Discrimination

  • April 07, 2025

    GOP Lawmaker Floats Bill To Block PWFA Abortion Rules

    A Republican representative introduced legislation that aims to block U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regulations that would require employers to accommodate workers' abortions under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

  • April 07, 2025

    Former Workers Say X Corp. Refuses To Arbitrate Their Claims

    A group of former Twitter employees is trying to force the company now known as X to arbitrate the workers' challenges to allegedly unlawful actions taken after Elon Musk's acquisition of the platform, claiming the social media giant is preventing their cases from moving forward by refusing to pay the full arbitration fees.

  • April 07, 2025

    Litigation Firms Back Perkins Coie In Suit Over Trump Order

    A slew of midsize and small litigation firms took up Perkins Coie LLP's cause in its legal battle against an executive order from President Donald Trump targeting the BigLaw firm, arguing Monday in an amicus brief that the order is "anathema" to the justice system.

  • April 07, 2025

    Teamsters Unit Seeks Early Win For Reinstatement Award

    A Teamsters local urged a Missouri federal court to uphold an arbitration award requiring Unilever to reinstate an employee who was let go for allegedly falsifying company records, arguing the arbitrator issued a reasonable decision that the worker was fired without just cause.

  • April 07, 2025

    Littler Wants Out Of Fired Tech Exec's Bias Suit

    Littler Mendelson has asked to be cut loose from a former tech company executive's suit claiming the firm and the business worked together to retaliate against her for complaining that her boss made bigoted comments, arguing to a New York federal court that it can't be held liable for the legal advice it provided.

  • April 07, 2025

    Wigdor Seeks Exit In Leon Black Case Amid Sanctions Threat

    Wigdor LLP sought to withdraw from a sexual assault case against ex-Apollo Global Management CEO Leon Black in New York federal court as the billionaire investor seeks sanctions against the firm and its Jane Doe client.

  • April 07, 2025

    Woody Allen Resolves Private Chef's Military Leave Suit

    Woody Allen struck a deal with his former private chef to resolve his suit accusing the filmmaker of abruptly firing him after he took time off to participate in military exercises as a member of the U.S. Army Reserve, a filing in New York federal court said.

  • April 07, 2025

    Texas County Settles Atty's Disability Suit On Eve Of Trial

    A Texas federal court tossed an attorney's suit accusing Harris County, Texas, of failing to accommodate his leave requests and instead punishing him with a negative performance review after the parties said they reached a deal ahead of trial.

  • April 04, 2025

    Employment Lawyers' Weekly DEI Cheat Sheet

    Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP and Milbank LLP became the latest firms to reach agreements with the Trump administration to stave off executive orders, and a group of Republican state attorneys general urged law firms to hand over information on their workplace diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Here, Law360 looks at notable DEI-related legal developments from the past week.

  • April 04, 2025

    HHS Drops 11th Circ. Fight Over ACA Trans Rule Freeze

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agreed to drop its bid to overturn an order blocking it from enforcing regulations that extend the Affordable Care Act's anti-discrimination provisions to transgender individuals against Florida organizations, according to filings with the Eleventh Circuit.

  • April 04, 2025

    NY Forecast: 2nd Circ. Weighs OK Of Disputed Settlement

    This week, the Second Circuit will consider whether to reverse a Connecticut federal judge's decision giving final approval to a class and collective action settlement between a home health care company and workers based on a memorandum of understanding that the company claims is unenforceable.

  • April 04, 2025

    Texas Goodwill Inks $75K Deal In EEOC Disability Bias Suit

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission told a Texas federal court Friday that a Goodwill operation has agreed to pay $75,000 to end the agency's suit alleging the organization illegally declined to hire a deaf applicant for a retail role because "hearing and speaking" were job requirements.

  • April 04, 2025

    New Calif. Bills To Watch On Pay And Leave

    California’s Legislature is considering bills that seek to update the state’s equal pay laws, bar employers from using so called stay-or-pay contracts and harmonize the meaning of family across paid leave laws. Here, Law360 explores these three bills that will drive discussion on workers’ rights.

  • April 04, 2025

    LA County Inks Historic $4B Juvenile Sex Abuse Settlement

    Los Angeles County announced Friday that it's reached a $4 billion tentative settlement to resolve nearly 7,000 claims of sexual abuse at juvenile detention facilities and foster homes, a historic deal described by some as the largest-ever payout of its kind.

  • April 04, 2025

    Houston Housing Authority Hit With Sex Harassment Suit

    A female former Houston Housing Authority Corp. employee has alleged in Texas federal court that she was sexually harassed, dealt with sexist remarks, got demoted and was retaliated against by her supervisor when she worked there.

  • April 04, 2025

    2nd Circ. Judge Rips NYC Bias Training As 'Incredibly Racist'

    A Second Circuit judge appeared incredulous Friday at New York City's defense of implicit bias trainings that its education department mandated employees complete in 2018, stating during a case hearing that the seminars were "incredibly racist" and could constitute unlawful harassment.

  • April 04, 2025

    DOL Adds To Args Against Injunction On Trump DEI Mandates

    The U.S. Department of Labor this week urged an Illinois federal judge to reconsider his analysis of a provision in President Donald Trump's recent executive orders directing federal agencies to terminate "equity-related" grants and to limit the scope of any forthcoming preliminary injunction to the Chicago-based trade group that filed suit challenging them.

  • April 04, 2025

    Liberty University Can Appeal Trans Bias Case Ruling

    A Virginia federal judge has allowed Liberty University Inc. to immediately appeal the non-dismissal of a discrimination suit by a transgender woman fired for transitioning, ruling that it's an open question whether religious exemptions to Title VII apply when a firing is "plausibly as sex-based as it was religion-based."

  • April 04, 2025

    Trucking Co. Ends Calif. Agency's Conviction Bias Probe

    An Iowa-based transportation and logistics company agreed to pay $100,000 to end a California Civil Rights Department investigation into allegations that it unlawfully pulled a job offer because of an applicant's criminal history, according to the state agency.

  • April 04, 2025

    Calif. Forecast: AB 5 Trucking Challenge Back At 9th Circ.

    In the coming week, attorneys should keep an eye out for oral arguments at the Ninth Circuit in a challenge to California's independent contractor classification law by trucking industry groups and two drivers, a case that previously went before the appeals court. Here's a look at that case and other labor and employment matters coming up in California.

  • April 04, 2025

    Trump Gets Supreme Court Win In Teacher Grants Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday axed a Massachusetts federal judge's order requiring the Trump administration to reinstate $250 million in teacher training grants for eight states, giving President Donald Trump his first high court win amid what he claims is a flood of unlawful court orders restraining the executive branch's power.

  • April 04, 2025

    Female Public Defenders Settle Bias Case With Pa. County

    A proposed class of unionized female public defenders on Friday settled civil rights claims against Delaware County, Pennsylvania, nearly three years after suing their employer for alleged "systemic, enduring and continuing wage disparity" between male and female attorneys in suburban Philadelphia.

  • April 04, 2025

    Fox Rothschild Employment Atty Joins Pierson Ferdinand

    Fast-growing Pierson Ferdinand LLP has announced a labor and employment attorney with more than 40 years of experience has joined the firm from Fox Rothschild LLP as a partner based in New York and Princeton, New Jersey.

  • April 04, 2025

    Drexel Can't Get New Trial In Prof's Equal Pay Suit

    Drexel University cannot unravel a $355,000 award for a philosophy professor after a jury found she was willfully paid less than her male colleagues out of bias, a Pennsylvania federal judge ruled Friday, saying the court wouldn't rethink disciplining the university for failing to provide pertinent pay data.

  • April 04, 2025

    More Than 500 Law Firms Sign Onto Perkins Coie Amicus

    A group of 507 law firms, including Munger Tolles & Olson LLP and Covington & Burling LLP, have signed onto an amicus brief filed Friday supporting Perkins Coie LLP's challenge to President Donald Trump's executive order targeting the law firm.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • What Employment Bias Litigation Looks Like After Muldrow

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    Nine months after the U.S. Supreme Court created an undemanding standard for discrimination claims in Muldrow v. St. Louis, Eric Schnapper at the University of Washington discusses how the Title VII litigation landscape has changed and what to expect moving forward.