Court: SDNY

In Brantman v. Fortistar Capital, Inc., No. 15-CV-4774 (NSR), 2017 WL 3172864 (S.D.N.Y. July 22, 2017), the court, inter alia, granted defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s Title VII retaliation claim. Plaintiff, while reviewing and cataloging boxes of files and documents belonging to defendant’s recently-retired general counsel, “found a DVD in a plastic case…

Read More Title VII Retaliation Claim Dismissed; Report of Discovery of “Pornographic Video” Was Not “Protected Activity”
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In Chavis v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., No. 15 CIV. 4288 (DC), 2017 WL 3037536 (S.D.N.Y. July 18, 2017), the court, inter alia, granted defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s claim that she was subjected to a hostile work environment based on her religion. Specifically, plaintiff – an Asset Protection Manager at the Suffern Walmart…

Read More Walmart Awarded Summary Judgment on Religion-Based Hostile Work Environment Claim
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In Vaughn v. Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway et al, No. 14-CV-10297 (KMK), 2017 WL 3017503 (S.D.N.Y. July 14, 2017), the court (inter alia) denied defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s claim that he was subjected to discrimination – by being terminated and suspended – because of his race, in violation of Title VII…

Read More Race Discrimination Claim Survives Summary Judgment; Evidence Included Supervisor’s Use of the “N-Word” and Favorable Treatment of White Co-Worker
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In Dineley v. Coach, Inc., No. 16-cv-3197 (DLC), 2017 WL 2963499 (S.D.N.Y. July 11, 2017), the court denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim based on her disability (alcoholism). Initially, the court noted that while the Second Circuit has not yet decided whether the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Claim, Based on Alcoholism Disability, Survives Summary Judgment
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In a lawsuit filed yesterday (Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University v. Donald J. Trump, SDNY 17-cv-5205), plaintiffs seek to declare as unconstitutional – as violating the First Amendment – defendant Trump’s practice of “blocking” users from his Twitter account, @realDonaldTrump. The complaint contains a single cause of action, which alleges: 79. Defendants’ blocking…

Read More First Amendment Lawsuit Asserts Trump’s Twitter Blocking is Unconstitutional
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In Batiste v. The City University of New York, No. 16-CV-3358 (VEC), 2017 WL 2912525 (S.D.N.Y. July 7, 2017) (J. Caproni), the court dismissed plaintiff’s discrimination, hostile work environment, and retaliation claims. Among other things, it held that plaintiff failed to exhaust her administrative remedies in the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). “To present a…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Claim Dismissed as Not Administratively Exhausted at the EEOC
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In Falu v. Cty. of Orange, No. 16-CV-0448 (NSR), 2017 WL 2889513, at *6 (S.D.N.Y. June 30, 2017), the court held that the plaintiff – a female corrections officers – sufficiently alleged a failure-to-promote gender discrimination claim. The court summarized the legal framework for such a claim: As noted, Falu’s Amended Complaint can be construed…

Read More Female Corrections Officer Sufficiently Alleges Gender Discrimination (Failure to Promote)
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In Iscenko v. City of New York, No. 16 CIV. 6535 (LGS), 2017 WL 2880553 (S.D.N.Y. July 5, 2017), the court dismissed plaintiff’s race discrimination claims The Complaint alleges that Defendants took adverse employment actions — suspended Plaintiff without pay, significantly diminished his responsibilities, filed charges against him and fired him — at least in…

Read More Court Dismisses White NYPD Detective’s Race Discrimination Claims
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In Luka v. Bard College et al, No. 15-cv-4598, 2017 WL 2839641 (S.D.N.Y. June 29, 2017), the court held, inter alia, that plaintiff sufficiently alleged gender discrimination under the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL). This decision is instructive on how courts apply pleading standards to such claims. The court summarized the law: To…

Read More Lesbian Professor, Denied Tenure, Plausibly Alleges Discrimination Under the NYS Human Rights Law Against Bard College
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In Goonewardena v. N.Y. Workers Comp. Bd., No. 09-CV-8244 (RA), 2017 WL 2799171, at *13 (S.D.N.Y. June 28, 2017), the court granted defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s retaliation claims under Title VII, the NYSHRL, and the NYCHRL. Plaintiff established a prima facie case of retaliation.  Among other things, plaintiff demonstrated that he “was…

Read More Retaliation Claims Dismissed; Performance Issues Predated Complaints
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