Judge: William M. Skretny

In Grastorf v. Community Bank, N.A., No. 19-CV-1627S, 2023 WL 2266336 (W.D.N.Y. Feb. 28, 2023), the court, inter alia, granted the defendant’s motion for summary judgment dismissing plaintiff’s sex-based discrimination claim. Here, plaintiff’s case falters because she could not demonstrate that she was treated worse than a “similarly situated” person outside her protected class. The…

Read More Title VII Sex Discrimination Claim Dismissed; Alleged Comparators Were Not “Similarly Situated” to Plaintiff
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In Litten v. GM Components Holdings, LLC, 2022 WL 706971 (W.D.N.Y. March 9, 2022), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim – based on her status as a Native American – asserted under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This case is, unfortunately, yet another that serves as an…

Read More “Dirty Indian” Comment Insufficient to Support Hostile Work Environment Claim, Court Holds
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In Fabor v. Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, 19-CV-1573S, 2021 WL 4060420 (W.D.N.Y. Sept. 7, 2021) – a race discrimination and retaliation case asserted under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – the court discussed and applied the rules concerning the “administrative exhaustion” aspect of asserting a Title VII claim. In sum, before…

Read More Premature “Right to Sue” Letter Results in Dismissal of Race Discrimination an Retaliation Claims
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In Villella v. City of Lockport, 17-CV-898S, 2021 WL 3726103 (W.D.N.Y. Aug. 23, 2021), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s gender discrimination claim, based on a “sex stereotyping” theory. From the decision: Plaintiff objects to one of Mayor McCaffrey’s reasons for rejecting her for the Assessor position because the Mayor did not believe Plaintiff was…

Read More Gender Discrimination Claim Dismissed; “Not a Team Player” Comment Did Not Evidence “Sex Stereotyping”
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In Murray v. Williamsville Central School District, 2021 WL 1610201 (WDNY April 26, 2021), the court, inter alia, dismissed various constitutional claims asserted by plaintiff – a middle school teacher – who alleges that his employer (the defendant school district) deprived him of his liberty interest in his reputation and free speech rights after he…

Read More Court Dismisses Teacher’s Section 1983 & 1st and 14th Amendment Claims Arising From Alleged Showing of Pornographic Film to Students
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In Burgos v. Works, No. 13-CV-704S, 2017 WL 2403305, at *8–9 (W.D.N.Y. June 2, 2017), the court (inter alia) denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s race and sex-based hostile work environment, race and sex-based adverse-action discrimination, and retaliation claims.[1]However, it dismissed plaintiff’s age-based hostile work environment and discrimination claims under the Age Discrimination…

Read More Race and Sex-Based Hostile Work Environment Claims Survive Summary Judgment
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In Evert v. Wyoming Cty. Cmty. Health Sys., No. 14-CV-912S, 2017 WL 1832051 (W.D.N.Y. May 8, 2017) (J. Skretny), the court dismissed plaintiff’s gender discrimination/harassment claim. Plaintiff, a prison nurse, alleged, among other things, that corrections officers began harassing her after she received a letter from an inmate she had treated. After reciting the law…

Read More Court Explains Reasons For Dismissing Prison Nurse’s Title VII Gender-Based Hostile Work Environment Claim
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In Glenn v. Fuji Grill Niagara Falls, LLC, No. 14-CV-380S, 2016 WL 1557751 (W.D.N.Y. Apr. 18, 2016), the court discussed whether and to what extent a party who has accepted an “Offer of Judgment” in a Title VII discrimination suit may thereafter seek costs, including attorney fees. The answer, unsurprisingly, turns on the terms of…

Read More Accepted Offer of Judgment Did Not Foreclose Attorney Fees in Discrimination/Hostile Work Environment Case
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In Kennedy v. NYS, 14-CV-990S, NYLJ 1202751641711 (WDNY Mar. 3, 2016), the Western District of New York held that plaintiff – a member of NYS Assembly Member Dennis Gabryszak’s staff – plausibly alleged hostile work environment sexual harassment against Mr. Gabryszak under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, and therefore denied defendants’ motion to dismiss under Fed. R. Civ.…

Read More Assembly Staff Member Sufficiently Alleges § 1983 Sexual Harassment Claim Against Dennis Gabryszak
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In Cullen v. Verizon Communications, No. 14-CV-464S, 2014 WL 6627494 (W.D.N.Y. Nov. 21, 2014), the Western District of New York dismissed, under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6), plaintiff’s complaint alleging disability discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (as amended) (ADA) and the New York State Human Rights Law. Here are the facts,…

Read More Recent Court Decision is Instructive as to the Circumstances Under Which Alcoholism Constitutes a “Disability” Under the Anti-Discrimination Statutes
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