|
Category: Affirmative Action and Diversity

Fresh After Affirmative Action College Admissions Case Win, Plaintiffs Turn to Private Sector

Affirmative action opponents are following their successful Supreme Court challenge of the admissions policies of Harvard and the University of North Carolina by suing entities in the private sector for allegedly discriminatory race-based employment practices. The American Alliance for Equal Rights filed lawsuits against two major law firms, alleging race-based discrimination in their fellowship programs for summer interns. A separate...
|
Category: Discrimination and Harassment

5th Circuit Rules Ultimate Employment Decision Not Required for Title VII Disparate Treatment Claim

The full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has reversed its own precedent and ruled that an employee can allege a disparate treatment claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act even if the claim does not involve an ultimate employment decision such as termination, denial of a promotion, or the setting of pay. In reversing a...
|
Category: Immigration

Fourth Circuit Rejects Intentional Discrimination Claim by DACA Beneficiary

In DeLeon Resendiz v. Exxon Mobil Corp., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit recently rejected a claim brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1981 by a beneficiary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The Fourth Circuit held that Exxon Mobil did not intentionally discriminate against him by withdrawing its internship offer because he lacked the permanent...
|
Category: Affirmative Action and Diversity

Supreme Court Rejects Race as Factor in College Admissions: Impact on Company CD&I Programs?

The consideration of race in the admissions processes at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina (UNC) violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 29. The Court’s opinion does not appear to threaten federal contractors’ affirmative action plans that are consistent with current regulations. Still, because the...
|
Category: Litigation

Ruling by Second Circuit Addresses Key WARN Act Trigger Term

In a relatively rare decision by a federal appellate court interpreting the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN Act), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued a ruling addressing whether an entity is an “operating unit” subject to WARN’s notice requirements. In Roberts v. Genting New York, LLC, the Second Circuit grappled with whether the Aqueduct Buffet, a...
|
Category: FLSA

Sixth Circuit Rejects Two-Step Procedure for Certifying FLSA Class Claims

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has rejected the often plaintiff-friendly conditional certification that many courts grant in allowing a collective action under the Fair Labor Standards Act to proceed. Instead, the court has adopted a standard that requires lead plaintiffs to first show a “strong likelihood” that other employees are similarly situated before allowing them to...
|
Category: Government Contracts

Supreme Court Hones Standard for Establishing False Claims Act Liability

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that a company can be liable under the federal False Claims Act (FCA) for making a false claim against the government if the company knew or should have known that the claim was false, even if the claim was objectively reasonable. The decision is United States ex rel. Schutte v. SuperValu, Inc. (June 1,...

Categories