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Discrimination

  • September 08, 2025

    Whisper Not Enough To Sustain Worker's Harassment Suit

    A Pennsylvania federal judge tossed a Merck Sharp & Dohme worker's suit Monday claiming his boss sexually harassed him by whispering in his ear at a staff meeting, ruling the singular incident did not create a hostile work environment at the pharmaceutical company.

  • September 08, 2025

    2nd Circ. Rejects NYC Teacher's Bias Claims As 'Implausible'

    The Second Circuit declined Monday to reinstate a New York City public school teacher's claims that he was pushed out of the classroom and into a non-teaching role because he's Indian and Hindu, finding no tether between the derogatory comments he alleged his supervisor made and the involuntary reassignment.

  • September 08, 2025

    Drexel Defends Employees In Ex-Administrator's Bias Case

    Drexel University officials on Monday denied that contentious interactions between staff members and a former administrator were motivated by race and gender bias, telling a Pennsylvania federal judge in a bench trial the real driver was concern about her allegedly interfering with the independence of the school's auditors.

  • September 08, 2025

    Atkinson Andelson Employment Ace To Join Ogletree In Calif.

    Ogletree Deakins announced Monday that it is bringing aboard a partner from Atkinson Andelson Loya Ruud & Romo to bolster its capacity to handle employment-related litigation.

  • September 08, 2025

    Pain Clinic, Hospital Ink $350K Deal In EEOC Retaliation Suit

    A pain clinic and an Arkansas hospital have agreed to pay $350,000 to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming they fired a physician assistant for participating in a sexual harassment investigation into one of the clinic's owners.

  • September 08, 2025

    EEOC, Plastics Co. Get OK For $460K Sex Harassment Deal

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and a Michigan plastic product manufacturer have inked a $460,000 settlement ending a suit alleging the company didn't adequately address rampant sexual harassment against more than a dozen female employees.

  • September 08, 2025

    Fisher Phillips Merges With Atlanta L&E Boutique

    Fisher Phillips announced Monday it has combined with Elarbee Thompson Sapp & Wilson LLP, a labor and employment law firm based in Atlanta, growing its ranks by 22 lawyers.

  • September 08, 2025

    Ex-Judge Says Wash. DA, Court Sabotaged Election Bid

    A Washington state attorney and former pro tem judge in Seattle has filed a lawsuit alleging she was racially discriminated against when a county prosecutor's office had her disqualified from hearing cases due to rulings she made from the bench.

  • September 08, 2025

    Insulation Co. Settles EEOC Sexual Harassment Suit

    An insulation contractor struck a $40,000 deal with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to settle a suit claiming its owner sexually harassed an office manager for years by inappropriately touching her and spreading rumors about her sex life.

  • September 05, 2025

    Feds Say Supreme Court Trumps 9th Circ.'s UC Grant Ruling

    The Trump administration has urged the Ninth Circuit to reconsider a panel decision that upheld an order to reinstate University of California research grants terminated by the White House, saying the U.S. Supreme Court subsequently contradicted the panel's holding in a "materially identical" case.

  • September 05, 2025

    7th Circ. Probes Colleague, Timing In DePaul Firing Bias Suit

    A Seventh Circuit panel on Friday dove into the timeline of a former DePaul University professor's firing and the details surrounding a colleague who allegedly received comparatively lighter treatment amid sexual misconduct allegations as the judges considered reviving claims that the university decided against rehiring him because of his race.

  • September 05, 2025

    Munchkin Says 'Unhinged' GC Was Fired For Good Reason

    Munchkin Inc. says it had multiple legitimate reasons to terminate the baby company's general counsel for cause after he launched a "retaliatory and vindictive campaign" against another executive, calling him "unhinged" and slamming his suit against the company as "harassing," according to a filing in California state court.

  • September 05, 2025

    9th Circ. Revives Ex-DLA Worker's Disability Bias Suit

    The Ninth Circuit revived a suspended Defense Logistics Agency employee's lawsuit that accused the agency of disability discrimination, saying in a published opinion that the agency's "numerous errors" warranted pushing back the former employee's deadline for filing suit.

  • September 05, 2025

    6 Calif. Employment Bills To Watch As Session Winds Down

    With California's legislative session nearing completion, several notable employment bills are awaiting lawmakers' action, including a sweeping proposal to regulate the use of artificial intelligence-infused technology and a bill tweaking how wage information is disclosed in job listings. Here, À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ looks at six legislative proposals that discrimination and wage lawyers should have on their radar.

  • September 05, 2025

    6th Circ. Finds Boss' Pregnancy Remark Supports Bias Claim

    A split Sixth Circuit panel revived part of a lawsuit from a woman who alleges a Michigan hospital system laid her off because she was pregnant, finding that evidence that the worker's supervisor was concerned about the pregnancy's effects on department productivity supports pregnancy discrimination claims.

  • September 05, 2025

    DC Circ. Says Grievance Deal Can't End Title VII Suit

    The D.C. Circuit reinstated Friday a Black worker's race bias suit claiming she faced discrimination and harassment at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, ruling a settlement that resolved grievances her union filed against her employer did not justify the dismissal of her civil rights claims.

  • September 05, 2025

    NY Forecast: NY Judge Weighs Tossing Car Dealer Bias Suit

    This week, a New York federal judge will consider a Chevrolet dealership's bid to dismiss a former employee's lawsuit claiming he was fired after he complained that a supervisor made racist remarks toward him and other workers. 

  • September 05, 2025

    Property Management Co. Hit With Disability Bias Suit In NC

    Georgia-based property manager FirstKey Homes faces claims in North Carolina federal court from a former employee who claims the company forced her to notify other employees they were being fired along with other unwanted tasks in retaliation for her disability-related work-from-home requests.

  • September 05, 2025

    6th Circ. Backs Brewery In Ex-Worker's Retaliation, Bias Suit

    The Sixth Circuit upheld the dismissal of a former brewery worker's suit claiming he was suspended out of retaliation for complaining that a supervisor made inappropriate comments about a back injury he faced, ruling he couldn't overcome a workplace investigation that found he was a "toxic employee."

  • September 05, 2025

    Calif. Forecast: $2M Animal Feed Co. Wage Deal Before Court

    In the coming week, attorneys should keep an eye out for arguments regarding a potential deal to end a long-running wage and hour class action against animal feed supplier ACX Pacific Northwest Inc. Here's a look at that case and other labor and employment matters coming up in California.

  • September 04, 2025

    American Airlines Says Tech Can't Support Sex Bias Suit

    An American Airlines technician can't support her claim that the airline discriminated against her on the basis of sex when it demoted her from her crew chief role as her 90-day trial period drew to a close, the airline said Thursday, saying she was demoted because of performance issues.

  • September 04, 2025

    5th Circ. Seems Open To United Workers' COVID Vax Class

    The Fifth Circuit wrestled Thursday with allowing a group of United Airlines employees to pursue classwide claims that they were illegally forced to take unpaid leave after seeking exemptions from the company's COVID-19 vaccine mandate, with two judges appearing receptive to letting a certification order stand.

  • September 04, 2025

    Settlement Reached In Harassment Suit Against Fox Sports

    A lawsuit accusing prominent figures at Fox Sports of sexual harassment — including an allegation that popular host Skip Bayless offered $1.5 million for sex — has been dismissed by a California state judge after a hairstylist who formerly worked for the network reached a settlement with Fox Sports and the personalities.

  • September 04, 2025

    Why The Harvard Funding Case Is 'Clear As Mud' On Appeal

    A sweeping Harvard University victory in a suit challenging President Donald Trump's block on $2.2 billion in grant funding tees up a high-stakes appeal that experts say may turn on a wonky jurisdictional issue on which the U.S. Supreme Court seems to lack any sort of consensus.

  • September 04, 2025

    1st Circ. Finds 'Just Enough' Evidence For USPS Bias Trial

    The First Circuit on Thursday breathed new life into a former U.S. Postal Service worker's case alleging she was skipped over for promotion because of her sex, concluding that her interviewer's remark about the feasibility of a woman in the job raises "serious questions."

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Unprecedented Firings And The EEOC's Shifting Agenda

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    While President Donald Trump's unprecedented firing of Democratic Equal Employment Opportunity Commission members put an end to the party's voting majority, the move raises legal issues, as well as considerations related to the EEOC's lack of a quorum and shifting regulatory priorities, says Ally Coll at the Purple Method.

  • 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.