On March 18, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the CROWN Act (“Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair”) which bans hairstyle discrimination in employment, public accommodations, federally assisted programs and housing programs. The act bans discrimination against braids, dreadlocks, curls and the like. Advocates of the bill say a split in
On June 24, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to roll back a rule created under the Trump Administration governing EEOC conciliation as an alternative process to litigation for resolving workplace discrimination allegations. This paves the way for final repeal of the rule through President Biden’s signature since the Senate also voted to repeal
Last week, Ohio House Bill 352 (the “Employment Law Uniformity Act”) was signed into law. The Employment Law Uniformity Act, updates Ohio’s anti-discrimination statute, shortens the relevant statutory periods of limitation, and prevents the simultaneous filing of administrative and judicial actions, among other things. The act also codifies an employer’s affirmative defense for sexual harassment
On May 6, 2020, the United States Department of Education (“Department of Education”) released its Final Rule updating Title IX regulations and addressing sexual misconduct in schools. The Final Rule codifies sexual harassment as unlawful sex discrimination under Title IX. Although the Department of Education had previously addressed sexual harassment through Dear Colleague Letters and
Today, in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, the United States Supreme Court held that gay, lesbian, and transgender employees are protected from adverse action based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. The 6-3 Court reasoned that the plain meaning of the term “sex,” as used in Title VII, includes sexual orientation and gender
Recently, a Federal District Court in the Middle District of Tennessee held, in Marie Hastings v. First Community Mortgage, that a female former Human Resource Director’s claim of sex discrimination was not established simply by the fact that she had been excluded from a social group of male executives, even though she alleged in
Several high-profile U.S. Senators have stepped forward in recent days to express their support for the expansion of federal anti-discrimination laws to provide protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. These supporters include Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).
This issue has been debated
A Federal District Court in the Western District of North Carolina has dismissed a claim of race discrimination by an African-American Lowe’s employee who was fired after seven months of employment. The Court found that the same person who hired him had made the decision to terminate his employment. This fact, according to the Court,
On June 8th, New Hampshire Governor Christopher Sununu signed into law H.B. 1319, which prohibits discrimination based on gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations. H.B. 1319 defines gender identity as “a person’s gender-related identity, appearance, or behavior, whether or not that gender-related identity, appearance, or behavior is different from that traditionally associated
In a 7-2 decision yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to bake a custom wedding cake for a same-sex couple based on his devout Christian beliefs. Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, No. 16-111 (June 4, 2018). Although the case received heightened