Federal Contractors and Private Employers Urged to Review Hiring, Pay, and Promotion Practices Washington, D.C. — February 2026 Federal contractors and grant recipients are facing a sharpened enforcement landscape following remarks by Brenna Jenny, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Commercial Litigation Branch of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), at the Federal Bar Association’s…
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Federal Contractors & Employers Must Align DEI Policies With Anti-Discrimination Law Washington, D.C. — February 2026 — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has published a reminder highlighting employers’ obligations under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as they relate to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, a message that federal contractors and private employers should take…
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Recent statements from EEOC leadership have characterized certain corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices as potentially “unlawful” under Title VII, prompting employers to question whether previously supported practices have become illegal overnight. However, while political rhetoric has shifted, the EEOC continues to litigate and conciliate traditional race and sex discrimination cases under Title VII, often resulting…
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Conflicting signals from federal agencies have prompted some employers to scale back or suspend DEI-related initiatives out of fear that such programs may be considered “illegal.” However, overcorrecting in this direction creates its own set of risks, especially under Title VII, which continues to prohibit discrimination based on race, sex, disability, national origin, age, and other…
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A recent court decision involving Starbucks offers an important lesson for federal contractors navigating today’s DEI scrutiny: even in a politically charged environment, courts still require specific evidence of actual harm — not assumptions, headlines, or generalized allegations. In the case, Missouri’s attorney general sued Starbucks, arguing that the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives unlawfully advantaged…
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