Alyesha Dotson

Sep 23, 2024 | jdsupra.com | Alyesha Dotson |Emily Haigh |Don Nguyen

The Ninth Circuit might consider whether an entertainment employer’s First Amendment rights provides a strong enough defense in an employment dispute involving off-duty social media posts. This case highlights the conflict between an employee’s lawful, off-duty political expression and an employer’s brand integrity.

Oct 19, 2023 | jdsupra.com | Alyesha Dotson |Kayvan Iradjpanah |Ellie McPike

First-of-its-kind law in California will require venture capital firms to collect and report demographic composition of the founding members of the businesses in which they invest. Information on gender identity, race, ethnicity, disability status, sexual orientation, veteran status, and California residency must be collected by a standardized survey provided to founding team members.

Oct 11, 2023 | jdsupra.com | Alyesha Dotson |Puja Sharma

On October 7, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed proposed bill SB 403, which, as previously discussed, sought to ban discrimination based on caste under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Unruh Civil Rights Act, and California Education Code. Governor Newsom’s message called this change “unnecessary” because these statutes already prohibit discrimination based on several categories, including sex, race, religion, disability, ancestry,1 etc.

Aug 1, 2023 | mondaq.com | Joy Rosenquist |Alyesha Dotson

California Senate Bill 403 would include "caste" under the protected category of "ancestry" in the state's anti-discrimination statutes. If enacted, this bill would be the first state-wide prohibition on caste discrimination, defined as an individual's perceived position in a system of social stratification on the basis of inherited status.

Jul 31, 2023 | jdsupra.com | Alyesha Dotson |Joy Rosenquist

On July 5, 2023, the California Senate voted 34-1 in favor of clarifying existing law by defining “ancestry” to include “caste” as protected within the state’s anti-discrimination statutes.1When this bill, SB 403, was originally proposed, it added caste as a new category of protected characteristics under the state’s antidiscrimination law.