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In Williams v. New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens, 16-3207-cv, 2017 WL 4461020 (2d Cir. Oct. 6, 2017) (Summary Order), the court affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s race-based failure-to-hire discrimination claim. Here are the facts, as (briefly) summarized by the court: Williams alleges that the Hospital stopped considering his employment application after a prospective…

Read More Failure-to-Hire Case Properly Dismissed, Notwithstanding “Bad” and “Unfair” Treatment
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In Matter of Ferrara v. New York State Div. of Human Rights, 2017 NY Slip Op 06968 (App. Div. 2d Dept. Oct. 4, 2017), the court affirmed the denial of petitioner’s Article 78 petition to review a determination by the New York State Division of Human Rights that petitioner’s discrimination claims were barred by the NYS…

Read More Employment Discrimination Claims Properly Dismissed as Untimely
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From McMahon v. Tomkins County, 16-CV-922, 2017 WL 4443884 (N.D.N.Y. Oct. 4, 2017) (J. Hurd): In determining whether a plaintiff suffered a hostile work environment, [a court] must consider the totality of the circumstances, including ‘the frequency of the discriminatory conduct; its severity; whether it is physically threatening or humiliating, or a mere offensive utterance; and whether…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Claim Dismissed; Unpleasantness Was Unrelated to Protected Characteristics
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In Kennedy v. Federal Express Corp. and Alvin Beal, as Aider and Abettor, 2017 WL 4422514 (2d Cir. Oct. 5, 2017) (Summary Order), the Second Circuit (inter alia) vacated the district court’s judgment[1]Kennedy v. Fed. Express Corp., No. 5:13-CV-1540, 2016 WL 5415774 (N.D.N.Y. Sept. 28, 2016) dismissing plaintiff’s sexual harassment and sex discrimination claims. (It also…

Read More Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment Claim Against FedEx Resurrected
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In Cherry v. NYC Housing Authority et al, 15-cv-6949, 2017 WL 4357344 (E.D.N.Y. Sept. 29, 2017) (J. Brodie), the court held (inter alia) that plaintiff sufficiently alleged gender discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the New York State Human Rights Law. Plaintiff – a black male – alleged, among…

Read More Male Worker’s Gender Discrimination Among Claims Surviving Dismissal
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In Southerland v. Phoenix Constructors JV, 2017 NY Slip Op 32027(U) (Sup. Ct. NY Cty. 156005/15 Sept. 26, 2017) (J. Kotler), the court (inter alia) denied defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s sex-based hostile work environment claim. From the decision: Here, contrary to defendants’ argument, plaintiff has set forth with sufficient particularity that she was subject to…

Read More Sex-Based Hostile Work Environment Claim Survives Summary Judgment; Court Noted Co-Worker and Supervisor Called Plaintiff a “Bitch”
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In Pouncy v. Advanced Focus LLC, 2017 WL 428094 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 25, 2017), the court (inter alia) granted defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s retaliation claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. 1981, and the New York City Human Rights Law.[1]I wrote about the court’s dismissal of plaintiff’s…

Read More Retaliation Claims Dismissed Due to Absence of “Protected Activity”; Plaintiff’s Complaints Were Unrelated to a Legally Protected Characteristic
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In Pouncy v. Advanced Focus LLC, 2017 WL 428094 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 25, 2017), a race discrimination case, the court granted defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s race-based hostile work environment claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. 1981, and the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL). As…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Was Not “Because Of” Race; Summary Judgment Granted to Defendant
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A recent decision, Dudley v. New York City Housing Authority, 2017 WL 4315010 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 25, 2017), reaffirms the principle that a hostile work environment claim must arise from hostility because of a protected characteristic. In this case, plaintiff alleged that he “was subjected to a hostile work environment in retaliation for his prior protected…

Read More Court Dismisses “Retaliatory Hostile Work Environment” Claims
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In Gracia v. City of NY, 16-CV-7329, 2017 WL 4286319 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 26, 2017) (J. Caproni), the court held that a release signed by plaintiff – a female NYPD officer – to resolve a personal injury slip-and-fall case was broad enough to encompass claims for gender discrimination sexual harassment, hostile work environment, and retaliation. In…

Read More Personal Injury Release Held Broad Enough to Cover Employment Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, and Retaliation Claims
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