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Articles Posted in Discrimination and Unlawful Harassment
Why intent doesn’t matter when a white guy gifts watermelon to his black co-workers. Or does it?

The Evil HR Lady, Suzanne Lucas, beat me to it.
On Tuesday, Suzanne wrote here about a volunteer firefighter, who is white. And that white firefighter brought a watermelon to the fire station as a gift for his co-workers. According to this Fox 2 report, 90 percent of his co-workers are black.
This may not end well. Continue reading
Local union throws flag on Dallas Cowboys’ owner’s threat to bench players who disrespect the U.S. flag
Humility is not my middle name. Actually, it’s “Hercules.”
(It’s not Hercules). But, it’s not “Humility” either and I rarely turn down the opportunity to say, “I told you so.” So, remember when I told you a few weeks ago how NFL owners would have a tough time legally firing players who took a knee during the national anthem?
Well, yesterday, United Labor Unions Local 100 filed an unfair labor practice charge against Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones for practically the same thing. Continue reading
I’m telling you. Bad things happen when the Board Chair plays matchmaker for her son, the CEO.
Over the weekend, I was reading this recent opinion from a federal judge in Maryland and, with a big smile on my face, I started polishing up my blogging crown and scepter.
Allen v. TV One, LLC is a case about a woman who alleges that she was constantly pestered by the Board Chair to marry the company CEO, the Board Chair’s son. For example, the Board Chair supposedly told the plaintiff, “I’m going to be your mother one way or another. Either you will marry [my son] or I will marry your father and be your stepmother.”
And, I’m like…this opinion has The Employer Handbook written all over it!
Except, then I remembered. I already did blog about it. Continue reading
Jeff Sessions and the DOJ pull the rug out from under transgender workers.
Back in July of this year, the U.S. Department of Justice officially revealed its position that nothing would prevent an employer from discriminating against a gay worker before of his sexual orientation. On that very same day, President Donald Trump tweeted that the military should ban transgender people from serving.
Fast forward to yesterday. In a move that surprised everyone, said absolutely no one, the DOJ issued this memo in which it posited that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the federal workplace anti-discrimination law, does not protect transgender workers from discrimination based on their gender identity per se. Continue reading
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Watching porn at work doesn’t necessarily create a hostile work environment for others.

Is this prurient blog title a convenient excuse to play a J. Geils Band tune on the blog? Maybe. But, still I’ll toss in a side of HR-compliance. Continue reading
Does the ADA protect an individual who uses prescription drugs to battle addiction to illegal drugs?
As the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s fiscal year comes to a close, the agency has filed a slew of discrimination lawsuits. One that caught my eye involves an employer that allegedly rescinded an offer of employment once it found out that the individual was using prescription drugs to treat his prior heroin addiction.
Wait a minute! Can’t you terminate someone who has abused drugs? Continue reading
The power of diversity, dignity, and respect over discrimination #MondayMotivation
Oh, do I have some Monday Motivation for you! Continue reading
Company’s You Show, You Go Policy violates pregnancy discrimination law, says EEOC
If what the EEOC alleges in this lawsuit is true, then this employer is stupider than stupid-stupid. Continue reading
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