Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Lawsuits Claim that Websites Don’t Accommodate the Disabled
Hundreds of companies have come under fire in recent months after a slew of class action lawsuits were recently filed against them in federal court. According to the complaints, the websites of Nike, Burger King, Hershey, Pandora, Lord & Taylor, and a number of other well-known companies, don’t comply with the Americans with Disabilities… Read More »
Supreme Court Rules that Companies can Use Arbitration Clauses in Employee Contracts
Late Last month, the Supreme Court issued a ruling on the use of arbitration clauses in employment contracts that could have a significant impact on employee rights across the country. The Issue A few weeks ago, the Supreme Court released a ruling on an issue that goes to the heart of many employment-related… Read More »
Utah Drywall Company Ordered to Pay Back Wages to 267 Employees
A drywall company located in Spanish Fork, Utah was recently sanctioned for failing to pay employees a fair wage and ordered to pay $550,000 by the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah in back wages to 267 employees, in addition to $100,000 in civil penalties. The labor violations in this case, which… Read More »
Transgender Bathroom Complaints Will no Longer be Investigated by the Education Department
In 2016, the Obama administration directed public schools to begin allowing students to use the bathrooms that aligned most closely with their gender identity, even if that identity conflicted with the gender listed on their birth certificates. In its announcement, the administration concluded that prohibiting transgender students from using public school restrooms qualifies as… Read More »
House Approves Changes to Americans With Disabilities Act
In February, the House officially passed a law aimed at amending the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If also approved by the Senate, the bill would require those who wish to file a claim against a business for a public accommodations violation to comply with a number of procedural requirements. Some critics have voiced… Read More »
Fair Housing Lawsuit Alleges Racial Discrimination
Recently, a national group of fair housing advocates filed a complaint in federal court, in which they alleged that the Fair Housing Act was being intentionally violated at the expense of minority communities in Indiana. Specifically, the groups claim that a number of banks and mortgage servicing companies have purposefully and repeatedly failed to… Read More »
Supreme Court States that it Will not Broaden Whistleblower Protections
Late last month, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to broaden the protections offered to employees who report employment-related misconduct. Instead, the Court ruled that whistleblowers must file claims of wrongdoing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) before they will gain any protection from retaliation by their employers. The ruling could have important implications… Read More »
Second Circuit Court of Appeals Holds Federal Anti-Discrimination Laws Cover Sexual Orientation
Recently, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals became the second Circuit Court in the country to declare that the federal Civil Rights Act protects employees from being fired because of their sexual orientation. The opinion follows hot on the heels of conflicting statements provided by the Justice Department and the EEOC, as well as… Read More »
HUD to Delay Implementation of the Affirmatively Further Fair Housing Rule Until 2020
Early this year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it would be delaying implementation of a rule intended to address housing discrimination across the country until at least 2020. HUD’s failure to implement this rule, which would require state and local governments to conduct assessments of fair housing in… Read More »
Taco Bell Employees Sue for Unpaid Overtime
Last week, more than 500 current and former Taco Bell employees filed a collective action lawsuit alleging that their franchise owner illegally failed to pay them overtime. The plaintiffs all worked for one of 75 Taco Bell establishments located in Michigan and claim that their employer capped their paychecks at 40 hours per week… Read More »
