Fired Labor Department Attorney Advances Color, Pay Bias Claims

The Labor Department mostly failed to narrow a former regional solicitor’s lawsuit alleging he received a smaller bonus because he’s Black and was otherwise discriminated against based on his color and sex.

Oscar Hampton, who worked at the DOL for more than 30 years, adequately alleged pay bias, the US District Court for the District of Columbia said Monday. Hampton asserted in his 2023 lawsuit that White regional solicitors got higher bonuses despite his equal or better performance. That’s enough to state a plausible claim under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Hampton didn’t need to detail at ...