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Discrimination

  • September 17, 2025

    Calif. Winery Strikes Deal To End EEOC Sex Harassment Suit

    A California winery has agreed to settle a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit alleging it stood by while female employees were subjected to sexual touching and comments on the job and then retaliated against them for speaking up about the mistreatment.

  • September 16, 2025

    UC Groups Sue Trump Admin Alleging Free Speech Violations

    A coalition of faculty, staff and unions affiliated with the University of California system sued the Trump administration in federal court Tuesday, arguing the suspension of $584 million in research projects along with threats to terminate billions more violates the law and is an attempt to violate their free speech.

  • September 16, 2025

    White House Fights Seattle's Bid To Block DEI Grant Rules

    The Trump administration on Tuesday called on a Washington federal judge to let it proceed with federal grant conditions forcing recipients to drop efforts related to diversity and "gender ideology," contending that Seattle is challenging the terms based on mere speculation that the city may one day be targeted for "hypothetical noncompliance."  

  • September 16, 2025

    Federal Court Reporter Beats Transcript Omission Claim

    A court reporter for an Illinois federal judge Tuesday defeated a lawsuit brought by a pro se plaintiff alleging she failed to transcribe part of a hearing and left out statements that would be damaging to the judge in an underlying employment dispute.

  • September 16, 2025

    7th Circ. Judge Wary Of Pilots' Bid To Amend Vax Bias Claims

    A Seventh Circuit judge on Tuesday pushed counsel for two United Airlines pilots to address how the lower court abused its "very broad" discretion in refusing to allow them to file a third amended complaint accusing the airline of religious discrimination, after they were placed on unpaid leave despite religious exemptions from the airline's COVID-19 vaccination mandate.

  • September 16, 2025

    Ill. Hospital Nonprofit Must Face Tobacco Fee Suit

    An Illinois federal judge refused to toss the bulk of a proposed class action from an Illinois hospital worker who claimed a fee on the employee health plans of tobacco users was discriminatory and breached fiduciary duties under benefits law, finding most allegations sufficiently backed up to survive dismissal.

  • September 16, 2025

    EEOC Claims Miss. Restaurant Illegally Axed Pregnant Server

    A Mississippi breakfast restaurant fired an employee just days after she was hired because it learned she was pregnant, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleged in federal court.

  • September 16, 2025

    Freight Co. Forced Pregnant Driver To Take Leave, EEOC Says

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Tuesday accused a freight shipping company of unlawfully placing a pregnant employee on unpaid leave rather than accommodating her requests for a limited work schedule and a restriction on lifting.

  • September 16, 2025

    Dems Renew Push To Ban Credit Checks In Hiring

    Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation that would bar employers from requiring job applicants to disclose their credit history as part of the hiring process, saying the bill would remove a barrier that disproportionately hurts women and minority workers.

  • September 16, 2025

    DOJ Calls Rhode Island Teacher Loan Aid Program 'Racist'

    The U.S. Department of Justice alleged in a federal lawsuit Tuesday that the Rhode Island Department of Education discriminates against white teachers by supporting a student loan repayment program that hands out awards only to teachers of color.

  • September 16, 2025

    Airline Staffing Co. Must Face Most Of Breastfeeding Bias Suit

    A company providing staff and support to airlines at Pittsburgh International Airport must face most of a former agent's claims it retaliated against her for seeking time to pump breast milk at work, a Pennsylvania federal judge ruled Monday.

  • September 16, 2025

    5th Circ. Won't Reinstate IT Workers' $70M Race Bias Verdict

    The Fifth Circuit on Tuesday refused to bring back a $70 million jury award for a group of former telecommunications workers in a race discrimination suit, saying a trial court judge rightly concluded that the evidence didn't back it up.

  • September 16, 2025

    EEOC Says Assisted Care Co. Illegally Fired Pregnant Worker

    An assisted living facility wrongfully terminated an employee because she asked to avoid lifting anything on the job that was over 20 pounds while she was pregnant, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claimed in Illinois federal court.

  • September 15, 2025

    Ousted Public Defender's Bias Suit Meets Skeptical Judge

    A Connecticut judge on Monday seemed skeptical of a former chief state public defender's challenge to her ouster, questioning whether the lawyer could support her claim that the Public Defender Services Commission should have called live witnesses to testify during an administrative hearing that led to her termination.

  • September 15, 2025

    Trans Hog Farm Worker Settles Bias Suit That EEOC Dropped

    An Illinois federal judge officially closed the book on a sexual harassment dispute between a transgender former hog farm worker and the business on Monday, approving a court clerk's judgment acknowledging the parties' settlement following employment regulators' exit from the case.

  • September 15, 2025

    Co. Unlawfully Withheld Worker's Apprentice Role, EEOC says

    An automotive parts supplier unlawfully refused to let a worker continue an apprenticeship because she was a woman in her 60s with fibromyalgia, causing her to lose out on higher pay and employment opportunities, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleged Monday in Michigan federal court.

  • September 15, 2025

    Mich. Ordered To Clarify Stance On Clinic's Trans Care Policy

    A federal magistrate judge on Monday ordered Michigan civil rights enforcers to clarify in discovery responses whether a Christian medical clinic's opposition to gender-affirming care violates the state's antidiscrimination law.

  • September 15, 2025

    Alsup Says February Firings Of Federal Workers Were Illegal

    A California federal judge has ruled that it was illegal for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to initiate a mass termination of federal workers, but didn't order their reinstatement, saying the U.S. Supreme Court would intervene and the fired employees "have moved on with their lives."

  • September 15, 2025

    Tesla Favors Foreign Workers Over US Citizens, Court Told

    Tesla discriminates against American workers by giving a leg up to H-1B visa holders whom the company underpays, according to a suit brought in California federal court by two U.S. citizens who said they unsuccessfully sought jobs at the electric vehicle maker.

  • September 15, 2025

    Calif. Legislators OK Requiring Oversight Of Workplace AI

    The California Senate has approved a bill that would restrict how employers can use tools powered by artificial intelligence to make employment decisions, sending the legislation to Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk despite opposition from business groups.

  • September 15, 2025

    Disney Workers Get Final OK On $43M Gender Bias Deal

    A California judge granted final approval Monday of Disney's $43.25 million class action settlement with over 15,000 female midlevel managers over allegations the entertainment giant paid them less than their male colleagues.

  • September 15, 2025

    Cozen O'Connor Picks Up 2 Jackson Lewis Attys In Philly

    Cozen O'Connor is expanding its employment law resources in Philadelphia with the additions of two attorneys who have moved their practices from Jackson Lewis PC.

  • September 15, 2025

    PF Chang's Inks $80K Deal In EEOC Religious Bias Probe

    P.F. Chang's will pay a job applicant $80,000 after a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigation found support for the would-be employee's claim that the company didn't hire him because he requested not to work on Sundays, the EEOC said Monday.

  • September 15, 2025

    Ex-Epstein Prosecutor Maurene Comey Sues DOJ Over Firing

    Maurene Comey, a former Manhattan federal prosecutor who brought high-profile criminal cases against the likes of Jeffrey Epstein and Sean "Diddy" Combs, sued the Justice Department on Monday alleging her abrupt July firing came "solely or substantially" because she is the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, a Trump critic.

  • September 15, 2025

    DC Water Utility Illegally Pushed Out Older Worker, EEOC Says

    The District of Columbia's water utility ran afoul of age discrimination law when it abruptly fired a 54-year-old human resources employee, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in a lawsuit.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • 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.