Discrimination

  • July 05, 2024

    Armstrong Teasdale Resisted Diversity, Ex-DEI VP Says

    Armstrong Teasdale LLP's former vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion claims the law firm hired her to help it cultivate a more diverse workplace, but then blocked her attempts to make recommendations and improvements before wrongly firing her, according to a lawsuit recently filed in Missouri state court.

  • July 05, 2024

    How Reshaped Circuit Courts Are Faring At The High Court

    Seminal rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court's latest term will reshape many facets of American society in the coming years. Already, however, the rulings offer glimpses of how the justices view specific circuit courts, which have themselves been reshaped by an abundance of new judges.

  • July 05, 2024

    Breaking Down The Vote: The High Court Term In Review

    The U.S. Supreme Court's lethargic pace of decision-making this term left the justices to issue a slew of highly anticipated and controversial rulings during the term's final week — rulings that put the court's ideological divisions on vivid display. Here, Law360 takes a data dive into the numbers behind this court term.

  • July 05, 2024

    High Court Flexes Muscle To Limit Administrative State

    The U.S. Supreme Court's dismantling of a 40-year-old judicial deference doctrine, coupled with rulings stripping federal agencies of certain enforcement powers and exposing them to additional litigation, has established the October 2023 term as likely the most consequential in administrative law history.

  • July 05, 2024

    The Sharpest Dissents From The Supreme Court Term

    The U.S. Supreme Court's session ended with a series of blockbuster cases that granted the president broad immunity, changed federal gun policy and kneecapped administrative agencies. And many of the biggest decisions fell along partisan lines.

  • July 05, 2024

    5 Moments That Shaped The Supreme Court's Jan. 6 Decision

    When the high court limited the scope of a federal obstruction statute used to charge hundreds of rioters who stormed the Capitol, the justices did not vote along ideological lines. In a year marked by 6-3 splits, what accounts for the departure? Here are some moments from oral arguments that may have swayed the justices.

  • July 05, 2024

    The Funniest Moments Of The Supreme Court's Term

    In a U.S. Supreme Court term teeming with serious showdowns, the august air at oral arguments filled with laughter after an attorney mentioned her plastic surgeon and a justice seemed to diss his colleagues, to cite just two of the term's mirthful moments. Here, we look at the funniest moments of the term.

  • July 05, 2024

    Judge Should Have Been Disqualified From Case, Panel Said

    A Washington appeals court panel said a trial judge should have been disqualified over bias concerns raised by metro Seattle's bus agency in a worker discrimination case, according to an opinion that said the judge's order allowing an amended complaint was not a discretionary ruling in the case that would have forbid disqualification.

  • July 05, 2024

    8th Circ. Rejects 3M Vax Mandate Critic's Religious Bias Suit

    The Eighth Circuit upheld the dismissal Friday of a 3M worker's suit claiming he was harassed by the company to get immunized against COVID-19 in violation of his Christian beliefs, ruling that because he wasn't fired for opposing the since-repealed vaccine mandate, he can't support a bias case.

  • July 05, 2024

    Tech Co. Wants To Undo $535K Retaliation Verdict

    A technology company on Wednesday asked a Georgia federal judge to overturn a jury's decision to award a Black worker $535,000 in damages after finding he was fired in retaliation for complaining that his supervisor discriminated against him and that he was denied a raise because of his race.

  • July 05, 2024

    The Firms That Won Big At The Supreme Court

    This U.S. Supreme Court term featured high-stakes oral arguments on issues including gerrymandering, abortion and federal agency authority, and a hot bench ever more willing to engage in a lengthy back-and-forth with advocates. Here's a look at the law firms that argued the most cases and how they fared.

  • July 05, 2024

    NY Forecast: Judge Weighs Dismissal Of Service Fee Tip Suit

    A New York federal judge on Monday will consider a Long Island restaurant's bid to dismiss a worker's lawsuit claiming the restaurant violated federal and state law by retaining a service charge instead of dividing it among servers as it told customers.

  • July 03, 2024

    Muldrow Revives Worker's Pregnancy Bias Suit, 3rd Circ. Says

    The Third Circuit reinstated parts of a worker's suit claiming she was forced to resign from Pennsylvania's probation board because she was denied light duty and remote assignments to accommodate her pregnancy, stating Wednesday a recent high court ruling requires another look at her case.

  • July 03, 2024

    11th Circ. Backs Fla. Sheriff's Win Over Ex-Captain's Bias Suit

    The Eleventh Circuit refused Wednesday to reopen a lawsuit accusing a Florida sheriff of violating a captain's legal rights during an internal investigation and then firing her because she's a gay woman, finding no issue with a trial court's dismissal of the case.

  • July 03, 2024

    Red States Get ACA Trans Discrimination Rule Blocked

    Federal judges in Mississippi and Texas granted conservatives states' requests Wednesday to freeze a new rule protecting access to healthcare for the LGBTQ+ community, with both judges ruling that states are likely to succeed in showing that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services overstepped when it created the regulations.

  • July 03, 2024

    AFSCME Sues Philadelphia Over Mandatory Return To Office

    American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees affiliates accused the city of Philadelphia of violating labor contracts by not bargaining over the end to remote work, telling a state court that the city's move would impact around 2,900 workers in the bargaining unit.

  • July 03, 2024

    Judge Trims Retailer's Defenses In Long COVID EEOC Suit

    A Colorado federal judge struck several of an appliance retailer's affirmative defenses Wednesday in a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit alleging it wrongfully terminated a worker who asked for more time off to deal with long COVID symptoms.

  • July 03, 2024

    Doctor Who Won $12M Assault Case Can't Revive USC Claims

    A female doctor who won a $12 million verdict against a male colleague over a sexual assault at a Los Angeles County hospital affiliated with USC's Keck School of Medicine can't revive sexual harassment claims against the university and the county, a California appellate court held.

  • July 03, 2024

    Job Hopeful's Lack Of Injury Sinks Wash. Pay Disclosure Suit

    A Washington federal judge tossed a job hopeful's suit claiming healthcare companies shirked state pay transparency laws by failing to disclose salary information in job postings, finding that the applicant didn't show he was actually harmed by the missing compensation figures.

  • July 03, 2024

    Calif. Watchdog Notches $14.4M Deal In Microsoft Leave Fight

    Microsoft agreed to shell out $14.4 million to end a California Civil Rights Department's lawsuit claiming that it discriminated against employees who take protected employment leaves, the department announced Wednesday.

  • July 03, 2024

    White Male Anchor Says CBS' Diversity Goals Got Him Fired

    CBS Broadcasting Inc. needed to solve its "white problem" so it excluded an experienced white male anchor from promotional events and then fired him in order to replace him with a young Black reporter, a complaint filed in California federal court said.

  • July 03, 2024

    Del. DOT Must Face Asian Worker's Promotion Bias Suit

    The Delaware Department of Transportation can't defeat a former engineer's lawsuit claiming he was repeatedly passed over for promotion because he's Asian, a federal judge ruled, finding the worker provided enough evidence to cast doubt on the agency's rationale that his interview performance was lackluster.

  • July 03, 2024

    Constangy Hires Greenspoon Marder Partner In LA

    Constangy Brooks Smith & Prophete LLP has hired a former deputy attorney general for the California Department of Justice, who is joining from Greenspoon Marder LLP where she led that firm's employment litigation group, the firm announced Wednesday.

  • July 03, 2024

    Mass. Court Partially Revives Trooper's Bias Suit

    An intermediate-level appellate panel in Massachusetts on Wednesday partially revived a suit brought by a state trooper who claimed she faced retaliation and was treated differently after breaking up with a colleague.

  • July 03, 2024

    Staffing Firm To Pay $500K To End EEOC Sex Harassment Suit

    A staffing firm will pay out $500,000 to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit accusing it of failing to intervene when the female workers it placed at a raisin company reported sexual harassment, according to a filing in California federal court.

Expert Analysis

  • After Chevron: EEOC Status Quo Will Likely Continue

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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.

  • What High Court Ruling Means For Sexual Harassment Claims

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    In its recent Smith v. Spizzirri decision, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a district court compelling a case to arbitration is obligated to stay the case rather than dismissing it, but this requirement may result in sexual harassment cases not being heard by appellate courts, says Abe Melamed at Signature Resolution.

  • 5 Steps For Gov't Contractor Affirmative Action Verification

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    As the federal contractor affirmative action program certification deadline approaches, government contractors and subcontractors should take steps to determine their program obligations, and ensure any required plans are properly implemented and timely registered, say Christopher Wilkinson at Perkins Coie and Joanna Colosimo at DCI Consulting.

  • New OSHA Memo Helps Clarify Recordkeeping Compliance

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    Based on recent Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidance on whether musculoskeletal disorders are recordable injuries under the agency's recordkeeping regulation, it appears that OSHA may target active release techniques and stretching programs during its inspections, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Cos. Must Stay On Alert With Joint Employer Rule In Flux

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    While employers may breathe a sigh of relief at recent events blocking the National Labor Relations Board's proposed rule that would make it easier for two entities to be deemed joint employers, the rule is not yet dead, say attorneys at ​​​​​​​Day Pitney.