In yet another case regarding discovery of social media content, Magistrate Judge Michael E. Hegarty of the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado recently sanctioned the EEOC for its efforts to evade discovery of social media content in EEOC v. The Original Honeybaked Ham, No 11-CV-2560 (D. Colo. Feb. 27,

Christopher J. DeGroff
Christopher is a partner in the Labor and Employment Department in the Firm’s Chicago office, with a practice largely focused on multi-plaintiff and class/collective actions. Mr. DeGroff’s class action experience spans the scope of employment law theories. Mr. DeGroff also has extensive experience litigating against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), both at the early charge stage and in large-scale EEOC pattern-and-practice litigation. Mr. DeGroff has developed innovative strategies for addressing wide-ranging governmental requests for information and has handled complex regional and national EEOC investigations, typially resulting in no action being taken against our clients at all. When the EEOC has resorted to litigation, Mr. DeGroff has been instrumental in defending our clients against these often high-profile systemic cases, working with any number of class action teams to achieve efficient and effective case resolution. Mr. DeGroff’s class experience also includes a significant understanding of emerging electronic discovery issues, and has conducted speeches and published articles on electronic discovery and other high-technology issues.
“The EEOC Talks” – Perspectives From The Commission’s Strategic Enforcement Plan Meeting
After much anticipation, heated debate, and numerous invitations for public comment on the EEOC’s Strategic Enforcement Plan, on February 20, 2013, the EEOC provided an update on its implementation of the Strategic Plan. Approved on December 18, 2012, the Strategic Plan will function as the blueprint for the Commission’s enforcement activity…
District Court Rejects The EEOC’s Disability Discrimination Claim And Rules That Random Alcohol Tests Do Not Violate The ADA
In a unique case, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania recently dismissed the EEOC’s allegations that the Defendant’s random drug and alcohol testing of probationary employees violated the ADA. The decision in EEOC v. United States Steel Corp., No. 10-CV-1283 (W.D. Pa. Feb. 20, 2013), is striking in…
EEOC Kicks Off 2013 Settling Sex Harassment And Retaliation Lawsuits
As we blogged about here previously, in the EEOC’s first draft of its Strategic Enforcement Plan, the Commission telegraphed that it was increasingly focused on preventing, and when necessary, litigating workplace harassment and retaliation allegations. The EEOC’s warning was no bluff, for in 2012 the EEOC filed a significant amount of harassment…
Rash Of Significant Settlements Signals EEOC Means Business About Retaliation
We have been keeping our readers posted on the rapidly evolving developments concerning the EEOC’s agenda in 2013 and beyond. As we noted in past postings, the EEOC promised in its Strategic Enforcement Plan (“SEP”) that it would increasingly focus on preventing and, when necessary, litigating retaliation claims. The EEOC sharpened its…
The Top 5 Most Intriguing Decisions In EEOC Cases Of 2012
By Christopher DeGroff and Gerald L. Maatman, Jr.
Calling all loyal readers of our blog – our annual EEOC litigation study is here: the launch of our book entitled EEOC-Initiated Litigation: Case Law Developments In 2012 And Trends To Watch For In 2013.
This publication is what we hope you will agree is a…
New Year, But Old Tactics: EEOC Iced In Arizona For Mixed Bag Of Procedural And Substantive Failings
By Christopher DeGroff and Julie Yap
Despite a number of setbacks in 2011 and 2012, it appears that the EEOC is charging into 2013 with much the same playbook it adopted in years past: aggressive litigation tactics, unreasonable demands for settlement, and an expectation that it can investigate and litigate under its own…
Final EEOC Strategic Enforcement Plan Approved: A New Vision Or Business As Usual?
By Christopher DeGroff, Gerald L. Maatman, Jr. and Julie G. Yap
After much anticipation, heated debate, and numerous invitations for public comment, today the EEOC announced that it approved its Strategic Enforcement Plan for FY 2013-2016. As we previously reported, the EEOC’s SEP will function as the blueprint for the Commission’s…
Boys Will Be Boys: Court Refuses To Expand Liability For Off-Color Badgering And Horseplay Despite EEOC’s Hardball Litigation
By Christopher DeGroff and Julie G. Yap
As this blog recently reported, the EEOC has reduced the amount of cases it filed in its last fiscal year, and appears to have decided to more aggressively pursue the cases in its current inventory. In EEOC v. The McPherson Companies, Inc., Case No.…
The EEOC’s FY2012 Numbers Released: Commission Housecleaning Sets The Stage For A Focused And Aggressive 2013
By: Christopher DeGroff, Gerald L. Maatman, Jr., and Julie G. Yap
Today the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission published its long awaited FY 2012 Performance and Accountability Report. The Report was posted on-line at the EEOC’s website along with a press release. The EEOC’s fiscal year ends on September 30th each year, and…