Canceling Anti-Racism Training Weakens Agency Liability Shields

Federal agencies will have more difficulty opposing some workplace race bias lawsuits if they roll back anti-racism training as contemplated by a recent White House memo, lawyers and law professors said.

Rescinding worker training on racial sensitivity could weaken agencies’ legal defenses against race-based harassment claims or punitive damages in racial discrimination lawsuits, attorneys and scholars said. Eliminating existing training could also send the signal that racism in the workplace is no longer a concern or leave workers without critical knowledge, potentially sparking biased on-the-job conduct, they said.

The White House Office of Management and Budget issued a memo Sept. ...