Court: SDNY

In Boustany v. Xylem, Inc. et al., No. 1:15-CV-10023-GHW, 2017 WL 377939 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 25, 2017), the court dismissed plaintiff’s Title VII sexual harassment lawsuit. This case concerns the territorial applicability of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The “black letter” law provides: Title VII’s protections extend to American citizens working abroad. ……

Read More Citing Title VII’s Territorial Limitations, Court Dismisses Middle Eastern Woman’s Sexual Harassment Case
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Here is the recently-filed lawsuit, captioned Springs v. City of New York et al (SDNY 17-cv-00451), in which a black firefighter alleges that he endured sexual hazing and race discrimination. Among other things, plaintiff alleges that one defendant told him “I don’t like you … blacks getting on the job this way. You don’t have good…

Read More Lawsuit Alleges Sexual Hazing and Race Discrimination at NY Fire Dept.
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In Crean v. 125 West 76th St. Realty Corp., 15-cv-3814, 2017 WL 217948 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 17, 2017), the court dismissed the employment discrimination claims of plaintiffs (a Manhattan co-op superintendent and his wife). Initially, the court dismissed the wife’s claim because there was no employer-employee relationship between her and the defendants. The law: It goes almost…

Read More Lack of Employer-Employee Relationship and Insufficient Number of Employees Lead Court to Dismiss Employment Discrimination Claims Against Manhattan Co-Op
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In Balgley v. N.Y. City Health & Hosps. Corp., No. 14-CV-9041 (KBF), 2017 WL 95114 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 10, 2017), Southern District Judge Katherine Forrest dismissed plaintiff’s retaliation claim under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and his disability discrimination claim under the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL). In sum, plaintiff alleges that defendant unlawfully…

Read More Court Dismisses Disability Discrimination and Retaliation Claims
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Both Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Pay Act of 1963 prohibit – in addition to discrimination based on specified criteria/characteristics – “retaliation” for engaging in “protected activity”. In certain cases, “protected activity” can be the litigation itself. In the matter of Kerrie Campbell v. Chadbourne & Parke LLP,…

Read More Counterclaim Alleged to be Retaliatory in Gender Discrimination Class Action Lawsuit Against Chadbourne & Parke Law Firm
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In Baez v. Anne Fontaine USA, Inc., No. 14-CV-6621 (KBF), 2017 WL 57858 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 5, 2017), the Southern District of New York denied defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s retaliation claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the New York State and City Human Rights Laws, her hostile…

Read More Retaliation & Hostile Work Environment Claims, Based on Complaints of Bra-Less “Rumor” and “Office Drama”, Survive Summary Judgment
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In Scott-Robinson v. City of N.Y., No. 15-CV-09703 (NRB), 2016 WL 7378775 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 15, 2016), the Southern District of New York (Judge Buchwald) dismissed plaintiff’s retaliation claim under the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL), but held that she sufficiently alleged her failure-to-accommodate-disability claims against individual defendants. Plaintiff, a Child and Family Specialist…

Read More Failure-to-Accommodate Disability (Sciatica) Discrimination Claims Continue Against Individual Defendants; Retaliation Claims Dismissed
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In Washington v. Borough of Manhattan Cmty. Coll., No. 16 CIV. 6168 (PAE), 2016 WL 7410717 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 21, 2016), the Southern District of New York dismissed plaintiff’s claims under the New York State and City Human Rights Laws against the Borough of Manhattan Community College, since she did not comply with the notice of…

Read More Court Dismisses State/City Human Rights Law Employment Discrimination Claims Against NYC Community College (BMCC) Due to Failure to File Notice of Claim
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In order to hold an employer liable for a hostile work environment, a plaintiff needs to establish two elements: The existence of a hostile work environment (i.e., sufficiently “hostile” conduct connected a protected characteristic); and A specific basis for imputing the hostile work environment to the employer (vicarious liability). A recent case, Ward v. Shaddock, No.…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Created by Co-Worker Not Imputable to Entity Employer
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In Johnson v. J. Walter Thompson U.S.A., LLC, No. 16-CV-1805 (JPO), 2016 WL 7217847 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 13, 2016), the court denied defendants’ FRCP 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss plaintiff’s sex-based hostile work environment and retaliation claims. Here I’ll discuss the court’s evaluation of plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim. Plaintiff alleged, among other things, that defendant Gustavo…

Read More Sex-Based Hostile Work Environment Claim Continues Against J. Walter Thompson; Plaintiff Alleged (e.g.) Rape Comments, Unwanted Touching, and “Bossy” Remarks
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