Discrimination Law

Fourth Circuit Reverses Summary Judgment in Third Party Harassment Claim

In a recent decision, the Fourth Circuit has joined other circuits in holding that a negligence standard applies to third party harassment claims under Title VII, an issue the United States Supreme Court has yet to reach.  In Freeman v. Dal-Tile Corp., et al., No. 131481 (4th Cir. April 29, 2014), the Fourth Circuit concluded […]

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Fourth Circuit Rules That Retirement Plan Violates ADEA

Just a few weeks ago, the Fourth Circuit weighed in on the question of whether an employee retirement benefit plan maintained by Baltimore County discriminated against employees based on their age by requiring older employees to pay a greater percentage of their salaries based on their ages at the time of enrollment in the plan. […]

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New Guidance From EEOC on Religious Garb and Grooming in the Workplace

Last week, the EEOC issued two new technical assistance publications related to workplace rights and responsibilities regarding religious dress and grooming under Title VII. The two publications issued by the EEOC are a question and answer guide, titled “Religious Garb in the Workplace: Rights and Responsibilities” and a fact sheet to accompany this publication (found […]

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Tenth Circuit Tackles Supervisor Issue

In Vance v. Ball State Univ., 133 S.Ct. 2434, 2441 (2013), the Supreme Court resolved a conflict among the circuits regarding what level of authority a harasser must have in order to qualify as a supervisor under Title VII in the context of a claim of sexual harassment.  However, there remain questions as to how […]

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A Sufficiently Severe Temporary Impairment May Constitute a Disability

There is no question that the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (“ADAAA”) broadened the meaning of “disability and provide employees even greater protection under the ADA. However, there remain some areas of uncertainty with regard to this new, broader definition. One such question was how the permanence of an impairment (or lack thereof) would affect […]

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A Reminder That Employees May Have to Pay for Bringing Unsuccessful Discrimination Claims

We all know that Rule 54 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provides that a prevailing party is entitled to costs (not including attorneys’ fees) unless a federal statute, the rules themselves, or a court order provides otherwise. The district court has the discretion to deny the award of costs, but must articulate some […]

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It Isn’t All About the Ultimate Decisionmaker—Fourth Circuit Vacates Summary Judgment in Favor of Employer in ADEA Case

As employers, we often focus on what knowledge was in the hands of the ultimate decisionmaker at the time a crucial employment decision is made.  However, as the Fourth Circuit reminds us in its decision in Harris v. Powhatan County School Board, No. 12-2091, the knowledge and intent of those who have the power and […]

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