News & Analysis as of

Civil Rights Act

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

Tenth Circuit Holds Single Sensitivity Training Can’t Support Hostile Environment Claim

On May 11, 2026, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals held that a single mandatory racial sensitivity training did not meet the high bar for a hostile work environment claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or...more

Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti,...

When Self-Defense Shapes Probable Cause- Third Circuit Raises the Stakes in Kendig v. Stolar

In a significant Fourth Amendment decision, the Third Circuit held in Kendig v. Stolar, 2026 WL 1145264, that law enforcement may, in certain circumstances, be required to include known affirmative-defense evidence in...more

Husch Blackwell LLP

When Faith and Policy Collide: Fourth Circuit Upholds School District’s Gender Identity Guidelines Over Teacher’s Religious...

Husch Blackwell LLP on

Understanding how courts interpret school policies is essential for today’s educational leaders, especially as issues involving gender identity continue to evolve. A recent decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the...more

Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP

IBM Agrees to First Settlement of False Claims Act Allegations under DOJ Civil Rights Fraud Initiative

On April 10, 2026, the United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced the first False Claims Act resolution secured under the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative with International Business Machines Corporation (“IBM”). We...more

Thompson Coburn LLP

Why The Sixth Circuit Won’t ‘Lose Any Sleep’ Over Its Rejection of Negligence-Based Liability for Third-Party Harassment

Thompson Coburn LLP on

Last month, the United States Supreme Court declined a petition for certiorari filed by Dorthy Bivens following a decision from the Sixth Circuit in Bivens v. Zep Inc., 147 F.4th 635 (2025). ...more

TNG Consulting

Technology and AI: The Changing Nature of Misconduct (And Why You Can’t Afford to Wait to Address It, Part Two)

TNG Consulting on

Last week, we explored how to leverage technology in the investigative process. This week, we examine another reality that civil rights coordinators and investigators are increasingly encountering....more

Husch Blackwell LLP

EEOC Rescinds Harassment Guidance, But Schools’ Obligations Remain

Husch Blackwell LLP on

On January 22, 2026, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) voted 2-1 to rescind its “Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace,” which had been approved in 2024. In a statement, EEOC Chair Andrea...more

Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP

Commerce Department Amends Title VI Rules to Remove Disparate Impact Violations

Last year, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued guidance stating that it would no longer pursue disparate impact discrimination claims against employers under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. ...more

TNG Consulting

How Technology Can Support Investigative Work (And Why You Can’t Afford to Wait to Leverage It, Part One)

TNG Consulting on

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming civil rights investigations by changing the types of evidence, the forms of misconduct, and the evaluation techniques. While practitioners might be tempted to wait for technology...more

Robins Kaplan LLP

Fargo Sisters Wronged by CPS Obtain $3.25 Million Civil Rights Settlement

Robins Kaplan LLP on

Amy and Karley Thorson say Mahnomen County Child Protection Services (CPS) wrongly labeled them as having sexually abused Amy’s two sons, ages seven and five....more

Fisher Phillips

Think Employment Laws Don’t Apply to Your Private Club? Think Again

Fisher Phillips on

Many private clubs have long operated under a widely misunderstood premise that federal employment discrimination laws simply do not apply to them. While there is a kernel of truth to that belief, the reality is far more...more

Guidepost Solutions LLC

A Compliance Moment for Higher Education

On March 25, 2026, the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice opened compliance review investigations into medical school admissions at Stanford University, Ohio State University, and UC San Diego. The letters...more

Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP

Ninth Circuit Decision Shows Tension Over Judging Employees' Religious Motivations

Last week, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied an en banc review of a panel decision dismissing a Title VII religious claim filed against a hospital employer. The claim was filed by a plaintiff who was fired after...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

Legal Rulings Seek to Curtail LGBTQ Rights

Ballard Spahr LLP on

Consistent with the Trump Administration’s longstanding stance on “gender ideology,” several recent legal developments have curtailed or sought to limit LGBTQ rights. Collectively, these actions reflect a broader trend of...more

Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti,...

$17 Million False Claims Act Settlement is Cautionary Tale for Federal Contractors with Diversity Initiatives

Questions abound over the United States Justice Department’s (“DOJ”) aggressive posture towards federal contractors with DEI policies. On April 10, 2026, the DOJ settled with IBM, as the multinational technology company...more

Lowenstein Sandler LLP

DOJ Settles First FCA Claims Under Civil Rights Fraud Initiative and Signals Heightened Enforcement Against Corporate DEI Programs

Lowenstein Sandler LLP on

On April 10, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that IBM agreed to pay more than $17 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by failing to comply with anti-discrimination...more

BakerHostetler

Court Rulings Clarify When Performance Improvement Plans May Form Federal Discrimination Claims

BakerHostetler on

The Supreme Court’s 2024 ruling in Muldrow v. City of St. Louis that lowered the threshold for what a plaintiff must demonstrate to bring a discrimination claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act raised a lot of...more

Fisher Phillips

IBM’s $17M Settlement Over DEI Program Offers Key Lessons for Federal Contractors

Fisher Phillips on

Since the start of President Trump’s second term, the administration has been focused on ending “illegal” workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. A recent $17 million settlement with IBM illustrates the...more

Proskauer - Government Contractor Compliance...

DOJ Resolves First DEI-Related False Claims Act Matter with IBM for $17 Million

Quick Hit: On April 10, 2026, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced the first False Claims Act (“FCA”) resolution secured under its Civil Rights Fraud Initiative. The settlement resolves allegations that International...more

TNG Consulting

Title IX as Community Care at Religiously-Affiliated Institutions

TNG Consulting on

When people hear the term Title IX, they may think of the law, regulations, or compliance obligations. It can sound reactive or punitive, after harm has occurred. I approach Title IX differently. For me, Title IX is a form of...more

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

DOJ Announces First-Ever False Claims Act Settlement Concerning Alleged ‘Illegal DEI Practices’

On April 10, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Division announced a $17 million settlement with IBM, marking the first-ever False Claims Act (FCA) settlement under the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative announced in...more

K&L Gates LLP

DOJ Announces First False Claims Act Case Targeting DEI Programs

K&L Gates LLP on

Nearly a year after launching a new Civil Rights Fraud Initiative aimed at diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on 10 April 2026 its first False Claims Act (FCA)...more

Husch Blackwell LLP

Changes in Federal Policy Addressing Student Discipline

Husch Blackwell LLP on

On April 23, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order #14280 (EO 14280), “Reinstating Commonsense School Discipline Policies.” This order directs the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Attorney General to issue new...more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

Justice Department Targets Visa Preference in Job Ads

On April 6, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Immigrant and Employee Rights Section announced a settlement with an IT staffing firm over allegations that language used in job advertisements reflected a preference...more

Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt PC

Federal DEI Crackdown: Key Considerations for ANCs and Tribal Entities

On April 9, 2026, we issued an update on President Trump’s March 26, 2026 Executive Order, Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors, warning that the EO’s False Claims Act enforcement architecture, including its...more

4,592 Results
 / 
View per page
Page: of 184

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
- hide
- hide