Judge D’Agostino

In Fish v. 1295 Aroxy Cleaners, No. 15-cv-102, 2017 WL 1496244 (N.D.N.Y. Apr. 26, 2017), a sexual harassment hostile work environment case, the court denied defendants’ motion for summary judgment. Here are the facts, as summarized by the court: According to [plaintiff] Fish, [plaintiff’s primary supervisor Hagop] Poladian began sexually harassing her at the end…

Read More Sexual Harassment / Hostile Work Environment Claim Survives Summary Judgment; Evidence Included Touching of Intimate Body Parts
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In Dollinger v. N.Y. State Ins. Fund, No. 314CV908MADDEP, 2016 WL 6833993 (N.D.N.Y. Nov. 18, 2016), the court dismissed plaintiff’s disability discrimination, hostile work environment, and retaliation claims. Plaintiff alleged, inter alia, “that he has been subjected to such treatment because he is ‘regarded as belonging to a group associated with high risk for HIV/AIDS;…

Read More Disability Discrimination Lawsuit Dismissed on the Pleadings; “Gay Terrorist” Email Among Allegations Failing to Meet “Plausibility” Pleading Standard
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In Tiffany v. Dzwonczyk, 2016 WL 3661410 (N.D.N.Y. July 5, 2016), the court dismissed plaintiff’s claim asserting retaliation in violation of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The court summarized the law: The Second Circuit recognizes two claims under the FMLA: (i) interference with FMLA rights; and (ii) retaliation for exercising FMLA rights. … To…

Read More FMLA Retaliation Claim Dismissed; Yearlong Work Absence Was Not FMLA-Protected, Evidence of Causation Lacking
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In Karam v. Cty. of Rensselaer, New York, 13-cv-1018, 2016 WL 51252 (N.D.N.Y. Jan. 4, 2016), the court (among other things) granted defendants’ motion dismissing plaintiff’s claim that he was subjected to a hostile work environment claim based on his Arab ancestry. It explained: [O]nly two statements concerning Plaintiff’s ancestry were made within the applicable statute…

Read More Court Dismisses Hostile Work Environment Claim Based on Arab Ancestry
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Every legal claim has a “statute of limitations” – that is, a deadline for filing a lawsuit in court. Failure to commence an action by the applicable statute of limitations can be fatal and result in the loss of important rights. In employment discrimination litigation, one key deadline when asserting claims under, for example, Title…

Read More Age Discrimination Claim Was Timely; “Three Day” Mailing Presumption Rebutted
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In Lent v. CCNH d/b/a Cortland Care Center, decided November 16, 2015, the Northern District of New York awarded plaintiff damages following defendant’s default. As set forth in the court’s June 1, 2015 decision granting plaintiff’s motion for a default judgment (which I wrote about here), In this sexual harassment case, plaintiff alleged (among other…

Read More Court Explains $1.25M Emotional Distress Damage Award in Sexual Harassment/Hostile Work Environment Case
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In Rock v. Blaine, 2015 WL 3795886 (NDNY June 17, 2015), the court denied defendant State of New York’s motion to dismiss plaintiff’s retaliation claim against it. Plaintiff, a corrections officer, sued the State of New York and three individuals under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, alleging retaliation for making a…

Read More Female Corrections Officer Sufficiently Alleges Retaliation Against the State of New York
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