Seyfarth Synopsis: EEOC Commissioner Keith Sonderling, a Republican who first joined the EEOC in 2020, has announced his departure from the Commission in August 2024. Sonderling’s tenure was marked by his significant contributions to discussions on artificial intelligence in employment, establishing him as a leading authority on the subject. His departure leaves the EEOC with a 3-1 Democratic majority, and
Continue Reading Commissioner Sonderling to Depart from EEOC in August 2024
In a significant legislative development, the Illinois House of Representatives has overwhelmingly approved Senate Bill 2979, with a vote of 81 to 30, which amends the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) to limit damages to one violation per individual, rather than each instance their biometric information is captured, collected, disclosed, redisclosed, or otherwise disseminated. The bill also amended
Continue Reading Illinois Legislative Update: BIPA Reform Bill Reducing Damages Approved by Illinois House, Awaiting Governor’s SignatureBy: Christopher J. DeGroff, Andrew L. Scroggins, and James P. Nasiri
Seyfarth Synopsis: Following the EEOC’s aggressive litigation posture in the Obama-era, the Commission’s federal case filings has been markedly sluggish, at least in part because of transitions in leadership. Seyfarth forecasted changes were imminent in FY 2023, with the EEOC’s hefty budget increase and a likely Democratic
Continue Reading EEOC Litigation in Overdrive: Deciphering the EEOC’s FY2023 Case Filing SpikeBy Danielle Kays and James Nasiri
Seyfarth Synopsis: In February 2023, the Illinois Supreme Court issued a landmark opinion in Cothron v. White Castle finding that claims under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (“BIPA”) accrue each time a private entity scans or transmits an individual’s biometric data. (Seyfarth’s analysis of this decision can be found HERE.) Defendant
Continue Reading Illinois Supreme Court Upholds Per-Scan Damages for BIPA ClaimsBy: Andrew Scroggins and James Nasiri
Seyfarth Synopsis: Each Fiscal Year (“FY”), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) releases data on the number of charges it receives from applicants and employees. This data is noteworthy as it reflects the experiences of the American workforce and how individuals feel they have been treated over the past year. In FY 2022, the
Continue Reading Spike in Religious Discrimination Charges Stemming from COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates Fuels Increase in EEOC Charges