Discrimination

  • February 17, 2025

    Labor Groups Denied Block On DOGE's Agency Access

    A Washington, D.C. federal judge again declined to block Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency from accessing three federal agencies' data, saying worker and consumer advocates haven't shown that the department's agents don't belong.

  • February 14, 2025

    9th Circ. Told DOL Can't Shield Contractor Demographic Data

    The Center for Investigative Reporting told the Ninth Circuit on Friday that federal contractors' workforce demographic reports were not protected by a commercial data exemption to the Freedom of Information Act, as there was no "intimate information" in those reports.

  • February 14, 2025

    Calif. Draft AI Rules Show Struggle To 'Keep Up' With Tech

    California's civil rights watchdog recently pitched changes to proposed rules that would minimize artificial intelligence bias in the workplace, seemingly watering down enforcement options and demonstrating the difficulty of regulating such rapidly evolving technology, experts said. Here's a look at the suggested changes and what's ahead.

  • February 14, 2025

    Diddy, Jay-Z Rape Lawsuit Dropped Amid Legal Ethics Battle

    An anonymous woman dropped her New York federal court lawsuit accusing Sean "Diddy" Combs and Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter of raping a teenager together, claims that launched a bitter ethics feud between personal injury attorney Tony Buzbee and Jay-Z's lawyers at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP.

  • February 14, 2025

    SEC Can't Nix Black Female Branch Chief's Race Bias Claim

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission must face discrimination and retaliation claims by a Black female supervisor who alleged she was removed from her position after filing workplace complaints, after a D.C. federal judge on Thursday ruled the plaintiff identified other similarly situated managers who remained in their jobs despite documented misconduct. 

  • February 14, 2025

    UPS Beats Race Bias Suit From Worker Fired Over Memes

    A Massachusetts federal judge shut down a biracial UPS worker's bias suit claiming he was fired for sharing memes at work while a white colleague got to keep his job after being faulted for the same behavior, ruling that federal labor law blocks his claims from court.

  • February 14, 2025

    Insurer Can Proceed With Miami Retaliation Coverage Dispute

    A Florida federal court partially rejected on Friday a magistrate judge's dismissal recommendations in a dispute between the city of Miami and an insurer over coverage for underlying lawsuits that allege political retaliation, allowing the parties to litigate the insurer's potential duty to defend.

  • February 14, 2025

    House Dems Question Rationale For OSHA Guidance Purge

    Democratic members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce demanded that the U.S. Department of Labor provide details about why certain worker safety documents were removed from the federal government's website, saying some information seems to have been arbitrarily removed because it referenced "diversity" or "gender."

  • February 14, 2025

    Judge Needs Time To Mull Block On DOGE's Agency Audits

    A Washington, D.C., federal judge said he plans to rule "promptly" on a request by worker and consumer advocates to stop the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing three federal agencies' data but couldn't say when following a wide-ranging hearing on the bid.

  • February 14, 2025

    4th Circ. Rejects IRS Worker's Discrimination Claims

    A Maryland federal court was right to reject claims by a Vietnam-born Internal Revenue Service employee who said she was discriminated against when managers disciplined her for insubordination, the Fourth Circuit ruled Friday, saying she failed to prove other employees were treated differently.

  • February 14, 2025

    Calif. Forecast: $4M Transpo Co. Wage Deal Up For Final OK

    In the coming week, attorneys should keep an eye out for the final approval of a $4 million deal in a wage and hour class action involving transportation company CRST. Here's a look at that case and other labor and employment matters coming up in California.

  • February 14, 2025

    7th Circ. Says Ex-AbbVie Worker Filed Race Bias Suit Too Late

    The Seventh Circuit refused to reopen a Black former AbbVie Inc. administrative assistant's suit alleging she was fired for reporting that a colleague used racial slurs and invaded her privacy, ruling the worker had filed her suit months too late.

  • February 14, 2025

    NY Forecast: 2nd Circ. Weighs Renewing Firm's Bias Suit

    This week the Second Circuit is to consider whether to revive a lawsuit brought by a former senior vice president at a global investment firm claiming it discriminated against him due to his race and religion and gave him false poor performance reviews before firing him.

  • February 14, 2025

    Guam Resort Favored Japanese Workers, EEOC Says

    A resort in Guam gave better wages and working conditions to Japanese workers over those of a different national origin, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Friday in an employment discrimination suit in federal court.

  • February 14, 2025

    DOJ Takes Military Bias Dispute With Nev. To 9th Circ.

    The U.S. Department of Justice said it will appeal to the Ninth Circuit after a federal judge tossed its suit accusing the state of Nevada and its public employees retirement system of overcharging service members for pension credits.

  • February 13, 2025

    DOD Says Injunction Isn't Needed In Transgender Ban Suit

    The U.S. Department of Defense has urged a D.C. federal judge to deny a preliminary injunction in a challenge to an executive order effectively barring transgender troops from serving in the military, saying the motion is premature and unlikely to succeed.

  • February 13, 2025

    Wash. Justices Wary Of Pay Transparency Law Stances

    Washington's highest court grilled attorneys on both sides of a debate over state pay transparency law on Thursday, with some justices suggesting the employer's stance put too much onus on workers while another expressed doubt the protections should extend to people who apply for jobs they have no chance to get.

  • February 13, 2025

    Dem AGs Urge Companies To Keep DEI Programs In Place

    A coalition of 16 Democratic state attorneys general told companies Thursday not to immediately scrap programs meant to promote diversity, equity and inclusion within their organizations, saying these initiatives are largely legal despite threats from President Donald Trump's administration.

  • February 13, 2025

    Judge Extends Restraining Order On USAID Gutting

    A D.C. federal judge extended his temporary restraining order barring USAID from placing thousands of employees on administrative leave for another week on Thursday, saying he needed more time to rule on the plaintiff employees unions' preliminary injunction request to stop the agency's overhaul while the case proceeds.

  • February 13, 2025

    4th Circ. Won't Revive Ex-Finance Co. Worker's Age Bias Suit

    The Fourth Circuit declined Thursday to revive a suit from a sales manager who claimed he was unlawfully fired from a financial services company after complaining about age bias, rejecting his argument that the lower court overlooked retaliatory moves by the business.

  • February 13, 2025

    Old Dominion Worker's Gender-Affirming Care Suit Dropped

    A transgender woman participating in an Old Dominion employee health plan agreed to drop her suit alleging she was wrongly denied gender-affirming care coverage for facial hair removal after a Washington federal judge dismissed the case in January, citing a settlement of the dispute.

  • February 13, 2025

    'Two Sexes' Order Sinks EEOC Suit Over Nonbinary Worker

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission asked a federal judge Thursday to dismiss its suit claiming a hotel operator unlawfully fired a nonbinary worker, pointing to President Donald Trump's executive order declaring that the government recognizes only two sexes.

  • February 13, 2025

    Tech Axed For Flagging Trans Worker's Harassment, Suit Says

    A live event audiovisual equipment provider blacklisted a female lighting technician because she complained that a transgender colleague had repeatedly sexually harassed her in the women's bathroom during a Trans-Siberian Orchestra tour, according to a lawsuit filed in Texas state court.

  • February 13, 2025

    Ga. Plant Boss Accused Of Trying To Bribe Opposing Counsel

    The director of a Georgia plastics manufacturing plant has been accused of offering to pay the attorney representing a brother and sister in a federal discrimination lawsuit in exchange for a quick settlement, with the siblings claiming the defendant's "assertions are tantamount to bribery and fraud."

  • February 13, 2025

    Amazon Worker's $1.6M Fee Bid Slashed In Military Bias Suit

    A Washington federal judge awarded an Amazon worker a fraction of the $1.6 million in attorney fees he requested in his recently settled suit claiming the company blocked him from promotions due to his military service, finding the outcome of the case didn't warrant an amount that high.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • 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.