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Discrimination

  • 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.

  • September 11, 2025

    Electronics Co., EEOC Resolve Disability Bias Suit

    An electronics manufacturer has agreed to pay $78,000 to end a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit alleging it refused to accommodate an engineering analyst who asked to work from home after the pandemic when her osteoarthritis worsened, according to an Alabama federal court filing.

  • September 10, 2025

    En Banc 11th Circ. Ruling Hints At Broad Reach For Skrmetti

    The Eleventh Circuit invoking a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that backed a Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for minors to rule against a transgender Georgia sheriff's deputy who challenged her health plan's coverage exclusions invites lower courts to import the justices' rationale into workplace discrimination cases, experts say.  

  • September 10, 2025

    6th Circ. Splits In Racial Bias Suit Over Hearsay Evidence

    A divided Sixth Circuit panel upheld an elevator manufacturer's defeat of a former employee's retaliation suit Wednesday, saying a human resources representative's secondhand statement about the reason for the employee's termination was correctly kept out of the case.

  • September 10, 2025

    State AGs Back Trans Worker In Liberty U.'s 4th Circ. Appeal

    A group of 19 states and Washington, D.C., urged the Fourth Circuit to back a trial court's decision to keep a former Liberty University employee's transgender bias case in court, arguing the religious university's interpretation of the First Amendment would decimate anti-discrimination efforts.

  • September 10, 2025

    Emirates Wants To Land Laid-Off Workers' Class Cert. Bid

    A group of former Emirates employees should not receive class certification in their suit claiming the airline discriminated against American employees during its 2020 layoffs that they said were made without proper notice, the airline told a New York federal court.

  • September 10, 2025

    Nursing Home Illegally Fired Pregnant Worker, EEOC Says

    A nursing facility and its operator violated the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act when they effectively fired an employee who requested light duty to accommodate her pregnancy, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claimed in a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Maryland federal court.

  • September 10, 2025

    2nd Circ. Won't Revive Healthcare Workers' Vax Bias Suit

    The Second Circuit backed Northwell Health's win over a lawsuit claiming it unlawfully terminated 30 employees who requested religious exemptions from the healthcare system's COVID-19 vaccination policy, ruling Wednesday that granting those requests would have conflicted with New York state law.

  • September 10, 2025

    4th Circ. Backs Dismissal Of Black VCU Prof's Retaliation Suit

    A split Fourth Circuit panel refused Wednesday to revive a Black professor's suit claiming Virginia Commonwealth University pulled her off a supplemental director role because she made race bias complaints, despite a dissent from one judge who said the suit should go to a jury.

  • September 10, 2025

    VA, Ex-Worker End Bias Suit Over FMLA Issues

    A Black former employee of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has agreed to end her suit alleging she was charged with not reporting to work despite having approved intermittent medical leave and was discriminated against because of her race and sex, a Missouri federal court said Wednesday.

  • September 10, 2025

    Terminal Co. Inks $20K Deal In EEOC Disability Bias Suit

    A marine terminal operator has agreed to pay $20,000 to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming it refused to return a truck driver with a heart condition to his job after he received medical clearance, the EEOC said Wednesday.

  • September 09, 2025

    7th Circ. Doubts Proof In Chicago Cop's COVID-19 Death Case

    A Seventh Circuit panel seemed unconvinced Tuesday that a Chicago police officer's widow has enough evidence to go to trial on claims that he contracted COVID-19 and died days later because his superiors never responded to his work accommodation request.

  • September 09, 2025

    5th Circ. Backs Texas University In Medical Leave Suit

    The Fifth Circuit upheld Texas Christian University's win over a former employee's lawsuit claiming she was fired for taking medical leave, saying she failed to show she was eligible for federally protected time off to take care of her mental health.

  • September 09, 2025

    10th Circ. Seems Unsure About Reviving Rehab Worker's Suit

    An occupational therapist tried to persuade a Tenth Circuit panel Tuesday to revive her suit alleging she was illegally punished after complaining about sexual harassment, with several judges questioning whether the circumstances surrounding her resignation amount to the sort of negative employment decision needed to keep her case alive.

  • September 09, 2025

    UPS, Teamsters Look To Ax Ex-Worker's Return-To-Work Suit

    A Tennessee federal judge should toss an ex-UPS employee's claims that the company and a Teamsters local thwarted his attempt to return to work after an on-the-job injury, the company and union argued, saying they made every effort to get him back to work, but he wouldn't cooperate.

  • September 09, 2025

    8th Circ. Won't Revive Black Workers' Bias Suit Against Nucor

    The Eighth Circuit declined Tuesday to reinstate a race bias suit from two Black former workers who claimed steel manufacturer Nucor unfairly disciplined them for complaining that they faced racist harassment, saying their hostile work environment and retaliation claims were rightly tossed.

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.