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In a first for the nation, California Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation on Thursday that requires the teaching of gay history in the state’s schools. Focusing on the contributions of gay, lesbian and transgender Americans to the development of California and the United States, the law directs school districts to adopt curricula and textbooks that emphasize the role of these groups in present society. For months, Republicans have vehemently opposed the gay history bill, arguing that it is an attempt to force a “gay agenda” on students, reports the Los Angeles Times....

The majority of employment arrangements are at-will, meaning an employer can fire an employee for any reason or no reason at all. But there are exceptions to that rule, and some reasons for firing are illegal. And there may be some hoops an employer must jump through before firing a union-member employee So while it might seem like an easy answer to say “Yes, you can fire an employee for shopping at work,” the answer gets a little more difficult if the employees were union members whose termination didn’t go to arbitration first....

Police have identified 24-year-old James Holmes as the suspect in the Colorado shooting at the “The Dark Knight” premiere. At least 12 people have been killed and 59 people wounded in the Aurora shooting. There is still no word on a motive, though the shooter’s mother reportedly said she was not surprised that her son committed the crime. Details about the shooting and James Holmes continue to trickle out from around the country....

A Michigan judge served up a legal set-back to Hooters of Roseville, Inc. and Hooters of America Inc. in a decision announced on August 25. Macomb County Circuit Judge Peter Maceroni found that the case of two Hooters waitresses who claim they were illegally fired due to weight bais may proceed. As discussed in a prior post on FindLaw’s Injured, the case of former Hooters waitress Cassandra Smith (now joined by another waitress, Leanne Convery) alleged discrimination based on her weight....

The idea seems easy enough: You love to teach yoga and you know some folks who want to practice with you. You may not have the money for a studio space, but it’s nice outside, so why not just take your class to the park? Unfortunately, it may not be that easy. If the yoga session is free, then you probably don’t have to worry. However, if you’re charging clients for the yoga session, you may need a permit to teach yoga in a public park....

The Ninth Circuit put in its order to Domino’s, but it wasn’t for pizza, or even chicken wings. It was to get its website and mobile app compliant with the American Disability Act so that the visually impaired could have full use of their site, including ordering and discounted deals. Lawsuits such as these are becoming more and more common as technology advances to make online content more accessible to those with vision impairment....

Workers at the former ESPN Zone sports bar in Baltimore, Maryland, are suing the Walt Disney Corporation for suddenly closing the business this past June. The former employees of the Inner Harbor neighborhood restaurant, filed suit in federal district court on October 24, seeking wages they say they were owed for being fired without the required notice. The plaintiffs claim that federal law requires employers to give at least 60 days notice to workers if they intend to close their business, reports the local CBS affiliate WJZ13....

Ferrets. They’re legal in 48 states, but currently outlawed in California and Hawaii. Some California residents want that to change. A group of ferret fans is looking to challenge the state’s 80-year-old ferret ban, and is in search of a state legislator who will sponsor a repeal. If the bid is unsuccessful, ferret ownership will continue to carry up to a six month jail term and a $1,000 fine. And California’s ferrets will remain hidden underground like the weasels they are....

Drugmaker Genentech is pulling the prescription psoriasis medication Raptiva (efalizumab) from the U.S. market, in what is being called a “voluntary, phased withdrawal of the product” by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Today’s action is being taken because of a risk that Raptiva patients may develop a serious, often fatal neurological disease called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), which is caused by a virus that affects the central nervous system....

Happy Early Halloween. The costume-themed holiday is one that is sure to be filled with lots of treats, but sometimes there can be some tricks involved, too. As the nation’s most secular holiday, Halloween has always drawn a range of participants for it’s October 31st celebration date. There are, unfortunately, some increased safety risks that come with the holiday. So, in no particular order, here are some important Halloween safety tips for trick or treaters:...

In breaking news, CNN reports that two people have been shot and killed at Henry Ford Community College in Michigan. In light of the number of the tragic shootings during the past week and month, the first thing that probably pops into anyone’s head is whether this is yet another instance of someone trying to take out as many people as possible before they kill themselves. In the context of school shootings, both the Virginia Tech tragedy and the shooting last month in Germany might pop up in people’s minds....

Security deposits are part of rental life, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t the bane of every renter’s existence. It’s rare that a tenant doesn’t have security deposit landlord issues, with delays and too many deductions. If you’re currently having (or want to prepare for) security deposit problems, this is what you need to know about landlord disputes over security deposits. Every state has a specific deadline for how long a landlord may hold a tenant’s security deposit after he has moved out....

We go to the gym to stay healthy, even visiting the hotel gym while on vacation. And we often overlook the health risks of exercising in a gym (usually because we’re glued to the TV while on a StairMaster). In a closed environment littered with exercise equipment, towels, sweat, and other workout aficionados, it’s no wonder accidents happen at the gym. But if you’re injured in a fall while exercising, could the gym be legally responsible?...

Burns and car crashes are expected over Fourth of July weekend, but the town of Norwood, Massachusetts was treated to a different kind of accident this year when a parade cannon misfired, injuring Kevin Roche. Lest you think that the town’s residents are running around shooting cannonballs, this was no ordinary parade. It was Norwood’s annual Fourth of July World War II Reenactment Parade, and the cannon in question is technically a prop....

Model Louisa Raske is leading a fight against New York City’s top modeling agencies as the lead plaintiff in a large class action. Her claim is that the agencies defrauded model clients and took their money. The lack of financial transparency in modeling agencies isn’t a new issue. In the current suit Raske and the other plaintiffs are claiming that agencies had inaccurate financial statements, concealed funds belonging to models, and improperly used models funds....

Here’s a scary thought: over 90 percent of nursing homes employ at least one person with a criminal conviction, according to federal investigators, The New York Times reports. Of course that fact, by itself does seem rather vague and prone to scare people: obviously there is a big difference between a robbery conviction and jaywalking. But nevertheless, the article aggressively pushes the angle that due to negligent hiring, criminals may be lurking where mom and pop play bingo....

The residents of a condominium community in Columbus, Ohio have been warned not to use their balconies due to the fear of collapses. The condo owners at The Falls at Hayden Run were told in June 2017 that their decks could no longer be used after a father and daughter were injured in a collapse the previous month. Apparently, the decks were only secured by 26 nails and lacked several safety requirements....

A divorce is emotionally difficult on its own, without factoring in the division of property that comes with it. And in some cases, the law surrounding who gets what only adds to the confusion. Take a monetary award in a personal injury case, for example: when you get divorced, is your personal injury judgment treated as community property (to be divided equally), or separate property (which you can keep entirely)? Every divorce is unique, so let’s take a look at some circumstances that could determine how a personal injury judgment is treated in a divorce....

Those crazy teenagers with their loud music and their constant texting in the car. When will they behave in a responsible manner and learn that distracted driving is very, very dangerous? Maybe when they have a good example to look up to. Results from a new study by the Pew Research Center, announced June 18, say that “adults” text while driving too. In fact, just as much as teens do....

Nobody looks forward to firing employees. When you have to lay someone off, it either means your small business isn’t doing as well as you want, or that you made a mistake in hiring. Either way, the last thing you want if you have to fire an employee is a wrongful termination lawsuit. It’s only natural that someone getting fired is going to be upset. But there are ways to protect your small business from legal disputes arising from layoffs....