Democrats seek to override Supreme Court ruling that raised bar for proving age discrimination

October 6th, 2009 Bill would counter Supreme Court age bias rulingWASHINGTON — Democrats in Congress are trying to counter another Supreme Court decision on employment discrimination, this time taking aim at a ruling that makes it harder for older workers to prove age bias. A measure introduced Tuesday would effectively reverse a 5-4 decision from earlier this year that said workers must show age was the decisive factor in a demotion or layoff.

August 10th, 2009 Female ski jumpers' appeal hearing set for Nov. 12VANCOUVER, British Columbia —A group of female ski jumpers will return to court in November to appeal a decision that prevents them from competing in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

July 19th, 2009 Hearings fail to sway Sessions to Sotomayor's sideWASHINGTON — The top Republican on the Senate committee reviewing Sonia Sotomayor's nomination said Sunday her testimony did not settle his concerns about elevating her to the Supreme Court. "I was troubled by a number of the things the nominee has said, a number of the rulings she has made," said Alabama Sen.

July 16th, 2009 Firefighter says Sotomayor's ruling divides peopleWASHINGTON — Frank Ricci, the white firefighter who recently won his reverse discrimination case at the Supreme Court, said Thursday that an unfavorable ruling by Sonia Sotomayor and other judges "divides people who don't wish to be divided along racial lines." Ricci and his firefighting colleague from New Haven, Conn., Lt. Ben Vargas, denounced the appeals court ruling by Sotomayor and two other judges on the federal appeals court in New York.

July 16th, 2009 Firefighter criticizes Sotomayor over rulingWASHINGTON — Frank Ricci, the white firefighter who recently won his reverse discrimination case at the Supreme Court, said Thursday that an unfavorable ruling by Sonia Sotomayor and other judges "divides people who don't wish to be divided along racial lines." Ricci and his firefighting colleague from New Haven, Conn., Lt. Ben Vargas, denounced the appeals court ruling by Sotomayor and two other judges on the federal appeals court in New York.

July 16th, 2009 EEOC weighs action to counter age-bias rulingsWASHINGTON — The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is considering new rules to protect older workers from job discrimination after a spate of recent Supreme Court decisions made it harder to prove age bias in the workplace. The action comes as age discrimination complaints to the agency, which enforces federal employment discrimination laws, rose 29 percent last year, more than any other type of bias claim.

July 16th, 2009 Republicans keep citing Sotomayor firefighter caseWASHINGTON — Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee aren't letting go of the issue involving white firefighters from Connecticut who last month won a reverse discrimination case at the Supreme Court. With firefighter Frank Ricci ready to testify, Sen.

July 14th, 2009 Sotomayor: Ruling in firefighter case was narrowWASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor has defended her ruling against white firefighters who accused the New Haven, Conn., government of engaging in reverse discrimination against them. At the prompting of Democratic Sen.

July 9th, 2009 India Supreme Court steps into gay sex law disputeNEW DELHI — India's Supreme Court agreed Thursday to hear a petition from a Hindu astrologer who is seeking to annul a recent landmark ruling that decriminalized gay sex. In his petition, Sushil Kumar Kaushal said "even animals don't indulge in such activities," adding that allowing gay sex would help spread HIV/AIDS.

June 30th, 2009 Senate Democrats to Pawlenty: certify FrankenWASHINGTON — Senate Democrats are urging Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty to certify Democrat Al Franken's election to the Senate following the state Supreme Court's ruling that the former Saturday Night Live comedian defeated GOP incumbent Norm Coleman.

June 30th, 2009 Foes of Sotomayor emboldened by discimination caseWASHINGTON — Foes of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor celebrated the high court's reversal of her decision in a reverse discrimination case. The 5-4 ruling Monday, backing of reverse discrimination claims by white firefighters, is unlikely to derail Sotomayor's nomination — and it may not even sway a vote.

June 29th, 2009 Supreme Court bidding goodbye to SouterWASHINGTON — It's Justice David Souter's last day on the Supreme Court and he'll be ruling on a case familiar to the woman nominated to replace him. It's a reverse discrimination case filed by white firefighters in New Haven, Conn.

June 1st, 2009 Minn. high court hears Senate case argumentsST. PAUL, Minn. — Republican Norm Coleman is asking the Minnesota Supreme Court to toss out a lower-court ruling that gave Democrat Al Franken a victory in the state's U.S.

April 22nd, 2009 High court hears reverse discrimination argumentsWASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is weighing whether a Connecticut city's decision to scrap a promotion exam for firefighters because too few minorities passed violates the civil rights of top-scoring white applicants. The justices are hearing arguments Wednesday in a case from New Haven, Conn., that has the potential to change hiring practices nationwide.

January 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Barack Obama signed his first piece of legislation as US president Thursday, approving a bill that gives workers more time to file complaints for wage discrimination. 'This is a wonderful day,' Obama said before signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, which is named after a female factory manager at Goodyear who discovered she had been paid less than her male colleagues for two decades.