The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the federal Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (Age Act) does not apply to decisions about whether to admit applicants to medical residency programs.
In response to the rescission of federal agency policies limiting immigration enforcement on school grounds (see Lozano Smith’s 2025 Client News Brief Number 9), Governor Newsom signed a series of bills, including Assembly Bill (AB) 49, Senate Bill
In Health Freedom Defense Fund, Inc. v. Alberto Carvalho, et al. (9th Cir. July 31, 2025), Case No. 22-55908, __ F.4th __ , the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals determined that the Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD) now-rescinded COVID-19 vaccination requirement for employees did not violate constitutional law because it was rationally related to protecting the health and s
The Ninth Circuit recently issued an amended opinion in Adams v. County of Sacramento (9th Cir. 2005) 143 F.4th 1027, a case involving a former Sacramento County sheriff’s captain, and former Assistant Chief of Police for the City of Rancho Cordova, Kate Adams (Adams) who alleged she was forced to resign after allegations surfaced that she forwarded racist images via text message.
In two separate back-to-back recent decisions, California courts have given important wins to public employers in defending against employee whistleblower lawsuits under Labor Code section 1102.5.
In a recent decision by the California Fourth District Court of Appeal, a public school district successfully asserted immunity from liability from an employee’s discrimination claims based on being denied permission to work exclusively from home after the COVID-19 pandemic as a reasonable workplace accommodation.
On October 7, 2023, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 88, which takes effect on July 1, 2025, and sets minimum health, safety, and oversight standards for drivers employed or contracted by school districts who transport students for any school-related transportation.
On June 5, 2025, in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services (2025) 145 S.Ct. 1540, the United States Supreme Court unanimously vacated the Sixth Circuit’s decision to dismiss the plaintiff’s reverse discrimination lawsuit, rejecting the lower court’s reasoning that the plaintiff failed to establish “background circumstances” to support the plausibility of r
In DeFrancesco v. Robbins (9th Cir. 2025) 136 F.4th 933, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that university officials were entitled to qualified immunity in an action brought by a former employee alleging violation of his First Amendment right to be free from retaliation for his husband’s allegedly protected whistleblowing speech.