QUICK UPDATES: WWE Lawsuit, Transgender Litigation, Verdicts on the Rise, Religious Discrimination, and a Special Thanks

The Jewish holidays starting tonight encourage reflection. So, it seems particularly appropriate to do some quick updates on earlier posts:

• The lawsuit against WWE by three wrestlers continues to move very slowly.  Early press reports by another source suggested that WWE would be moving quickly to respond to the claims; they aren’t.  WWE asked for an extension of time until today to file an answer to the complaint.  As of this morning, there was no answer filed.
   
• In two earlier posts (here and here) about a transgender discrimination claim decided in Connecticut, I noted that the case of Schroer v. Library of Congress was worth watching as well because it too involved a claim of transgender discrimination.  Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled in favor of the employee following a bench trial. Numerous blogs have posted on it, including Workplace Horizons, Laconic Law Blog, and the ABA Journal. 
   
• Last month, I posted about a NY Times story that suggested that Plaintiffs who reject settlement offers often do worse at trial.  Now a new study suggests that employment discrimination verdicts are on the rise. Manpower reports that the median award increased nearly 70 percent from 2006 to 2007. 
   
• This summer, I posted that the EEOC released new guidance on religious discrimination. Delaware Employment Law blog had an interesting post on what this means for employees who want to pray at work.  The Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah has led to some lawsuits as well so employers may want to refresh themselves on the appropriate rules when they have some employees absent over the next day or two for observances.
   
• And with all the financial collapses over the last two weeks, what does this do for the "Masters of the Universe"? According to Tom Wolfe, it means living in Greenwich, Connecticut. 

• And lastly, special thanks need to go to Susan Carter-Liebel for her post on a "Great Lawyer – Great Charity" and my work with the March of Dimes Signature Chef Auction. The night was a great success and the work we did will directly benefit those in Connecticut addressing the issue of prematurity. 

Wishing all a happy and healthy new year.