The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6 to 3 today that federal anti-discrimination laws protect gay and transgender employees, The Washington Post reports. Conservative justices Neil M. Gorsuch and John G. Roberts Jr. joined justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan in deciding that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination “because of sex,” includes LGBTQ employees. Justice Gorsuch wrote: “When an employer fires an employee because she is homosexual or transgender, two causal factors may be in play — both the individual’s sex and something else (the sex to which the individual is attracted or with which the individual identifies). But Title VII doesn’t care. If an employer would not have discharged an employee but for that individual’s sex, the statute’s causation standard is met, and liability may attach.” Read the opinion in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia here.

YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee will hold a voting rights webinar June 24 from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. “Stand Against Racism: Voting in a Time of Crisis” will be moderated by Nashville lawyer Charles K. Grant of Baker Donelson and include representatives from the ACLU of Tennessee, Free Hearts and The Equity Alliance. The panel will address voting rights restoration, absentee voting and how racism affects access to the ballot. Register here to receive the link to the program. Download a flyer about the program.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today upheld the transfer of a West Tennessee assistant principal to a teaching position at another school. The court held that Stephen Geller, an assistant principal at Henry County High School, did not prove that his transfer violated the Tennessee’s Teacher Tenure Act. Geller was serving as assistant principal when a new principal was hired. The principal reassigned Geller to another school because he did not have an administrator license, which provides training in instructional leadership. Geller sued, arguing that he did not need the license because his duties did not involve more than 50% instructional leadership. The court found that the principal had a right to transfer Geller because he wanted all assistant principals to be teaching as much as possible with a new “priority on instructional leadership.”

Williamson County lawyer Renata Dash was reinstated to the practice of law on June 5, retroactive to May 18, after being placed on inactive status in March 2012. Arizona attorney Matthew Brian Wenzlau was reinstated to the practice of law on June 11, retroactive to June 3. He had been placed on inactive status in May 2012.

Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands will hold three legal clinics by phone this week: Tuesday from 3-4:30 p.m., Wednesday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., and Saturday from 8:30-11 a.m. Those needing assistance may call 800-238-1443 on any of these dates and times to speak to an attorney. Please contact Andrae Crismon or Kendra Cheek, 615-780-7131, for more information or to volunteer.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today ordered a stay of execution for Byron Black until April 8, 2021, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tennessean reports. Black’s execution had been scheduled for Oct. 8. Black was convicted of the 1988 murders of his girlfriend, Angela Clay, and her two daughters, Latoya and Lakeisha Clay in Nashville. Black's legal team filed a motion in April to stay the execution, saying the court and prison safety measures expected to continue into the summer would affect their ability to adequately prepare for hearings in advance of the execution date. A hearing to determine Black’s competency originally was set for mid-August. It will now be rescheduled for early next year.

The Nashville Board of Health voted yesterday to immediately stop sharing the names and addresses of people infected with COVID-19 with police and other first responders, ending a contentious component of the city’s response to the pandemic. However, some board members said they would continue working on a more precise system for releasing the information, the Tennessean reports. Gov. Bill Lee halted the practice at the state level at the end of May.

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-KY, says he will introduce legislation to prohibit police officers across the country from using no-knock warrants like the one that led to the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor by three police officers in Louisville, the Daily News Journal reports. Under the bill, federal law enforcement officers would be required to provide notice of their authority and purpose before they could execute a warrant, and any state or local law enforcement agency that receives funds from the U.S. Department of Justice would be required to do the same. At the local level, the Louisville Metro Council voted unanimously yesterday to ban the controversial practice in the city.

The Tennessee Senate passed a new $39.4 billion budget yesterday that includes more than $300 million in cuts due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The House is expected to vote on the measure next week, WPLN reports. Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson said the numbers reflected in the spending plan are the result of an estimated $1 billion revenue shortfall for next fiscal year. Senators gave the governor the power to look for additional budget cuts at departments and agencies but required him to report back to the chairs of the House and Senate finance committees before any decisions are finalized. The revised budget also includes $50 million for an employee buyout program and additional money for local governments to use to replace revenue.

The Nashville-based boutique law firm Klein Solomon has added Michael Mills as a named partner and renamed itself Klein Solomon Mills, the Nashville Post reports. An engineer by training, Mills joined the firm in 2016. He previously worked at Harwell Howard Hyne Gabbert & Manner and as a management and technology consultant. Klein Solomon Mills focuses on litigation and business services.