From Deutsch v. City of New York Dept. of Envtl. Protection, 2019 NY Slip Op 30063(U), Index 161139/2017 (NY Sup. Ct. NY Cty. Jan. 7, 2019): Furthermore, none of the complaint allegations suggest that plaintiff complained about something that his employer was doing that would fall into the category of creating and presenting a danger to the public health…
Read More Whistleblower (Labor Law 740) Claim Dismissed Against NYC DEPIn Daeisadeghi v. Equinox Great Neck, Inc., 16-CV-01698, 2019 WL 331637 (E.D.N.Y. Jan. 25, 2019), the court, inter alia, dismissed on summary judgment plaintiff’s national origin-based hostile work environment claim. This case teaches, among other things, that even “insulting” conduct does not necessarily result in the establishment of a hostile work environment claim. From the decision:…
Read More Hostile Work Environment Claim Dismissed Against EquinoxOn Friday, January 25, 2019, New York modified its law to add gender identity and gender expression to the existing law banning discrimination based on gender, age, religion, race or sexual orientation. Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the measure into law in Manhattan at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Center.
Read More New York Law Extended to Ban Transgender DiscriminationFrom DeFreitas v. Bronx Lebanon Hosp. Ctr., 2019 NY Slip Op 00375 (App. Div. 1st Dept. Jan. 22, 2019): In opposition to defendant’s motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint alleging age discrimination in employment, plaintiffs met their burden under the New York State Human Rights Law (Executive Law § 296[1][a]) of showing that a material issue…
Read More Age Discrimination Case Proceeds Against Bronx Lebanon HospitalFrom Schneider v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. 2019 WL 294309 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 23, 2019): [T]he Court will examine whether Defendants’ stated reason for Plaintiff’s termination, his accumulation of four written coachings in a twelve-month period, is mere pretext for discrimination. Pretext may be demonstrated by additional evidence that the employer’s proffered reason is not credible or…
Read More Written “Coachings” Were Not Pretext For Discrimination; Disability Discrimination Claim Dismissed on Summary JudgmentFrom Plotzker v. Kips Bay Anesthesia, P.C., 745 Fed.Appx. 436, 437–38 (C.A.2 (N.Y.), 2018) (Summary Order): After reviewing the record de novo, we agree with the District Court that there is no genuine dispute of material fact with respect to at least one element of Plotzker’s retaliation claim, namely, that his employer was aware of his…
Read More Dismissal of Retaliation Claim Affirmed; Employer Unaware of Protected ActivityIn Westbrooke v. Bellevue Hospital Center et al, 2019 WL 233611 (SDNY Jan. 16, 2019), the court dismissed plaintiff’s complaint – alleging employment discrimination – with prejudice. In sum, plaintiff alleged that she was discriminated against on the basis of her age, gender, disability, and race, and then subjected to retaliation for complaining about it. After…
Read More Court Rejects “Economic Duress” Argument re Settlement of Employment Discrimination ClaimsIn Davis v. Town of Hempstead, 2019 WL 235644, at *5 (E.D.N.Y. Jan. 16, 2019), a sexual harassment case, the court (inter alia) concluded that the plaintiff was not an “employee” of the Town Clerk (defendant Bonilla) – whom she claimed sexually harassed her – and thus dismissed her claim under Title VII of the…
Read More Title VII Sexual Harassment Claim Dismissed; Town Clerk’s Assistant Was Not an “Employee”In Farmer v. Dr. Lucia Patino, Optometrist, P.C., 2019 WL 110956 (E.D.N.Y. Jan. 4, 2019), the court dismissed plaintiff’s claim under the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). It summarized the statute: The GINA restricts the circumstances under which an employer may request or use genetic information, including information about an individual’s “genetic tests, the genetic tests…
Read More Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) Claim DismissedFrom Bussa v. St. John’s University, 2019 WL 136641, at *3–4 (E.D.N.Y., 2019): Plaintiff has failed to allege sufficient facts to demonstrate that the defendant discriminated against him in violation of Title VII or the ADA. As a general matter, the complaint suggests that the plaintiff did not actually apply for a specific position, although he…
Read More Aspiring Graduate Student’s Title VII, ADA Discrimination Claims Dismissed