Associational Discrimination The New Risk in Employment Litigation
Track: Employment Law & Legislation
Recent cases have extended the scope of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act to cover so-called associational discrimination interpreting federal law to prevent discrimination and retaliation based, not only on an employees own protected characteristics or activity, but on the employees’ association with another individual who comes within a protected classification or who has engaged in protected activity. In addition, the U.S. Supreme Court soon will be issuing its ruling on whether the same protection extends to an employee whose fianc or friend has complained of discrimination. This presentation will examine this trend in federal discrimination law by analyzing recent cases that established the associational discrimination doctrine and the pending case at the U.S. Supreme Court.
Joseph L. Beachboard
Joseph (“Joe”) Beachboard is a nationally recognized employment lawyer who also closely tracks the most important developments at the U.S. Supreme Court impacting the business community. He has more than 30 years of experience representing management in a wide variety of employment and labor matters in perhaps the most challenging state in the nation for employers – California. Mr. Beachboard speaks regularly before human resource and employer groups on cutting edge employment law topics. He is a member of SHRM and has been an annual presenter at both the SHRM Annual Conference and the Employment Law and Compliance Conference for two decades. Mr. Beachboard is frequently quoted in such leading publications as HR Magazine, National Law Journal, Los Angeles Times, NY Times, HR Executive and Workforce, and has been published in dozens of legal and business journals. Throughout his career in Los Angeles, Mr. Beachboard has represented dozens of studios and entertainment properties. He cites his most interesting project as working with the cast and crew of the television show The Office, from its pilot through the final season.