Discrimination

  • October 03, 2025

    9th Circ. Reopens Circle K Age Bias Suit Over Promotion

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday revived a lawsuit alleging that Circle K passed over three former employees for promotion because they were in their 50s, saying the trial court was wrong to fault the workers for not applying to the job when the company never advertised the opening.

  • October 03, 2025

    EEOC Can't Halt Suit Over Trans Advocacy Amid Shutdown

    A Maryland federal judge refused Friday to grant the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's bid for a stay in a suit claiming the agency violated federal law by dropping gender identity discrimination cases, despite the government's argument that the ongoing shutdown meant the case couldn't move ahead.

  • October 03, 2025

    4 Takeaways As EEOC Closes Book On Fiscal Year

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed fewer lawsuits, but attorneys say that pregnancy and religious discrimination cases emerged as clear areas of focus for the commission. Here's a look at the cases the agency added to its docket in the 2025 fiscal year.

  • October 03, 2025

    College Prez Loses Emergency Bid In Whistleblower Suit

    A New Jersey federal judge has rejected a motion from the president of Rowan College at Burlington County seeking an emergency restraining order to block potential termination, amid a whistleblower lawsuit he brought alleging retaliation after he opposed what he described as unlawful actions taken by the school's board and legal counsel.

  • October 03, 2025

    Neil Gaiman Rape Suit Belongs In NZ, Not Wisc., Judge Says

    A Wisconsin federal judge Friday dismissed a former nanny's sexual assault lawsuit against "Sandman" author Neil Gaiman, saying the suit should be heard by a court in New Zealand, where the assaults described in the complaint took place.

  • October 03, 2025

    The Roberts Court At 20: How The Chief Is Reshaping America

    Twenty years after John Roberts became the 17th chief justice of the United States, he faces a U.S. Supreme Court term that's looking transformative for the country and its institutions. How Justice Roberts and his colleagues navigate mounting distrust in the judiciary and set the boundaries of presidential authority appear increasingly likely to define his time leading the court.

  • October 03, 2025

    Temple U., Cancer Center Beat Professor's Sex Bias Suit

    A Temple University cancer researcher can't sustain her suit alleging she was denied support for a grant application because she complained about a supervisor's unwelcome advances, a Pennsylvania federal judge ruled, saying one missed funding opportunity wasn't enough to show bias.

  • October 03, 2025

    Calif. Forecast: NLRB, Compressed Gas Co. Head To 9th Circ.

    In the coming week, attorneys should keep an eye out for Ninth Circuit oral arguments in a California-based National Labor Relations Board matter involving a gas supplier. Here's a look at that case and other labor and employment matters coming up in the Golden State.

  • October 03, 2025

    CORRECTION: Senate Advances Trump EEOC Pick's Nomination

    The Senate voted along party lines Friday to advance the nomination of an assistant U.S. attorney to serve on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, bringing the agency closer to a quorum and its full decision-making capacity.

  • October 03, 2025

    Mich. Defends Refugee Service Contract Choices In Bias Suit

    Two Michigan departments told a federal judge that a court order requiring the state to preserve a Christian nonprofit's refugee aid contracts while it pursues a religious liberty lawsuit against them would be both inappropriate and pointless.

  • October 03, 2025

    EEOC Pregnancy Bias Settlement Misses Mark For 3rd Time

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission failed for the third time to secure court approval of a $30,000 settlement agreement that would end a pregnancy bias case against a child advocacy organization, with a Pennsylvania federal judge saying he still wasn't satisfied.

  • October 02, 2025

    8th Circ. Won't Rehear Worker's Wrongful THC Firing Case

    The Eighth Circuit on Wednesday declined to review its decision affirming a win for Peco Foods Inc. against a worker who claims he was wrongfully fired after testing positive for THC, keeping in place a panel ruling that Arkansas' at-will employment doctrine allowed for the termination.

  • October 02, 2025

    University Asks Court To Shield Religious Hiring Practices

    A private Christian university has urged a Seattle federal judge to find that a Washington antidiscrimination law infringes on its First Amendment rights to only hire job candidates who share its religious views, pursuing a pretrial win in its case against the state attorney general's office.  

  • October 02, 2025

    Boston Can't Fully Nix Muslim Firefighter's Vax Bias Suit

    A Massachusetts federal judge narrowed but declined to toss a Black Muslim ex-firefighter's suit claiming the city of Boston fired him and his union didn't have his back when he refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19 on religious grounds, finding he supported his claims with enough evidence of potential bias.

  • October 02, 2025

    Ohio Manufacturer To Fork Over $2M In EEOC Sex Bias Suit

    A private equity-owned manufacturer will pay $2 million to end an Ohio federal court suit by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging it refused to hire women for jobs on its production floor and fired a top human resources official who flouted that policy.

  • October 02, 2025

    American Airlines Tech Says Jury Should Decide Sex Bias Suit

    American Airlines and a transport workers union shouldn't be allowed to escape a technician's lawsuit claiming she was demoted from a crew chief position because of her sex, the worker told an Oklahoma federal court, arguing she'd done enough to send her bias case to trial.

  • October 02, 2025

    No Pay Owed To Flooring Co.'s Fired CEO, 11th Circ. Says

    The Eleventh Circuit won't revive a suit from the former CEO of flooring manufacturer Interface Inc. claiming he was bilked out of a severance package after allegedly going on a drunken tirade at a company function, ruling Thursday that the executive's appeal impermissibly tried to advance a new reading of his contract.

  • October 02, 2025

    Temple Beats Ex-Professor's Bias Suit Over Tenure Denial

    Temple University defeated a former assistant professor's lawsuit claiming he was denied tenure because he's a Chinese man with a chronic neuromuscular condition, as a Pennsylvania federal judge ruled he failed to connect that denial to his race or disability.

  • October 02, 2025

    Ill. Panel Backs Whistleblower's $3.5M Retaliation Verdict

    An Illinois appellate panel on Wednesday affirmed a $3.5 million verdict for a man who claimed he was unlawfully fired from a southern Illinois hospital system for reporting Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse, saying jurors saw evidence he and others faced retaliation when they "called attention to what they believed to be unlawful conduct." 

  • October 02, 2025

    Hegseth's New Whistleblower Memo Draws Criticism

    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's memorandum instructing military department heads to work with the agency's inspector general to identify whistleblowers who submit multiple "frivolous" complaints has drawn the ire of a whistleblower group that says the move undermines independent oversight.

  • October 02, 2025

    Dell Accused Of Firing In-House Atty On Maternity Leave

    Dell illegally fired an attorney in the midst of her maternity leave after repeatedly denying her promotion opportunities and handing them to her male colleagues instead, the attorney told a Massachusetts federal court.

  • October 02, 2025

    Legal Aid Attys End Suit Over Palestine Resolution Discipline

    Three legal aid attorneys have settled a labor lawsuit against their union, wrapping litigation in New York federal court that accused the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys of violating the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act by moving to discipline the members for suing to block a pro-Palestine resolution.

  • October 01, 2025

    NYT Wants Justin Baldoni To Cough Up Defamation Suit Fees

    The New York Times on Tuesday sued "It Ends With Us" director and star Justin Baldoni's production company, claiming the company must cover the $150,000 in legal fees and court costs the paper racked up while defending itself in defamation litigation that "had no basis in law or fact."

  • October 01, 2025

    Ex-Akerman Employment Partner Accuses Firm Of Race Bias

    A veteran employment attorney alleges in a California state lawsuit that Akerman LLP treated her less favorably than her non-Latino and male colleagues, including requiring her to deliver bad news to other attorneys' clients and not giving her adequate support staff, before firing her in retaliation for taking medical leave.

  • October 01, 2025

    4 Arguments For Bias Attorneys To Watch In October

    The Second Circuit will tackle tricky questions about the reach of a federal law curbing mandatory arbitration in workplace disputes involving sexual harassment or assault claims, the Third and Ninth circuits will weigh race bias battles and the Eighth Circuit will evaluate a religious discrimination case over COVID-19 testing. Here, Law360 looks at four argument sessions that discrimination attorneys should keep tabs on in the coming month.

Expert Analysis

  • What Trump Admin's Anti-DEI Push Means For FCA Claims

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    President Donald Trump's recent rescission of a 60-year-old executive order imposing nondiscrimination requirements on certain federal contractors has far-reaching implications, including potential False Claims Act liability for contractors and grant recipients who fail to comply, though it may be a challenge for the government to successfully establish liability, say attorneys at Bass Berry.

  • It Starts With Training: Anti-Harassment After 'It Ends With Us'

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    Actress Blake Lively's recent sexual harassment and retaliation allegations against her "It Ends With Us" co-star, director and producer, Justin Baldoni, should remind employers of their legal obligations to implement trainings, policies and other measures to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, say attorneys at Morrison Cohen.

  • What Day 1 Bondi Memos Mean For Corporate Compliance

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    After Attorney General Pam Bondi’s flurry of memos last week declaring new enforcement priorities on issues ranging from foreign bribery to diversity initiatives, companies must base their compliance programs on an understanding of their own core values and principles, says Hui Chen at CDE Advisors.

  • 5 Things For Private Employers To Do After Trump's DEI Order

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    Following President Donald Trump's recent executive order pushing the private sector to narrow, and even end, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, employers should ensure DEI efforts align with their organization's mission and goals, are legally compliant, and are effectively communicated to stakeholders, say attorneys at Mintz.

  • Zuckerberg's Remarks Pose Legal Risk For Meta Amid Layoffs

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    Within days of announcing that Meta Platforms will cut 5% of its lowest-performing employees, Mark Zuckerberg remarked that corporations are becoming "culturally neutered" and need to bring back "masculine energy," exposing the company to potential claims under California employment law, says Andi Mazingo at Lumen Law Center.

  • Preparing For A Possible End To The Subminimum Wage

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    The U.S. Department of Labor's proposed rule to end the subminimum wage for employees with disabilities may significantly affect the community-based rehabilitation and training programs that employ these workers, so certified programs should be especially vigilant about compliance during this period of evaluation and scrutiny, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

  • Water Cooler Talk: 'Harry Potter' Reveals Magic Of Feedback

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    Troutman Pepper's Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter chat with Wicker Park Group partner Tara Weintritt about various feedback methods used by "Harry Potter" characters — from Snape's sharp and cutting remarks to Dumbledore's lack of specificity and Hermione's poor delivery — and explore how clear, consistent and actionable feedback can transform workplaces.

  • What To Expect From Trump's Deputy Labor Secretary Pick

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    President Donald Trump's nominee for deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, Keith Sonderling, has a track record of prioritizing clear guidance on both traditional and cutting-edge issues, which can provide insight into what employers can expect from his leadership, say attorneys at Littler.

  • A Look At Order Ending Federal Contractor Affirmative Action

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    To comply with President Donald Trump's executive order revoking affirmative action requirements in the next 90 days, federal contractors should focus on identification of protected groups, responsibilities of "diversity officer" positions and annual compliance reviews, says Jeremy Burkhart at Holland & Knight.

  • Parsing 3rd Circ. Ruling On Cannabis, Employee Private Suits

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    The Third Circuit recently upheld a decision that individuals don't have a private right of action for alleged violations of New Jersey's Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance and Marketplace Modernization Act, but employers should stay informed as the court encouraged the state Legislature to amend the law, say attorneys at Mandelbaum Barrett.

  • EEOC Wearable Tech Guidance Highlights Monitoring Scrutiny

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    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's recent fact sheet on wearable technologies cautions against potential issues with federal anti-discrimination laws and demonstrates growing concern from regulators and legislators about intrusive technologies in the workplace, say attorneys at Littler.

  • 4 Employment Law Areas Set To Change Under Trump

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    President Donald Trump's second term is expected to bring significant changes to the U.S. employment law landscape, including the potential for updated worker classification regulations, and challenges to diversity, equity and inclusion that are already taking shape, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • What Employment Bias Litigation Looks Like After Muldrow

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    Nine months after the U.S. Supreme Court created an undemanding standard for discrimination claims in Muldrow v. St. Louis, Eric Schnapper at the University of Washington discusses how the Title VII litigation landscape has changed and what to expect moving forward.