Human Rights

Afternoon Briefs: Boy Scouts of America agrees to $850M settlement; 1st Circuit rejects ERA suit

Boy Scouts of America strikes $850M deal The Boy Scouts of America has agreed to pay $850 million to settle sex abuse claims by about 60,000 people. The group says the deal could allow it to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection late this year. But some insurers have raised…

Jul 2, 2021 4:10 PM CDT

SCOTUS lets stand victory by transgender man Gavin Grimm, former student who sued over bathroom policy

The U.S. Supreme Court has let stand a ruling that a Virginia school board violated the constitutional rights of Gavin Grimm, a transgender man and a former high school student, when it barred him from using the bathroom that matched his gender identity.

Jun 28, 2021 10:46 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: SCOTUS tosses child slavery case; DOJ drops suit and probe over Bolton book

SCOTUS tosses suit over child slavery in Ivory Coast The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Nestlé USA and Cargill can’t be sued here under the Alien Tort Statute for allegedly providing assistance to Ivory Coast cocoa farms that used child slaves. In an opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas, the…

Jun 17, 2021 3:48 PM CDT

Supreme Court rules for Catholic foster agency that refuses to place children with same-sex couples

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Philadelphia violated the free exercise clause when it refused to contract with a Catholic foster care agency that refuses to place children with same-sex couples.

Jun 17, 2021 10:01 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Hate speech mustn’t be normalized, ABA president says; Title IX protects gay and transgender students

ABA president: Hate speech legitimizes intolerance ABA President Patricia Lee Refo said Tuesday the association is “deeply troubled” by recent hate speech directed at Jewish, LGBTQ, Asian American and Muslim people. Refo said studies show a correlation between exposure to hate speech and the increase in hate crimes. Hate speech…

Jun 16, 2021 3:45 PM CDT

DOJ says it can defend religious exemption that allows LGBTQ discrimination in education

The U.S. Department of Justice is opposing an attempt by Christian colleges to intervene in a lawsuit by asserting that it can defend a religious exemption that allows the schools to discriminate against LGBTQ students.

Jun 9, 2021 11:25 AM CDT

ACLU is split by internal debate over First Amendment support for hate speech

The American Civil Liberties Union, long known for its support of the First Amendment, is dealing with internal dissension over defense of hate speech.

Jun 8, 2021 3:04 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Judge compares AR-15 to Swiss Army knife; suit claims GC wasn’t rehired because of long-haul COVID-19

Federal judge strikes down ban on assault weapons Citing the Second Amendment, U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez of the Southern District of California struck down California’s ban on assault weapons Friday. “Like the Swiss Army knife, the popular AR-15 rifle is a perfect combination of home defense weapon and homeland…

Jun 7, 2021 4:03 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Trans worker fails to make discrimination case against employer; former DA’s husband gets community service

Transgender employee failed to show discrimination in case against T-Mobile, appeals court says The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at New Orleans has dismissed claims brought by Elijah Anthony Olivarez, a transgender employee of T-Mobile USA who alleged that he was fired for taking a long leave of absence…

May 14, 2021 2:40 PM CDT

4 ways to work toward an anti-racist allyship

Over the course of the last four years, the Trump administration’s policies, practices and rhetoric not only laid bare the deleterious effects of racism, xenophobia and related intolerance, but it also revealed the manner in which ideologies of oppression—anti-Black racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, xenophobia and anti-Asian racism—may also overlap, intersect and interlock.

May 12, 2021 10:30 AM CDT

4 officers face civil rights charges in George Floyd’s death; Chauvin also charged in youth’s knee restraint

A federal grand jury has indicted former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin and three other former officers on civil rights charges in the May 2020 death of George Floyd.

May 7, 2021 10:34 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Slower-paying law students wait-listed; ‘tiger mom’ law prof back in the news

Law school wait-lists students who finished late in deposit race The University of Notre Dame’s law school is facing criticism for putting pressure on would-be law students to make their decisions quickly. The school requires admitted students to pay their $600 deposit by April 15—but if the school meets its…

Apr 9, 2021 4:26 PM CDT

Woman is eligible for asylum because domestic abusers persecuted her for feminist opinions, 9th Circuit says

A woman who was persecuted by domestic abusers because of a feminist political opinion is eligible for asylum in the United States, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.

Apr 6, 2021 2:47 PM CDT

What negotiating trauma looks like from both sides of the bench

Mallika Kaur, a lawyer and writer, recently spoke with Judge Edward M. Chen of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, who draws on decades of practice from both sides of the bench. Their discussion about systemic discriminations is particularly timely in light of recent violence against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.

Apr 6, 2021 9:37 AM CDT

High tech can heighten discrimination; here are some policy recommendations for its ethical use

From federal surveillance of social justice protests to facial recognition technology that results in inordinately high false positives for certain demographic groups, recent surveillance trends have deep historical roots and troubling future implications for traditionally marginalized groups. These trends threaten our core constitutional values, democratic principles and the rule of law.

Mar 23, 2021 9:08 AM CDT