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Discrimination / Harassment

What caused the EEOC’s big age-bias charge spike?

05/08/2014
Was demography or economic distress to blame for the sudden jump in age discrimination charges between 2006 and 2008?

Texas town loses final appeal on immigration statute

05/01/2014
The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear appeals of rulings that declared two of the nation’s most far-reaching anti-­immigrant statutes unconstitutional. The towns of Farmer’s Branch, Texas, and Hazleton, Pa., had adopted ordinances punishing landlords who rented to “illegal immigrants.” The Hazle­­ton ordinance also targeted employers that hired illegals.

McAllen, TX moves to put harassment case behind it

05/01/2014
The city of McAllen seems to be turning a page with the departure of an assistant city manager. The official had previously filed a sexual harassment complaint against a former city manager who retired in March.

AA Foundry drops appeal of EEOC harassment case

05/01/2014
A San Antonio ironworks has decided to drop its two-year-old fight with the EEOC over allegations that it harassed black workers.

Beware lawsuits from contract workers, too

05/01/2014
Some employers mistakenly believe that having employees work on a contractual basis will save them from litigation. If they decide not to renew the contracts of workers considered “trou­­blemakers,” they figure they can avoid being sued. That’s a big mistake.

Worker refuses to follow directions? OK to fire

05/01/2014
Employees don’t have the right to decide which directions they must follow. Unless there are clearly extenuating reasons (safety concerns, for example), you can and should discipline workers who refuse to cooperate.

Judge dismisses race bias complaint against college

04/30/2014
A federal judge has agreed to dismiss racial discrimination claims leveled against the Harrisburg Area Com­­mu­­nity College by a black woman who was twice turned down for a position as vice president.

Pennsylvania among top 10 states for 2013 EEOC charges

04/30/2014
Ten states—mostly home to the nation’s largest cities or located in the South—accounted for 56% of all EEOC charges filed in 2013. Penn­­syl­­vania logged the seventh highest total.

Explain why employee didn’t receive training

04/30/2014
Employers should be careful to design training programs that make training opportunities available for all. But sometimes, an employee won’t be able to participate in training. In those cases, be prepared to explain why.

Devout UNC-Wilmington prof wins promotion and back pay

04/30/2014
A federal judge has affirmed a jury award to a criminology professor at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. Mike Adams claimed university administrators praised him when he was an atheist, but black-balled him after he became a Christian.