A major legal battle is unfolding over whether President Trump had the power to fire two Senate-confirmed officials from independent federal agencies. One is Jocelyn Samuels, formerly of the EEOC. The other is Gwynne Wilcox, who had just started a second term on the NLRB. Their cases are raising serious…
For several weeks, employment law and HR professionals have been hearing about the term “illegal DEI.” But what did “illegal DEI” actually mean—especially to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal discrimination watchdog? Until recently, that was anyone’s guess. That changed yesterday when the EEOC issued guidance clarifying…
Recently, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has garnered headlines (and blog posts) over a shift in enforcement priorities to issues such as “anti-American” bias in hiring and defending women’s rights to single-sex spaces, such as bathrooms and locker rooms, in the workplace. To say these were previously on the backburner would be…
Diversity, equity, and inclusion—better known as DEI—has been a hot topic lately. While DEI itself isn’t inherently illegal, critics have latched onto the idea of so-called “illegal DEI.” What exactly does that mean? Unclear. But a recent federal court case involving a law student who said she was discouraged from…
Some people seem to think the workplace is their personal soapbox, where they can broadcast whatever pops into their heads—no matter how offensive, misguided, or just plain dumb. One former employee learned this the hard way when he posted an anti-LGBTQ+ comment on the company intranet, mistakenly thinking it was…
Especially if you’re gonna claim discrimination when you eventually get fired. That’s among the takeaways from a recent federal appellate court ruling reinforcing the importance of enforcing workplace policies, particularly those related to safety. What Happened? A logistics manager was fired after failing to follow company policy when another employee…
Yesterday, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, a case where a heterosexual employee claimed her employer discriminated against her in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The key legal question isn’t whether she has a claim but…
“We are terminating you for ‘denying biological and chromosomal sex assigned at birth.’” That’s what a transgender woman alleges HR told her when she was fired from her job at a religious university. In response, she sued for sex discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.…
A federal judge in Maryland has issued a nationwide injunction halting key provisions of two executive orders that sought to limit workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. The ruling means that, for now, employers—especially federal contractors and grant recipients—can continue their DEI efforts without immediate legal risk. Why Did…
President Trump’s recent Executive Order, “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” has raised pressing questions about the future of workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The order emphasizes enforcing civil rights laws, eliminating race- and sex-based preferences in federal policies, and promoting merit-based opportunities. In response, many employers…