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Discrimination

  • 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.

  • September 15, 2025

    EEOC Fails To Get Court Approval For Pregnancy Bias Deal

    A Pennsylvania federal judge refused for a second time to greenlight a $30,000 settlement between the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and a child advocacy organization the agency accused of pregnancy discrimination, expressing concerns about the deal's propriety.

  • September 12, 2025

    Taylor Swift Will Only Sit For 'It Ends With Us' Depo If 'Forced'

    Taylor Swift's counsel at Venable LLP told a Manhattan federal judge Friday that the pop superstar has not agreed to be deposed in actress Blake Lively's defamation case against her "It Ends With Us" co-star Justin Baldoni, but could do so the week of Oct. 20 "if she is forced."

  • September 12, 2025

    6th Circ. Backs Kent State In Prof's Trans Bias Suit

    The Sixth Circuit ruled Friday that Kent State University backtracked on a promotion promised to a transgender professor because of insulting tweets and emails directed at colleagues, not because of their gender identity.

  • September 12, 2025

    6th Circ. Backs University In Ex-HR Director's Retaliation Suit

    The Sixth Circuit on Friday upheld the dismissal of a white former human resources director's lawsuit claiming the University of Toledo fired her for opposing a colleague's promotion, saying the four-month gap between her complaint and termination was too much to support a retaliation suit.

  • September 12, 2025

    Chicago Teachers Union Beats Teacher's Race Bias Suit

    The Chicago Teachers Union won't have to face a lawsuit alleging that it discriminated against a teacher by not pursuing four grievances she filed, an Illinois federal judge ruled Friday, saying she did not put forward evidence connecting the union's inaction to her race or national origin and has "done nothing more than speculate."

  • September 12, 2025

    Employment Lawyers' Weekly DEI Cheat Sheet

    A Fourth Circuit panel appeared reluctant to uphold a Maryland federal judge's injunction that blocked key parts of two executive orders by President Donald Trump targeting workplace diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and newspaper publisher Gannett largely defeated a proposed class action alleging its DEI practices disadvantaged white workers. Here, ݮƵ looks at notable DEI-related legal developments so far this month.

  • September 12, 2025

    3rd Circ. Backs Philly School In Worker's COVID Leave Suit

    A former Philadelphia school employee resigned rather than being fired, the Third Circuit said Friday, affirming a federal court decision tossing his suit claiming he was discriminated against for refusing to get the coronavirus vaccine because of his religious beliefs.

  • September 12, 2025

    New Orleans Fired Director For Reporting Fraud, Suit Says

    The city of New Orleans fired a workforce director out of retaliation for repeatedly raising concerns that employees were committing payroll fraud and misappropriating cash from a COVID-19 federal aid package, according to her suit filed in Louisiana federal court.

  • September 12, 2025

    Va. City Attorney Tells 4th Circ. He's Immune From FMLA Suit

    A Virginia federal judge erred by allowing a Family and Medical Leave Act suit against a municipal attorney to head to trial, the attorney said Friday, asking the Fourth Circuit to hold that he is immune from suit.

  • September 12, 2025

    Calif. Forecast: Google Wants Worker-Protesters' Suit Tossed

    In the coming week, attorneys should watch for a dismissal bid hearing in a proposed discrimination class action against Google by a group of former employees who staged protests. Here's a look at that case and other labor and employment matters on deck in California.

  • September 12, 2025

    Black Worker Says Trailer Co. Fired Him For Reporting Bias

    A Black salesperson was fired by a trailer company for complaining that a white supervisor excluded him from team meetings, blamed him for colleagues' mistakes and threatened to shoot a Black co-worker for working too slowly, according to a suit filed in Georgia federal court.

  • September 12, 2025

    Lack Of EEOC Quorum Can't Fell Bias Suit, Agency Says

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission doesn't need a quorum to sue a tire manufacturer alleging it fired workers out of disability bias because they took prescribed narcotics, the agency told a Tennessee federal court, urging rejection of the business' motion to dismiss.

  • September 11, 2025

    Industrial Tech Co. Sanctioned For Deleted Texts In Title VII Suit

    A New York federal judge has sanctioned ultrasonic testing company Sonotec after two of its staff members were found to have deleted text messages about a former employee who is pursuing sexual harassment retaliation claims against the company, finding they should have known litigation was imminent at the time they erased the correspondence.

  • September 11, 2025

    6th Circ. Backs Hospital In Nurse's Suit Over Vaccine Mandate

    The Sixth Circuit upheld an Ohio medical center's win in a suit claiming it unlawfully placed a Christian nurse on unpaid leave because of religious objections to COVID-19 vaccines and testing methods, ruling Thursday that excusing her from the infection prevention methods would have been too burdensome.

  • September 11, 2025

    UPS Avoids Fired Worker's Age, Gender Bias Suit

    A North Carolina federal judge tossed an ex-UPS worker's suit claiming the delivery company fired him out of age and gender bias and because his retirement benefits were about to vest, ruling he failed to discredit his ex-employer's position that he was terminated for sexually harassing a trainee.

  • September 11, 2025

    Vax Battle Offers Justices Vehicle To Widen Religious Rights

    The U.S. Supreme Court will consider taking up a case brought by a group of religious healthcare workers challenging a New York state vaccination requirement, setting up an opportunity for the high court to broaden workers' ability to secure faith-related job accommodations.

  • September 11, 2025

    AI Co. Employee Says Complaining Of Sex Bias Got Her Fired

    An artificial intelligence software developer fired a data scientist after she complained that colleagues had minimized her contributions, held her to different standards than male co-workers and subjected her to unwanted sexual advances, according to a lawsuit filed in New York federal court.

  • September 11, 2025

    Theater Forced Out Worker With Cerebral Palsy, EEOC Says

    A manager of an AMC Theatres location in Maryland unlawfully rescinded accommodations given to an employee with cerebral palsy, berated him and drastically cut his hours until he was forced out, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleged Thursday in federal court.

  • September 11, 2025

    Luxury Gym Cos. Settle Trainer's Wage, Harassment Claims

    A former trainer asked a New York federal court Thursday to sign off on a settlement to resolve wage and hour and sexual harassment claims against the operators of luxury fitness centers.

  • September 11, 2025

    4th Circ. Seems Wary Of Backing Freeze On Trump DEI Orders

    A Fourth Circuit panel appeared reluctant Thursday to uphold an injunction blocking parts of President Donald Trump's executive orders that aimed to cut grants and rein in diversity programs among federal contractors, posing tough questions to the groups who claim the orders are unconstitutional.

Expert Analysis

  • End May Be In Sight For Small Biz Set-Aside Programs

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    A Jan. 21 executive order largely disarming the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, along with recent court rulings, suggests that the administration may soon attempt to eliminate set-asides intended to level the award playing field for small business contractors that qualify under socioeconomic programs, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • 6 Ways The Dole Act Alters USERRA Employment Protections

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    The recently passed Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act continues a long-standing trend of periodically increasing the scope of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, expanding civilian employment rights for service members and veterans with some of the most significant changes yet, say attorneys at Littler.

  • TikTok Bias Suit Ruling Reflects New Landscape Under EFAA

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    In Puris v. Tiktok, a New York federal court found an arbitration agreement unenforceable in a former executive's bias suit, underscoring an evolving trend of broad, but inconsistent, interpretation of the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, say attorneys at Williams & Connolly.

  • Water Cooler Talk: Takeaways From 'It Ends With Us' Suits

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    Troutman’s Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter discuss how the lawsuits filed by “It Ends With Us” stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni hold major lessons about workplace harassment, retaliation and employee digital media use.

  • Running A Compliant DEI Program After EEOC, DOJ Guidance

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    Following recent guidance from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice that operationalized the Trump administration's focus on ending so-called illegal DEI, employers don't need to eliminate DEI programs, but they must ensure that protected characteristics are not considered in employment decisions, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • NWSL's $5M Player Abuse Deal Shifts Standard For Employers

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    The National Women's Soccer League's recent $5 million settlement addressing players' abuse allegations sends a powerful message to leagues, entertainment entities and employers everywhere that employee safety, accountability and transparency are no longer optional, say attorneys at Michelman & Robinson.

  • Navigating The Use Of AI Tools In Workplace Investigations

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    Artificial intelligence tools can be used in workplace investigations to analyze evidence and conduct interviews, among other things, but employers should be aware of the legal and practical risks, including data privacy concerns and the potential for violating antidiscrimination laws, say attorneys at Fisher Phillips.

  • How Justices Rule On Straight Bias May Shift Worker Suits

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    Following oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, in which a heterosexual woman sued her employer for sexual orientation discrimination, the forthcoming decision may create a perfect storm for employers amid recent attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • Employer Tips To Navigate Cultural Flashpoints Investigations

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    As companies are increasingly flooded with complaints of employees violating policies related to polarizing social, cultural or political issues, employers should beware the distinct concerns and increased risk in flashpoints investigations compared to routine workplace probes, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • A Path Forward For Employers, Regardless Of DEI Stance

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    Whether a company views the Trump administration's executive orders ending diversity, equity and inclusion programs as a win or a loss, the change rearranges the employment hazards companies face, but not the non-DEI and nondiscriminatory economic incentive to seek the best workers, says Daniel S. Levy at Advanced Analytical Consulting Group.

  • Bias Suit Shows WNBA Growing Pains On Court And In Court

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    A newly filed disability discrimination and retaliation lawsuit against the Los Angeles Sparks is the latest in a series of employment discrimination disputes filed by WNBA professionals, highlighting teams' obligation to meet elevated workplace expectations and the league's role in facilitating an inclusive work environment, say attorneys at Michelman & Robinson.

  • 2 Areas Of Labor Law That May Change Under Trump

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    Based on President Donald Trump's recent moves, employers should expect to see significant changes in the direction of law coming out of the National Labor Relations Board, particularly in two areas where the Trump administration will seek to roll back the Biden NLRB's changes, says Daniel Johns at Cozen O’Connor.

  • Justices' Revival Ruling In Bias Suit Exceeds Procedural Issue

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Waetzig v. Halliburton allowed the plaintiff in an age discrimination lawsuit to move to reopen his case after arbitration, but the seemingly straightforward decision on a procedural issue raises complex questions for employment law practitioners, says Christopher Sakauye at Dykema.