Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) announced the first federal bill against natural hair discrimination Thursday. His move supports the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural hair (CROWN) Act. Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives along with Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-MD.),…
Tag: Workplace Discrimination
Maine Expected to End Mandatory Nondisclosure Agreements for Workplace Discrimination
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…
Gay Police Officer Sgt. Wildhaber Wins $20 Million in Discrimination Suit Against St. Louis County
St. Louis County, Mo., police officer Sgt. Keith Wildhaber on Friday won a discrimination lawsuit against his department for nearly $20 million after claiming the department discriminated against him based on his sexuality and retaliated against him when he filed a complaint. In one instance in 2014, Wildhaber recounted in…
Jury Decides One Toledo, Ohio Firefighter Faced Gender Discrimination, Another Did Not
In 2005, two Toledo, Ohio, firefighters filed a discrimination suit against the city, saying it failed to take action against gender discrimination they experienced on the job. Fourteen years later, a jury decided one firefighter, but not the other, was discriminated against. Pvt. Judi Imhoff received $150,000 related to gender…
UCLA Analysis Finds Transgender People who Experience Discrimination are More Likely to Attempt Suicide
A new University of Los Angeles (UCLA) analysis of data from the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey found discrimination leads transgender individuals to contemplate and attempt suicide at high rates. The 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey by the National Center of Transgender Equality included responses from 27,715 transgender people from all 50…
Proposed Labor Department Rule Would Grant Federal Contractor Employers Religious Exemption from Discrimination Claims
A proposed rule under President Trump’s Department of Labor would give certain federal contractors the right to discriminate against people based on religious views. The proposal caused an uproar after the Labor Department announced it earlier this month, mainly because the implications of the rule would likely disproportionately affect LGBTQ…
DOJ Files Brief Asking the Supreme Court to Rule Against Protecting Transgender Individuals from Workplace Discrimination Under Title VII
The Department of Justice (DOJ) under President Trump is urging the Supreme Court to rule against workplace discrimination protections for transgender people. The DOJ submitted a brief to the Supreme Court on Aug. 16 asking the justices rule that Title VII, which protects employees from discrimination on the basis of…
Cuomo Signs Bill that Expands Workplace Harassment and Discrimination Laws
Last month, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was expected to sign a bill that would amend and strengthen existing workplace harassment and discrimination laws. This week, he delivered. Related Story: New York State Expands Workplace Harassment Laws The legislation, which Cuomo signed into law Aug. 12, has dozens of amendments…
Upper Crust Bakery Reaches Settlement with DOJ Over Immigration Employment Discrimination
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has reached a settlement agreement with Arizona-based company Upper Crust Bakery over a suit involving immigration status discrimination. Upper Crust Bakery, which provides baked goods for companies like Starbucks, Cotsco and Kroger’s discriminated against certain employees by requiring them to provide specific immigration documents to…
Washington State Supreme Court Determines Obesity Discrimination Unlawful
The Washington State Supreme Court has declared it illegal to not offer an employee a job because of their weight. The court ruled the state’s definition of disability applies to obesity. Federal laws do not explicitly protect against discrimination based on obesity. Under Title VII of the federal Civil Rights…