March 2018

From D’Antonio v. Little Flower Children & Family Services of New York et al, 17-cv-1221, 2018 WL 1385897 (E.D.N.Y. March 19, 2018): This Court is persuaded by Judge Lynch’s reasoning in Collette, and based on the facts presented in this case, holds that Plaintiff’s hostile work environment and retaliation claims under Title VII and Section…

Read More NY Whistleblower Law’s Election-of-Remedies Provision Does Not Preclude Hostile Work Environment and Retaliation Claims, Court Holds
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In Jones v. Target Corporation, 15-CV-4672, 2018 WL 1377301 (EDNY March 16, 2018), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s retaliation claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In sum, defendant terminated plaintiff for violating its drug-free workplace policy after marijuana was found in the employee locker room. According to her, the marijuana was…

Read More Court Dismisses Retaliation Claim Against Target; “Cat’s Paw” Theory Inapplicable
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In Anderson v. AlClear LLC, 18-cv-1525, 2018 WL 1318994 (EDNY March 14, 2018) (J. Cogan), the court dismissed plaintiff’s employment discrimination claims alleged under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Plaintiff, proceeding pro se, alleged (as summarized by the court) that management in the company was…

Read More Employment Discrimination Claims Insufficiently Alleged Against AlClear LLC
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Below is the lawsuit, captioned Bickram v. M.A.C. Cosmetics Inc., 18-cv-2279 (SDNY March 15, 2018), recently filed in federal court against M.A.C. Cosmetics.[1]Unless otherwise noted, Pospis Law, PLLC does not represent the party in any filing referenced on this blog, including this one. The case has been assigned to Judge Paul Gardephe.  [+] References ↩1 Unless…

Read More Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against M.A.C. Cosmetics Inc.
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In Chauca v. Abraham, 2018 WL 1352351 (2d Cir. March 16, 2018), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held that the district court erred in declining to submit the question of punitive damages to the jury under the New York City Human Rights Law. In a prior opinion,[1]Chauca v. Abraham, 841 F.3d…

Read More 2d Circuit: Lower Court Mistakenly Applied Higher Standard for Punitive Damages Under the NYC Human Rights Law
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In Stoica v. Phipps, 2018 WL 1226045 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. N.Y. Cty. Index No. 153834/2017, March 8, 2018) (J. Lebovits), the court, inter alia, denied defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s hostile work environment sexual harassment claims under the New York State and City Human Rights Laws.[1]It also held that plaintiff sufficiently alleged various other claims, including…

Read More Nanny Sufficiently Alleges Hostile Work Environment / Sexual Harassment; Claims Were Not “Too Outrageous and Incredible to be Believed”
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In Graham v. Goodwill Industries, Inc., 16-cv-6468, 2018 WL 1318988 (EDNY March 14, 2018), the court held, inter alia, that it did not have subject matter jurisdiction over plaintiff’s sexual harassment claims under the New York State and City Human Rights Laws.[1]The court also, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s hostile work environment claims under Title VII of…

Read More Federal Court Lacked Subject Matter Jurisdiction Over Sexual Harassment Claims Adjudicated at State Agency
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In Hill v. Frontier Telephone of Rochester, Inc., 2018 WL 1256220 (W.D.N.Y., 2018) – a race discrimination/hostile work environment case – the court dismissed plaintiff’s case, finding that there was no issue of fact as to whether the alleged harasser’s conduct could be imputed to the employer. The court explained the law: Where, as here,…

Read More Co-Worker’s Harassment Not Imputed to Employer; Employer’s Response Held Sufficient
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In Sharkey v. J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., 2018 WL 1229831 (S.D.N.Y. March 5, 2018), the court, inter alia, struck down a jury verdict of $563,000 for emotional distress suffered by plaintiff as a result of her alleged retaliatory termination in violation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX). From the Opinion: If Sharkey is…

Read More Court Strikes Down $563K Emotional Distress Damages Jury Verdict in SOX Case as “Infected With Passion and Prejudice”
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In Rodrigues v. Watershed Ventures LLC, 2018 N.Y. Slip Op. 30322(U), 2018 WL 1030303 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Feb. 23, 2018), the court held, inter alia, that a release agreement relating to plaintiff’s claims, asserted in a separate federal court action, was not broad enough to preclude his race discrimination claims. From the Decision and Order: [T]he…

Read More Race Discrimination Claims Survive; Not Barred By Release of Wage & Hour Claims
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