March 2022

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As you may have heard, actor/rapper Will Smith smacked comedian/actor Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars after Mr. Rock made a joke referring to Mr. Smith’s wife’s bald head. Many news organizations reported this event as a “assault.” However, in the civil (as opposed to criminal) context, there are, among potentially others, two distinct causes…

Read More Battery, Assault, and the Oscar Slap Heard (and Seen) Throughout the World
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In Legg et al v. Ulster County et al, 2022 WL 909045 (N.D.N.Y. March 29, 2022), the court, inter alia, held that the jury’s award of $200,000 to one sexual harassment plaintiff was excessive, and that under the facts of the case, a new trial would be granted unless they agreed to accept $75,000. The…

Read More Sexual Harassment Plaintiff’s Emotional Distress Damages Remitted to $75,000
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In Dubie v. Buffalo Concrete Accessories, Inc., 21-cv-744, 2022 WL 901604 (W.D.N.Y. March 28, 2022), the court, inter alia, held that plaintiff failed to state a claim for a race-based hostile work environment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. From the decision: Dubie alleges that she was subject to “microagression[s]; racial…

Read More Race-Based Hostile Work Environment Claim, Based on “Microaggressions” etc., Insufficiently Alleged
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In Alshami v. City University of New York, No. 15573, 160183/19, 2021-03967, 2022 N.Y. Slip Op. 02053, 2022 WL 867839 (N.Y.A.D. 1 Dept., Mar. 24, 2022), the court held that plaintiff sufficiently alleged discrimination based on national origin (Yemeni), hostile work environment, and retaliation in violation of the New York State Human Rights Law. From…

Read More National Origin (Yemeni) Discrimination, Hostile Work Environment, Retaliation Claims Sufficiently Alleged Against CUNY
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In Brito et al v. Marina’s Bakery Corp. et al, 19-CV-00828, 2022 WL 875099 (E.D.N.Y. March 24, 2022), the court, inter alia, granted plaintiff’s motion for a default judgment on his hostile work environment claims asserted under the New York State and City Human Rights Laws. After summarizing the black-letter law as to those claims,…

Read More Plaintiff Entitled to Default Judgment on Hostile Work Environment Claims; Allegations Included Mocking of Visual and Hearing Impairments
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In Connolly v. City of New York, 2022 WL 843497 (2d Cir. March 22, 2022), the court, inter alia, vacated the lower court’s dismissal (on timeliness grounds) of plaintiff’s retaliation claim. From the decision: We first address the District Court’s decision to dismiss as time-barred Connolly’s retaliation claims arising before November 20, 2013. The District…

Read More Retaliation Claim Was “Reasonably Related” to EEOC-Filed Claims
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In Tillman v. NYC Human Resources Administration, 2022 WL 874947 (S.D.N.Y. March 24, 2022), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s hostile work environment claims asserted under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. After assuming (without explicitly deciding) that hostile work environment claims are cognizable under the…

Read More Title VII, ADA Hostile Work Environment Claims Dismissed; “Scattered” Allegations of Events Over Four Years Insufficient
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In Boncoeur v. Haverstrap-Stony Point Central School District et al, 20-CV-10923, 2022 WL 845770 (S.D.N.Y. March 22, 2022), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim(s). This case is yet another example of how a work environment that is “hostile” in the dictionary sense is not necessarily a “hostile work environment” under the…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Claims Dismissed; Allegations of Mocking Accent, “Micro-Aggressions”, and Push Out of Office Insufficient
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In Abbt v. City of Houston, 2022 WL 764999 (5th Cir. March 11, 2022), the court, inter alia, reversed the lower court’s award of summary judgment for defendant on plaintiff’s claim of hostile work environment sexual harassment asserted under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In sum, this case arose from the…

Read More Sexual Harassment Claim, Asserted by Houston Firefighter, Survives Summary Judgment
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In Paschall v. Tube Processing Corporation, 2022 WL 775413 (7th Cir. March 15, 2022), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, inter alia, affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s sexual harassment claim asserted under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Among other things, plaintiff alleged that a male co-worker made sexual/obscene…

Read More Sexual Harassment (Hostile Work Environment) Claim Dismissal Affirmed; Co-Worker’s Harassment Not Imputable to Employer
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