A new bill introduced in Maine seeks to stop employers from requiring their employees to sign nondisclosure agreements during workplace harassment and discrimination settlements or upon hiring. The bill, LD 1529, was passed in the Maine House and Senate during the last session but paused at Gov. Janet Mills’ desk…
Tag: Law
Mothers of Sons Killed by Police Call for End to NY Police Secrecy Law
The mothers of sons who have been killed by police officers in New York have banded together to call for an end to a law that keeps law enforcement officers’ disciplinary records secret. This group includes Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, who was killed in 2014 in a chokehold…
Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw Delivers Keynote Speech on Intersectionality
Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the phrase “intersectionality” nearly three decades ago, despite it only recently entering mainstream conversation. Crenshaw delivered the keynote speech Oct. 2 at DiversityInc’s Women of Color and Their Allies event, explaining the term intersectionality and its application to women of color in the workplace. She coined…
Supreme Court to Hear Louisiana Abortion Case
The Supreme Court has agreed on Friday to hear a case regarding a Louisiana abortion law that is very similar to a case they decided on a Texas abortion law just three years ago. The only difference is that openly anti-abortion justice Brett Kavanaugh now sits in what was formerly…
Gov. Phil Murphy and Mayor Ras Baraka Announce New Plan to Replace Lead Pipes in Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey has higher levels of lead in its water than Flint, Michigan did at the height of its water crisis, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) latest samples. This weekend, after months of slow and ineffective action, officials began a citywide effort to replace lead pipes throughout…
Ada County, Idaho’s Employment Policy Now Protects Against LGBTQ Discrimination
While at the federal level, the Trump Administration is making moves that will prevent protections against workplace discrimination for LGBTQ individuals, Ada County, Idaho has expanded its anti-discrimination policies to specifically protect LGBTQ applicants. At the end of August, Ada County commissioners approved the broad wording of the policy after…
New Jersey to Introduce Bill to Prevent Hair Discrimination
New Jersey is poised to follow two other states — California and New York — in passing anti- hair discrimination legislation. Related story: CROWN Act: California Becomes First State to Ban Natural Hairstyle Discrimination Assemblywoman Angela McKnight is sponsoring a bill that will add hair as a category illegal to…
Kansas to Allow Transgender Citizens to Change Birth Certificates
Kansas is currently one of three states, including Ohio and Tennessee, that does not allow transgender people to amend the names and assigned genders on their birth certificates. That restriction is about to change. Democratic Governor Laura Kelly withdrew opposition to a lawsuit by Luc Bensimon, a transgender man, and…
University of Pennsylvania Condemns Law Professor Amy Wax for Racist Comments, Does Not Fire Her
Amy Wax, a Robert Mundheim Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania, is on a bona fide paid vacation following condemnation of her “repugnant” racist views. Wax spoke at a “National Conservatism” conference this month suggesting the country would be “better off with more whites and fewer nonwhites,” saying…
Murder Trial for Freddie Gray Officer Begins Today
The trial involving the most serious charges filed in connection to Freddie Gray’s death begins today. Officer Caesar R. Goodson Jr., who drove the police wagon that transported Gray, faces charges including second-degree depraved heart murder. During pretrial motions on Monday, Goodson opted to be tried by a judge rather…