce urged the U.S. Supreme Court to back the Eleventh Circuit's determination that federal disability law doesn't protect former employees from post-employment bias, arguing a former Florida firefighter is trying to stretch the statute beyond what Congress intended.

  • November 20, 2024

    University Can't Escape Fired Black Worker's Retaliation Suit

    Fayetteville State University must face a Black worker's suit alleging she was fired after complaining that her white supervisor held animus toward Black employees, a North Carolina federal judge said, ruling that she put forward enough proof to show her complaints may have caused her dismissal.

  • November 19, 2024

    Personal Injury Atty Buzbee Accused Of Assault, Malpractice

    Tony Buzbee, a high-profile Texas personal injury lawyer known for representing women who have accused Sean "Diddy" Combs and Deshaun Watson of sexual abuse, was hit with a legal malpractice suit in New York state court Tuesday alleging that he assaulted a client seeking a divorce and deprived her of millions of dollars in settlement funds. 

  • November 19, 2024

    Ex-Fed Staffer Says Vax Bias, DEI Initiatives Got Him Sacked

    A former employee of the Federal Reserve Board sued the central bank's leadership alleging he faced discrimination as a straight, white man and "utter disdain" from his managers, and that he was ultimately fired days before his planned retirement after refusing coronavirus vaccination on religious grounds.

  • November 19, 2024

    EEOC Says SkyWest Left Harassment Questions 'Unasked'

    The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission told jurors Tuesday to "look at the questions" SkyWest Airlines didn't ask when an employee told the company she was experiencing persistent sexual harassment and that the company should've responded sooner.

  • November 19, 2024

    CSX Can't Escape FMLA Suit Over Attendance Policies

    CSX Transportation can't beat a proposed class action alleging certain attendance and pay policies unlawfully penalize engineers, conductors and switchmen who take medical leave, an Ohio federal judge ruled, saying a jury should sort out how comparable other types of absences are.

  • November 19, 2024

    Mercedes-Benz Escapes Muslim Ex-Worker's Prayer Bias Suit

    An Alabama federal judge tossed a Muslim worker's suit claiming Mercedes-Benz blocked him from praying outside his scheduled break times and thus prompted him to resign, finding Tuesday his case fell flat because he never faced any negative consequences after asking for a religious accommodation.

  • November 19, 2024

    Black Ex-VP Says UPS Gave Her Job To Less-Qualified Worker

    United Parcel Service had a Black vice president show a less-qualified white co-worker the ropes, then handed the vice president role to the white worker and told the more seasoned employee she was no longer needed, according to a new lawsuit filed in Georgia federal court.

  • November 19, 2024

    10th Circ. Says 'Troubling' Incidents Not Enough In Bias Case

    The Tenth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a Nigerian pharmacist's suit claiming she was harassed and fired from a Kansas state hospital over her race and national origin, ruling Tuesday that the unpleasant workplace interactions she cited, though "troubling," weren't bad enough to sustain her case.

  • November 19, 2024

    Raytheon Must Face Former Engineer's Age Bias Suit

    Defense contractor Raytheon can't escape a former engineer's age discrimination suit claiming he was unjustly fired after he tapped a male colleague on the backside with a cafeteria tray, with a Texas federal judge saying Tuesday he wasn't convinced factual disputes in the case had been resolved.

  • November 19, 2024

    FDNY Says Poor Interviews, Not Bias, Thwarted EMS Workers

    Two union-represented emergency medical service workers with the New York City Fire Department missed their shot at promotions because they performed poorly during their interviews, not because the department discriminates against women, people of color and people with disabilities, the FDNY told a New York federal judge Tuesday.

  • November 19, 2024

    ​​​​​​​10th Circ. Judge Hints Forced Counseling Can Buoy ADA Suit

    A Tenth Circuit judge seemed incredulous Tuesday at a healthcare provider's argument that making an employee undergo company-sponsored mental health counseling to keep their job doesn't qualify as the kind of workplace action that can sustain an Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuit. 

  • November 19, 2024

    6th Circ. Backs St. Jude's Win In Religious Vaccine Bias Suit

    The Sixth Circuit refused to reopen a former St. Jude Children's Research Hospital employee's lawsuit claiming she was unlawfully fired for requesting a religious exception from the medical center's COVID-19 vaccine mandate, finding it would have been too difficult for the hospital to accommodate her request.

  • November 19, 2024

    GMU Asks Court To Toss Ex-Prof's Suit Over Title IX Probe

    George Mason University asked a court to throw out the remainder of former professor Joshua Wright's lawsuit over its investigation of a Title IX retaliation claim against him related to allegations of sexual misconduct, saying Monday that the school had already dismissed the claim by the time he filed his amended complaint.

  • November 19, 2024

    Meat Buyer For BJ's Wholesale Says Co. Pushed Him Out

    A former BJ's Wholesale Club Inc. meat buyer who oversaw more than $12 billion in annual sales of beef and lamb for the Massachusetts-based company says he was fired after the retailer refused to accommodate his need to care for his ailing wife, according to a complaint filed on Monday in state court.

  • November 19, 2024

    Detroit Casino Must Face Narrowed COVID Vax Bias Suit

    A Michigan federal judge refused to toss a religious bias suit from a worker who said the MGM Grand Detroit fired him for refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccination, ruling a jury should decide whether the casino could have accommodated his beliefs by letting him skip the jab.

  • November 19, 2024

    FDIC's Gruenberg To Exit On Eve Of Trump's Inauguration

    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s embattled chairman, Martin Gruenberg, said Tuesday that he will step down and retire from the agency before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, clearing the way for a new, likely Republican leader at the deposit insurer.

  • November 19, 2024

    Law Firm Wants Out Of Ex-Paralegal's OT, Disability Suit

    An Allentown, Pennsylvania, law firm is asking a federal judge to dismiss a former paralegal's claim that the firm fired her due to her panic disorder, arguing that among other things, the paralegal failed to prove she has a legitimate disability recognized by law.

  • November 18, 2024

    Pol Says Ex-Staffer 'Indicated' Link To Chandra Levy's Killing

    A California state senator accused by her former chief of staff of sexual harassment fired back with a countersuit alleging he stole $50,000 from her campaign, abused drugs and "indicated" to her that he is responsible for the notorious unsolved homicide of Chandra Levy.

  • November 18, 2024

    Worker Urges High Court To Fix Rift In Axed Age Bias Suit

    A former Halliburton employee asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to overturn a Tenth Circuit order shuttering his age bias suit after finding he couldn't challenge an arbitration award because the case was voluntarily dismissed, arguing the ruling creates a "twilight zone" in the law.

  • November 18, 2024

    BCBS Wants New Trial After Worker's $12M Vax Suit Win

    Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has urged a federal judge to expunge a $12.69 million jury award won by a former employee who claimed she was unlawfully fired because her religious beliefs forbade her from getting a COVID-19 vaccination, saying her evidence of discrimination wasn't up to snuff.

  • November 18, 2024

    General Mills Plant 'Haunted' By Racist Past, Workers Say

    A group of Georgia General Mills plant workers who said their workplace was run by a clique of neo-Confederate racists fought back Monday against the company's bid to toss the suit, arguing the plant remains "haunted" by a legacy of white supremacist leadership.

Expert Analysis

  • What To Watch As Justices Take Up Title VII Job Transfer Case

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    With its recent decision to hear Muldrow v. City of St. Louis, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether an involuntary job transfer can count as employment discrimination under Title VII — an eventual ruling that has potential to reshape workplace bias claims nationwide, says Adam Grogan at Bell Law Group.

  • Parsing EEOC Guidance On Accommodating Low Vision

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    Employers need to examine recent Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidance on provisions for employees who are blind or partially sighted, particularly on the consequences of terminating an employee with blindness or low vision without meeting obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, says Amy Epstein Gluck at FisherBroyles.

  • 5 Tips For Employers Handling Generative AI Privacy Risks

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    Employers should carefully consider the privacy implications of using generative artificial intelligence tools, and employ steps to mitigate the risks, such as de-identifying data, providing notice and identifying data flows, say Zoe Argento and Amy Kabaria at Littler.

  • Water Cooler Talk: 'The Bear' Serves Up Advice For Managers

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    Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs at Troutman Pepper chat with Ernst & Young’s Laura Yehuda about Hulu's "The Bear" and the best practices managers can glean from the show's portrayal of workplace challenges, including those faced by young, female managers.

  • Recalling USWNT's Legal PR Playbook Amid World Cup Bid

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    As the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team strives to take home another World Cup trophy, their 2022 pay equity settlement with the U.S. Soccer Federation serves as a good reminder that winning in the court of public opinion can be more powerful than a victory inside the courtroom, says Hector Valle at Vianovo.

  • Mass. Age Bias Ruling Holds Employer Liability Lessons

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    The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s recent ruling in Adams v. Schneider Electric — upholding a laid-off employee’s age discrimination claim — is an important reminder that employers may face liability even if a decision maker unknowingly applies a discriminatory corporate strategy, say attorneys at Armstrong Teasdale.

  • Regulating AI: Litigation Questions And State Efforts To Watch

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    In view of the developing legal and regulatory framework for artificial intelligence systems in the U.S., including state legislation and early federal litigation, there are practical takeaways as we look toward the future, says Jennifer Maisel at Rothwell Figg.

  • Regulating AI: An Overview Of Federal Efforts

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    The U.S. has been carefully managing a national policy and regulatory ecosystem toward artificial intelligence, but as AI technology continues to expand into our everyday lives, so too has its risks and the need for regulation, says Jennifer Maisel at Rothwell Figg.

  • Justices' Job Transfer Review Should Hold To Title VII Text

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's upcoming decision in Muldrow v. City of St. Louis should hold that a job transfer can be an adverse employment action, and the analysis should be based on the straightforward language of Title VII rather than judicial activism, say Lynne Bernabei and Alan Kabat at Bernabei & Kabat.

  • Employer Tips For Fighting Back Against Explosive Verdicts

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    Massive jury verdicts are a product of our time, driven in part by reptile tactics, but employers can build a strategic defense to mitigate the risk of a runaway jury, and develop tools to seek judicial relief in the event of an adverse outcome, say Dawn Solowey and Lynn Kappelman at Seyfarth.

  • Handbook Hot Topics: Changing Status Quo In A Union Shop

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    A recent administrative law decision concerning a dispute between Fortune Media and the NewsGuild of New York is an important reminder to employers with unionized workforces to refrain from making unilateral updates to employee handbooks that will change the terms and conditions of employment, says Jennifer Hataway at Butler Snow.

  • What EEOC's 2023 Stats Mean For Future Enforcement

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    The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s unusual burst of spring lawsuits and its new Democratic majority should cue employers and HR personnel to expect EEOC enforcement activity to ramp up to pre-pandemic rates, especially in regions where filings are on the rise and in those areas the agency appears to be targeting, such as workplace discrimination, say Andrew Scroggins and James Nasiri at Seyfarth Shaw.

  • Eye On Compliance: A Shift In Religious Accommodation Law

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    The recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Groff v. DeJoy is making it more difficult for employers to deny religious accommodations, and there are three takeaways employers should keep in mind, say William Cook and Matthew High at Wilson Elser.