By Gerald L. Maatman, Jr. and Jennifer A. Riley
Seyfarth Synopsis – Following a familiar fact pattern, after a named Plaintiff filed a putative class action in Bird, et al. v. Barr, No. 19-CV-1581 (D.D.C. July 23, 2020), she complained that the defendant employer retaliated against her for bringing suit by, among other things, threatening
By Gerald L. Maatman, Jr., Christopher DeGroff, Matthew J. Gagnon, and Alex S. Oxyer
Seyfarth Synopsis: The EEOC recently released its enforcement and litigation statistics for Fiscal Year 2019. Notably, the statistics indicate that 2019 saw the lowest number of charges filed in over 20 years, though there was almost no
By Matthew J. Gagnon, Christopher J. DeGroff, and Gerald L. Maatman, Jr.
Seyfarth Synopsis: With uncertain times and profound changes anticipated for the EEOC, employers anxiously await what enforcement litigation the EEOC has in store. Although 2016 showed a marked decline in filings, fiscal year 2017 shows a return to vigorous enforcement filings
By Gerald L. Maatman, Jr., Christina M. Janice and Alex W. Karasik
Seyfarth Synopsis: Following the NLRB’s expansion of the definition of “joint employer” in the high-profile Browning-Ferris case and the employer’s subsequent appeal to the D.C. Circuit, the EEOC filed an amicus brief supporting the broadening of both agencies’ tests for determination of joint
By Gerald L. Maatman, Jr., Mark Casciari, and Christina M. Janice
Seyfarth Synopsis: For the first time since 1998, the EEOC has updated its enforcement guidance on retaliation claims brought under the various anti-discrimination laws the Commission is charged with enforcing. Observing that retaliation is now the single largest category of claims presented in
By Gerald L. Maatman, Jr. and Alex W. Karasik
In what has become an oft-used recipe in the EEOC cookbook of Title VII retaliation litigation, the government has once again utilized the strategy of taking an employer’s deposition and thereafter moving for summary judgment.
In EEOC v. Peters’ Bakery, No. 13-CV-04507, 2016 U.S. Dist.
By Gerald L. Maatman, Jr. and Alex W. Karasik
Anti-discrimination laws command that “thou shall not retaliate…” The recent ruling in EEOC v. Day & Zimmerman NPS, Inc., Case No. 15-CV-01416 (D. Conn Apr. 12, 2016), is a case study in how employers can be taken to task for allegedly retaliating against workers who
By Julie G. Yap and Alison H. Hong
In Arizona Ex Rel. Horne v. The Geo Group, No. 13-16081 (9th Cir. Mar. 14, 2016), the U.S. Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit vacated the district court’s summary judgment orders and reinstated a pattern or practice action brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Today I had the privilege of attending the 24th Annual Employment Practices Liability Insurance Program hosted by the American Conference Institute in New York City (I moderated a session on EEOC litigation).
Constance Barker, one of the five Commissioners at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, gave the keynote address
By Christopher DeGroff and Robb McFadden
Fresh on the heels of a full defense verdict in one of the EEOC’s highest profile sexual harassment cases of 2012-2013, the Commission was dealt another blow on April 19, 2013, when the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington dismissed a closely related retaliation case because
