cases we are watching
• A Michigan federal jury awarded $1.8 million to a Muslim teacher who was terminated after refusing to remove her religious veil while teaching, finding the employer failed to provide a reasonable accommodation. The employer, a nonprofit organization that provides education and social services to Arab immigrants, argued that showing facial expressions was necessary for instruction, but the jury concluded that alternatives, such as teaching an all-female class, would not have imposed an undue hardship. The verdict included compensatory and punitive damages under both Title VII and Michigan law, and the employer has indicated it plans to appeal.
• A Massachusetts federal court is considering whether to dismiss a challenge to Boston’s selective “exam school” admissions policy, which uses a socioeconomic tier system to allocate seats based on factors such as GPA and standardized test scores. The lawsuit alleges the policy disadvantages white students by grouping many of them into the same tier and reducing their share of admissions, while the school district argues that white students remain overrepresented compared to the overall school-age population. The case follows a prior First Circuit decision upholding an earlier admissions model that used zip codes to promote socioeconomic diversity.
• California State University has filed suit against the U.S. Department of Education challenging findings that San José State University violated Title IX by allowing a transgender student-athlete to compete on its women’s volleyball team. The lawsuit seeks to block potential loss of federal funding and argues the university followed then-applicable law and Ninth Circuit precedent, while the federal government contends such policies violate Title IX. The case reflects a broader legal conflict over how Title IX applies to transgender students and the extent of federal enforcement authority.
