A Trump administration rule that expanded religious defenses for federal contractors accused of discrimination weakens anti-bias laws and could lead to an increase in unequal treatment in the workplace, a group of states and unions said in separate lawsuits filed Thursday.
The two cases seek to block a U.S. Labor Department final regulation that triggered outcry from advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals, Democratic attorneys general, and others who said it would weaponize religious liberties. But religious rights advocates applauded the measure for providing clarity for religious entities pursuing federal contracts.
The rule, which went into effect Jan. ...