Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives

In Chicago Women in Trades v. Trump et al., No. 1:25-cv-02005, U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) preventing the Department of Labor (DOL) from enforcing two provisions of Executive Orders (EOs) 14151 and 14173: one that mandates termination of grants/contracts with organizations promoting DEI, and another that requires recipients to certify under the False Claims Act that they do not have DEI/DEIA programs.

On March 20, 2025, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) issued two key pieces of guidance: What To Do If You Experience Discrimination Related to DEI at Work and What You Should Know About DEI-Related Discrimination at Work.

On Tuesday, February 11, the State of Missouri sued Starbucks for violations of federal and state laws prohibiting race discrimination. In a statement regarding the lawsuit, Attorney General Andrew Bailey said, “[r]acism has no place in Missouri. [The State] fil[ed] suit to halt [a] blatant violation of the Missouri Human Rights Act in its tracks.”

Wednesday evening, February 5, 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a series of memos to various divisions of the Department of Justice (DOJ). One memo asserted that the DOJ will take action to enforce President Trump’s efforts to eliminate illegal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, as outlined in Executive Order 14173 (“Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity”).