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Summary Judgment Discrimination Employer Liability Issues

Farella Braun + Martel LLP

Employers Do Not Demonstrate Discriminatory Animus By Merely Repeating Pejorative Remarks When Investigating Complaints

In a victory for employers seeking summary judgment in employment discrimination cases, the Ninth Circuit held that discriminatory remarks that merely quote third parties—including pejorative phrases—do not create a genuine...more

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

Get with the Pronoun: Eleventh Circuit Rules Pervasive Misgendering Is Harassment

If an employer or coworker persistently uses a transgender worker’s wrong name or identified pronoun, can that constitute a hostile work environment in violation of Title VII? In Copeland v. Georgia Department of Corrections,...more

Foley Hoag LLP

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Clarifies “Cat’s Paw” and “Stray Remarks” Doctrines in Employment Discrimination Cases

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The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s (“SJC”) decision in Mark A. Adams v. Schneider Electric USA, Inc., SJC-13352 (2023) concerned the age discrimination claim of a plaintiff who was 54 years old when he was laid off by...more

Butler Snow LLP

Step-dad’s “slobbery” kiss leads to big trouble for Tennessee employer

Butler Snow LLP on

Under Title VII, an employer can be held liable for retaliation by a non-supervisory co-worker if (1) the conduct is sufficiently severe to dissuade a complaint of discrimination; (2) management was aware of the behavior; and...more

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

Plaintiff’s “Paramour Preference” Plan Panned: 9th Circuit Finds Romantic Relationship Not Enough to Show Discrimination Against...

In another chapter in litigation alliteration, in Maner v. Dignity Health, f/k/a Catholic Healthcare West, the Ninth Circuit held that a male employee’s theory that his supervisor’s long-term romantic relationship with a...more

Fisher Phillips

Web Exclusive - That’s My Story And I’m Sticking To It: A Look At The “Honest Belief” Rule

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You find out an employee launches a false complaint of discrimination or harassment and you terminate them for their dishonesty. There’s no harm in that, right? Think again. There has been a recent trend of cases where courts...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Fourth Circuit Sides With EEOC: Back Pay Damages Are Mandatory Under The ADEA

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

Seyfarth Synopsis: Although back pay has been awarded in Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) cases for quite some time, few courts have specifically addressed whether these damages are discretionary or mandatory. In...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Failure to Investigate and Fat-Shaming Permit Employment Claims to Proceed

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

Seyfarth Synopsis: Under California law, obesity can qualify as a disability if it has a physiological cause and limits a major life activity. Proving such a claim has been difficult. The First District Court of Appeal’s...more

Proskauer - California Employment Law

California Employment Law Notes - January 2017

$90 Million Judgment Reinstated: Employers Must Relieve Employees Of All Duties During Their Rest Periods - Augustus v. ABM Sec. Servs., Inc., 2016 WL 7407328 (Cal. S. Ct. 2016) - Jennifer Augustus filed this...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Now Something Known As “Onionhead” Is A “Religion” For Which The EEOC Can Bring A Religious Discrimination Suit

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Seyfarth Synopsis: In an EEOC religious discrimination case, a federal court found that “Onionhead” was a religion for purposes of Title VII. The court also found that the EEOC did not fail to meet its Title VII pre-suit...more

Littler

Seventh Circuit to Plaintiffs: Here's Your Burden of Proof

Littler on

Most employees who file employment discrimination claims hope for one of two things – a really sympathetic jury or an employer that is willing to generously settle the lawsuit to avoid the risks and uncertainties of trial. ...more

Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP

Second Circuit Will Not Review Adequacy of EEOC Investigation

In its most recent term, the U.S. Supreme Court held in the Mach Mining case that federal courts have limited ability to review whether or not the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission fulfilled its statutory duty to...more

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

Fifth Circuit Reverses Summary Judgment in Favor of Franchisor Not Named in Charge of Discrimination

Names play an important role for an employee who, in filing a charge of discrimination, must satisfy Title VII’s naming requirement. This is because an employee who fails to properly name defendants in a charge of...more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

Second Circuit Finds Possible Pretext in Vague Justification for Non-Transfer

On July 14th, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated an award of summary judgment for the defendants in Abrams v. Department of Public Safety, State of Connecticut, et al., Case No. 13-111, holding that...more

Bond Schoeneck & King PLLC

Court of Appeals Holds That Employer’s Failure to Engage in Interactive Process Regarding Employee’s Accommodation Request...

Discrimination claims are expensive to defend and if they reach a jury, the results are often unpredictable. The summary judgment motion, when utilized properly, is an effective risk and cost containment tool available to...more

Akerman LLP - HR Defense

Yes, Employers Can Win Summary Judgment In State Court

Given the opportunity, most defense lawyers will remove an employment discrimination case filed in state court to federal court because federal judges are more inclined to grant summary judgment, i.e. a judgment in favor of...more

Baker Donelson

Employer's Use of Spreadsheet Categorizing Employees by Race Supports Plaintiff's Discrimination Claim

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An employer's use of a spreadsheet categorizing employees in part by race doomed its attempt to obtain summary judgment on a former employee's race discrimination claims in the case of Fuller v. Edward B. Stimpson Co., Inc.,...more

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