News & Analysis as of

Title VII Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard College Employment Discrimination

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act is a United States federal law enacted in 1964 and aimed at preventing discrimination in the workplace on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, and religion. Title VII... more +
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act is a United States federal law enacted in 1964 and aimed at preventing discrimination in the workplace on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, and religion. Title VII has been subsequently extended to discrimination on the basis of pregnancy and sexual stereotypes and to prohibit sexual harassment. Title VII applies to all employers with fifteen or more employees including private employers, state and local governments, and educational institutions.  less -
Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC

Understanding DEI Policies in the Workplace Today

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) has been a hot topic. In 2023, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard, 600 U.S. 181 (2023), eliminating race as a factor for college...more

Offit Kurman

New DOJ Memo Addresses Legality of DEI Programs for Federal Funding Recipients

Offit Kurman on

On July 30, 2025, the Department of Justice released a memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi offering guidance to federal agencies and recipients of federal funding regarding practices that the administration views as...more

Epstein Becker & Green

“Illegal DEI”: New DOJ Guidance and Its Implications for All Employers

What constitutes “illegal DEI” under the Trump administration? Many employers have been wrestling with this question since the President took office and immediately issued several executive orders (EOs) criticizing diversity,...more

Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP

U.S. Attorney General Issues New Guidance on DEI Programs and Policies

On July 29, 2025, the U.S. Attorney General issued a memorandum that “clarifies the application of federal antidiscrimination laws to programs or initiatives that may involve discriminatory practices, including those labeled...more

Smith Anderson

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

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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

Mintz - Employment Viewpoints

“Reverse Discrimination” Cases Subject to Same Evidentiary Standard Says Supreme Court

Can members of a majority group be subject to a heightened pleading standard for their Title VII discrimination claims? The United States Supreme Court answered this question with a unanimous “no” in Ames v. Ohio Department...more

Morrison & Foerster LLP

U.S. Supreme Court Reconciles Circuit Split Regarding Standard for “Reverse Discrimination” Claims

On June 5, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, rejecting the “background circumstances” requirement multiple circuit courts of appeals have applied to Title...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

Mintz

[Podcast] Mintz on Air: Practical Policies - DEI Diplomacy

Mintz on

In the latest episode of the Mintz on Air: Practical Policies podcast, Member Jen Rubin explores the concept of ‘DEI Diplomacy’ with Associate Corbin Carter and how the conversation around diversity, equity, and inclusion is...more

Dinsmore & Shohl LLP

Affinity Groups Potentially Unlawful, According to Recent EEOC and DOJ Guidance

Dinsmore & Shohl LLP on

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on protected characteristics, including race and sex. However, Title VII does not define Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (“DEI”) in the...more

Adams & Reese

The Future of DEI Under Trump’s Second Administration

Adams & Reese on

Every time a new President is elected, we employment lawyers write an article of some version of “What to Expect.” Many of my colleagues have written excellent articles on this topic, and the Trump administration has given us...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

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

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

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

SCOTUS Takes Up Another Case With DEI Implications

Last week, the Supreme Court accepted review of Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services. The court will address a circuit split regarding the standard courts apply in discrimination claims brought by majority group...more

Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP

The inexorable zero. The assault on workplace DEI. And four tips for avoiding the attack.

Inexorable. Something that cannot be moved, stopped, persuaded, or altered. In Title VII parlance, the "inexorable zero" is the complete absence of a protected group from a workforce or job classification. When accompanied...more

Husch Blackwell LLP

State Attorneys General Clash Over the Legality of DEI Initiatives

Husch Blackwell LLP on

From Congress’ recently proposed “Dismantle DEI Act of 2024” to the Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit’s decision permitting mandatory diversity training by employers, diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”) programs...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

McCarter & English, LLP

Developing Effective and Legally Compliant DEI Policies

Corporate policies on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are being subjected to increased scrutiny and legal challenges even as the US workforce becomes more diverse on nearly every measure—race, sex, gender identity,...more

Jenner & Block

DEI in the Crosshairs: Reflections On 2023 And Predictions For 2024

Jenner & Block on

From the classroom to the boardroom, attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) gained significant momentum in 2023. Bolstered by their victory at the Supreme Court in the Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) cases,...more

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

The Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action Ruling: A Shift in How Private Employers Approach DEI?

The Supreme Court of the United States’ recent decision to strike down affirmative action admissions policies in higher education is having significant indirect consequences for private employers and their diversity, equity,...more

Butler Snow LLP

Reviewing Workplace DEI Practices in Light of Students for Fair Admissions Ruling

Butler Snow LLP on

On June 29, 2023, the United States Supreme Court found affirmative action in the college admissions programs of two well-known universities to be unconstitutional. Despite the opinion only addressing two specific college...more

Perkins Coie

July Tip of the Month: Supreme Court DEI Decisions Raise Questions for Employers

Perkins Coie on

On June 29, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina that the race-conscious admission...more

Jenner & Block

Client Alert: The Supreme Court Grants Certiorari in Muldrow v. City of St. Louis: How the Case Could Bolster Attacks Against...

Jenner & Block on

On June 30, 2023, just one day after the Supreme Court issued its decision in the Students for Fair Admissions cases striking down race-conscious college admissions programs, the Court agreed to hear a case next Term that...more

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