Four recent decisions by federal courts show just how much weight an employer’s investigation can hold in litigation, for better or worse. Investigation quality does not operate on a simple pass/fail switch. It moves along a spectrum, and where an employer’s investigation lands on that spectrum — from “feeble” to “flawed” — can decide a
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is positioned for another rescission mission. Recall that recently, the EEOC rescinded the 2024 Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace and two affirmative action documents. The commission’s apparent next mission relates to the EEO-1 report and a number of related reports, which include the EEO-2, EEO-3, EEO-4
Employers usually picture depositions and performance records when they think about defending an employment lawsuit — not procedure. But some of the most effective defenses never reach the merits at all. A recent 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision, Barnett-Morgan v. Inverness Technologies, Inc., is a good reminder that procedural defenses are worthy
On June 29, 2026, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) voted to rescind two policy documents laying out steps employers can take to increase representation of historically marginalized groups in the workplace (i.e., affirmative action). The two documents are the EEOC’s “Affirmative Action Appropriate Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
On May 5, 2026, the EEOC filed suit against the New York Times (NYT) in the Southern District of New York for engaging in DEI-related discrimination. The lawsuit alleges that the NYT violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act when it passed over a white male employee for a promotion to deputy real estate
As a reminder, the Age Discrimination and Employment Act (ADEA) prohibits employers from retaliating against applicants or employees who oppose age discrimination, file a charge of discrimination under the statute, or testify, assist, or participate an investigation or proceeding under the ADEA.
On March 6, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
According to a February 27, 2026, 2-1 decision by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in Selina S. v. Dep’t of the Army, the EEOC determined that it does not constitute sex discrimination for federal agencies to prohibit transgender employees from using bathrooms, locker rooms, and other intimate spaces that correspond with their
On January 16, 2026, a federal jury in Atlanta awarded $5.5 million to a security guard who alleged that her security company’s vice president of operations sexually harassed her.
The plaintiff, Makita Bryant, sued both the security company and the vice president in his individual capacity. For her claims against the security company, Bryant was
Update: The EEOC voted 2-1 along party lines to rescind the 2024 Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace in its entirety. The EEOC’s objections to the guidance primarily related to the sections of the guidance regarding harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity, including with respect to preferred pronouns and bathroom access. However
While the EEOC had a quiet 2025 due to its lack of a quorum (only two of five commissioners) and the lengthy government shutdown, there is potential change on the horizon. One area of interest for the EEOC is its Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace issued in 2024. We blogged about that 2024