January 2018

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A recent (December 2017) Reuters/Ipsos poll, discussed at The Ladders, indicates that Americans hold wildly different views about what constitutes sexual harassment. For example, the poll reflects[1]Source that 7 out of 10 men, and 8 out of 10 women, believe that “intentionally touching anywhere on your body without consent” is sexual harassment, minorities are more likely…

Read More New Poll Reflects Disagreement, Uncertainty About What Constitutes Sexual Harassment
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In Cardin v. Securitas Security Services USA, Inc., 16-cv-6101, 2018 WL 562941 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 24, 2018), the court dismissed plaintiff’s employment discrimination claim, due to the absence of an “adverse employment action”, and the facts did not support the requisite inference of discrimination. In sum: believing plaintiff used his cell phone in the bathroom, plaintiff’s…

Read More Short-Lived “Write-Up” Was Not An “Adverse Employment Action”
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In Figueroa v. KK Sub II et al, 15-cv-6526, 2018 WL 573571 (W.D.N.Y. Jan. 26, 2018), the court (inter alia) denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment as to plaintiff’s retaliatory termination claims under Title VII and the New York State Human Rights Law. In sum,[1]As always, this is a brief summary of the facts of…

Read More Retaliatory Termination Case Survives Summary Judgment; Evidence Included instruction to “Keep An Eye On” Plaintiff
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In Makinen v. City of New York, 2018 WL 546409 (2d Cir. Jan. 25, 2018) (Summary Order), the Second Circuit, inter alia, affirmed the dismissal of plaintiffs’ constructive discharge claim under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the New York State Human Rights Law. In sum, plaintiffs (city police officers) alleged that they suffered discrimination…

Read More 2d Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Plaintiffs’ Constructive Discharge Claims Based on Perceived Alcoholism
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From Garcia v. Habacus Constr., Inc., 2018 NY Slip Op 00397 (App. Div. 1st Dept. Jan. 23, 2018): The motion court correctly ruled that the alleged oral agreement between plaintiff and Habacus for a share of the company’s profits during the duration of plaintiff’s employment did not violate the statute of frauds. Plaintiff testified that the…

Read More Oral Agreement For Share of Company’s Profits Not Unenforceable Under Statute of Frauds, Court Holds
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In Harrington v. City of New York, 2018 NY Slip Op 00381, 2018 WL 503144 (App. Div. 1st Dept. Jan. 23, 2018), the Appellate Division, First Department modified a lower court order and reinstated plaintiff police officer’s claims for sexual orientation discrimination and retaliation under the New York State and City Human Rights Laws. As…

Read More Police Officer’s Sexual Orientation Discrimination Claims Sufficiently Alleged, First Department Holds
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In a new lawsuit, captioned Rehal v. Harvey Weinstein et al, SDNY 18-cv-00674 (filed January 25, 2018), plaintiff (Harvey Weinstein’s personal assistant) asserts, inter alia, that she “was forced to work in a pervasive and severe sexually hostile work environment at The Weinstein Company LLC and The Weinstein Company Holdings LLC[], defined by endless offensive,…

Read More Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Harvey Weinstein
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From DeBello v. VolumeCocomo Apparel, Inc., 2017 WL 6616704, at *3 (C.A.2 (N.Y.), 2017): We conclude … that in the circumstances here, DeBello’s public policy argument does not overcome the presumption that “a valid forum-selection clause [should be] given controlling weight in all but the most exceptional cases.” Atl. Marine, 134 S.Ct. at 581 (alteration in…

Read More 2d Circuit: Employment Agreement’s Venue Selection Clause Trumps Title VII’s Venue Provision
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In Mula v. AbbVie, Inc., 15-CV-6563-FPG, 2018 WL 501277 (W.D.N.Y. Jan. 22, 2018), the court granted summary judgment to defendant on plaintiff’s hostile work environment and retaliation claims. In sum, plaintiff alleged that she was sexually harassed by her supervisor (McCutchan) and then subjected to retaliation for complaining about it. Among other things, plaintiff claimed that…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Claim Dismissed, In Light of Evidence That Employer Followed its Anti-Discrimination Policy
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The Producers Guild of America has recently issued Anti-Sexual Harassment Guidelines. Those Guidelines [PDF], according to the PGA’s website, comprise “information and recommendations as first steps to preventing and responding to harassment in the workplace” and “are provided to assist … in creating policies and programs and to assist individuals in responding to harassing behavior.”

Read More Sexual Harassment Guidelines Issued by Producers Guild of America
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