August 2019

In Bentley v. AutoZoners, LLC et al, No. 18-2441-cv, 2019 WL 3884248 (2d Cir. (Conn.) Aug. 19, 2019), the Second Circuit, inter alia, affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s sex-based hostile work environment claim. This decision provides a good overview of the law relating to when the conduct of an employee, amounting to a hostile work…

Read More 2d Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Hostile Work Environment Claim; Actions of Non-“Supervisor” Not Imputable to Employer
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In Bentley v. AutoZoners, LLC et al, No. 18-2441-cv, 2019 WL 3884248 (2d Cir. (Conn.) Aug. 19, 2019), the Second Circuit, inter alia, affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s gender discrimination claim. Initially, the court held that plaintiff was properly precluded from relying on her deposition testimony to raise a genuine issue of fact about giving…

Read More Citing Plaintiff’s “Crude Remark”, 2d Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Gender Discrimination Claim; Pretext Not Shown
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In a particularly disturbing development, it is reported that a plaintiff in a wage-and-hour FLSA lawsuit – plaintiff Xue Hui Zhang, suing his former employer, Albany restaurant Ichiban, for $200,000 in back wages – was detained by Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during a deposition. As indicated in the above-linked news article (dated August…

Read More FLSA Plaintiff Detained by ICE During Deposition
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In Spinosa v The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc., No. 150110/2019, 2019 WL 3815279, at *3 (N.Y. Sup Ct, New York County Aug. 14, 2019), the court dismissed plaintiff’s discrimination claim under the New York State Human Rights Law. Here, the plaintiff is the owner and CEO of a company called Spin. After explaining the…

Read More Shareholder Lacked Standing to Assert Discrimination Claim Under the New York State Human Rights Law, Court Holds
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In Poppito v. Northwell Health, Inc., 15-cv-7431, 2019 WL 3767504 (EDNY Aug. 9, 2019), the plaintiff alleged that she was terminated due to her age, gender, and protected activities. The court, noting defendants’ citation of “an enormous catalog of misconduct by plaintiff”, grants defendants’ motion for summary judgment. After summarizing the burden-shifting framework applicable to…

Read More Discrimination Claims Dismissed; Termination Based on Plaintiff’s Misconduct, Not Unlawful Discrimination
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In Troise v. SUNY Cortland NY, 2019 WL 3817387 (NDNY 2019), the court, inter alia, held that plaintiff sufficiently alleged a gender-based failure-to-hire claim. From the decision: Here, considering the allegations in the light most favorable to the non-movant, Plaintiff alleges that he and a woman applied for the same position. (Dkt. No. 1; Dkt.…

Read More Title VII Failure-to-Hire Claim Sufficiently Alleged by Male Plaintiff, Court Rules
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Motion practice in New York litigation is governed by a variety of overlapping provisions, including those set forth in the New York Civil Practice Law and Rules (CPLR), “Uniform Rules”, local/judges’ rules, and case law. Section 202.7 of the Uniform Civil Rules for the Supreme and County Courts, titled “Calendaring of motions; uniform notice of…

Read More 2d Dept.: Affirmation of Good Faith May Be Contained in Primary Affirmation
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In MacAlister v. Millennium Hotels & Resorts et al, 2019 WL 3765825 (S.D.N.Y. August 9, 2019), the court held, inter alia, that plaintiff – a white American woman over the age of 40 – sufficiently alleged discrimination and a hostile work environment based on her age. gender and race. As to plaintiff’s discrimination claims, the…

Read More “Old White Bitch” Among Comments Held Sufficient to Allege Age/Race/Gender Discrimination & Hostile Work Environment Claims
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In Gayle v. Children’s Aid College Prep Charter School et al, 18-cv-9874, 2019 WL 3759097 (SDNY July 29, 2019), the court dismissed the sexual harassment claim of plaintiff – an employee of a federally-funded educational institution – brought under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, finding that Title VII of the Civil Rights…

Read More Instructor at Federally-Funded School Had Exclusive Remedy for Sexual Harassment Under Title VII, Not Title IX, Court Rules
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Today, Governor Cuomo signed legislation (A8421 / S6577) that substantially strengthens the New York State Human Rights Law, particularly with respect to sexual harassment. Among other things, the legislation: Eliminates the “severe or pervasive” standard for hostile work environment claims; Eliminates the so-called “Faragher/Ellerth defense” to hostile work environment claims, in that “[t]he fact that…

Read More Governor Cuomo Signs Legislation Strengthening the New York State Human Rights Law
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