News & Analysis as of

Civil Rights Act Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard College Supreme Court of the United States

Smith Anderson

SCOTUS Rejects Extra Burden for Majority-Group Plaintiffs in Title VII Cases

Smith Anderson on

On June 5, 2025, the United States Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, significantly impacting how majority-group discrimination claims are evaluated under Title VII of the...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

Water Cooler Talk: ‘Late Night’ Shows DEI Is More Than Optics

Troutman Pepper Locke on

The 2019 film “Late Night,” written by and starring Mindy Kaling, tells the story of a late-night talk show host, Katherine Newbury, played by Emma Thompson, whose all-male, all-white writing staff scrambles to add a female...more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

U.S. Supreme Court Reverses ‘Reverse’ Employment Discrimination Pleading Standard

Jackson Lewis P.C. on

On June 5, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated the “background circumstances” rule in “reverse” employment discrimination claims brought under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act in a unanimous decision overturning...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

American Alliance for Equal Rights Files Complaints with the IRS Seeking Investigations into Tax-Exempt Foundations Based on...

Ballard Spahr LLP on

On April 1, 2025, the American Alliance for Equal Rights (“AAER”) filed complaints with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) alleging three tax-exempt private foundations—the Gates Foundation, the Lagrant Foundation and the...more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

U.S. Department of Education’s ‘Dear Colleague’ Letter Prohibiting DEI and FAQs Document Challenged in Federal Court

On March 5, 2025, the National Education Association (NEA) and its New Hampshire affiliate (NEA-NH) sued the U.S. Department of Education, challenging a recently issued “Dear Colleague Letter” (DCL) that informed schools that...more

Bricker Graydon LLP

U.S. Department of Education releases FAQ for February 14th Dear Colleague Letter

Bricker Graydon LLP on

On March 1, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) released a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document in connection with the February 14 Dear Colleague Letter (DCL). This document aims to clarify how...more

Pullman & Comley - School Law

OCR, DEI and Connecticut Schools – Sorting Through a Legal Minefield

If nothing else, the early days of the Trump administration 2.0 have been a whirlwind of legal activity.  Diversity, equity and inclusion efforts have of course been at the forefront and on February 14, 2025 the federal...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

OCR’s Directive on Race-Conscious Policies in Higher Education

Troutman Pepper Locke on

On February 14, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (DOE) issued a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), which calls for educational institutions to immediately cease race-conscious practices in student...more

Venable LLP

This is Not a Drill: Trump Administration 'Dear Colleague' Letter Virtually Eliminates Consideration of Race in Higher Education

Venable LLP on

On February 14, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) issued a new "Dear Colleague" letter to "clarify and reaffirm the nondiscrimination obligations of schools and other entities that receive federal financial assistance...more

Husch Blackwell LLP

U.S. Department of Education Releases Dear Colleague Letter Addressing the Use of Race in Education, Announces Enforcement...

Husch Blackwell LLP on

On February 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education released a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) concerning discrimination based on race, color, and national origin in K-12 and higher education. The DCL articulates the...more

Jenner & Block

Client Alert: US Department of Education Issues Dear Colleague Letter Interpreting Students for Fair Admissions: What Colleges and...

Jenner & Block on

On February 14, 2025, the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a Dear Colleague Letter about legal obligations for educational institutions under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the...more

Roetzel & Andress

U.S. Department of Education Releases Guidance on DEI Programs in Schools Receiving Federal Funds

Roetzel & Andress on

The legality of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (“DEI”) Programs has come under immense scrutiny beginning with the change in presidential administration. On January 21, 2025, President Trump issued executive order 14173...more

Littler

U.S. Department of Education’s New “Dear Colleague” Letter Targets DEI Programs and Signals New Era of Title VI Enforcement

Littler on

On February 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released a “Dear Colleague” Letter (DCL) and emailed it to K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions around the country. The DCL...more

Woods Rogers

Dear Colleague: Watch Out

Woods Rogers on

In a tersely worded “Dear Colleague” letter dated February 14, 2025 (pdf), the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) signaled its intent to combat “pervasive and repugnant race-based preferences and...more

Baker Donelson

Unpacking the U.S. Attorney General's "Ending Illegal DEI and DEIA Discrimination Preferences" Memo

Baker Donelson on

The U.S. Attorney General's Office issued a Memorandum, on February 5, 2025, to the employees of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) directing the DOJ Civil Rights Division to "investigate, eliminate, and penalize illegal...more

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

What to Know About the War Being Waged Against DEI

Can you still have DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs? How about affirmative action plans? The Supreme Court’s June 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard garnered national attention in holding...more

Cozen O'Connor

Costco Urged by Republican AGs to Repeal DEI Policies

Cozen O'Connor on

A group of 19 Republican AGs announced that they have sent a letter to Costco Wholesale Corporation, warning that its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies may violate state and federal civil rights laws prohibiting...more

Butler Snow LLP

Trump and DEI: What Does a Second Term Mean for Employers?

Butler Snow LLP on

In the flurry of executive orders issued shortly after being sworn for a second term, President Donald Trump issued two executive orders and one presidential action dismantling all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)...more

McGlinchey Stafford

Will DEI Programs Become Extinct Under the Trump Administration?

McGlinchey Stafford on

In an effort to embrace diversity and inclusion, many employers established Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. The look of these programs varied from company to company; however, many of the programs...more

Proskauer - Law and the Workplace

President Trump Issues Sweeping Executive Orders Aimed at DEI

In his inaugural address on Monday, January 20, 2025, President Trump declared, “We will forge a society that is colorblind and merit-based.” In the days that followed, President Trump has proceeded to issue a series of...more

Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP

The man who said "no" to DEI training, and four lessons for employers

Employer's DEI mandate scores a win. A white guy refused to take his employer's mandatory "unconscious bias" training, and he was fired. He sued the employer for retaliation, his lawsuit was dismissed, and this week an...more

Fenwick & West LLP

The Future of DEI Shareholder Proposals

Fenwick & West LLP on

Following the death of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests against racial inequity in 2020, many companies increased their commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), as well as their external...more

Proskauer - Corporate Defense and Disputes

Ohio Federal Court Holds White Litigant Lacked Standing to Challenge Contest Providing Funding for Black-Owned Businesses

A federal District Court in Ohio recently ruled that a white litigant did not have standing to assert a discrimination claim against a contest that had provided grants to Black-owned businesses. The decision in Roberts v....more

Proskauer Rose LLP

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: When Employers’ Good Intentions Inadvertently Create Increased Risk

Proskauer Rose LLP on

Employment lawsuits typically involve allegations of an employer’s wrongdoing – claims that the employer or its agents intended to and did mistreat, discriminate, or retaliate against employees. However, these “bad actor”...more

Husch Blackwell LLP

10th Circuit Court of Appeals Affirms that Mandatory Diversity Training does not Constitute Unlawful Discrimination

Husch Blackwell LLP on

Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, there has been in increase in litigation challenging employers’ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies and practices. In one recent...more

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