Religion-Based Discrimination

In Shakiri v. Subin Associates LLP, No. 650961/2019, 2019 WL 5028690 (N.Y. Sup Ct, New York County Oct. 03, 2019), the court, inter alia, denied defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s complaint, which alleges religious discrimination, national origin discrimination, and sexual harassment under the New York State and City Human Rights Laws. In her complaint, plaintiff…

Read More Sexual Harassment & Religious/National Origin Discrimination Claims Survive Dismissal
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In Kaplan v. New York State Department of Labor, 2019 WL 3252911 (S.D.N.Y. July 19, 2019), a case involving claims of discrimination based on religion, the court, inter alia, denied defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s federal claims.[1]The court dismissed plaintiff’s state law discrimination claims under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1) on Eleventh Amendment (sovereign immunity)…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Claim, Based on Anti-Semitic Comments, Survives Dismissal
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In Kallinikos v. New York State Dept. of Corrections and Community Supervision et al, 2019 WL 3216769 (EDNY July 17, 2019), the court, inter alia, held that plaintiff sufficiently alleged religious discrimination, in the form of a failure-to-promote, under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The court explained the applicable pleading standard:…

Read More Religious Discrimination Failure-to-Promote Claim Sufficiently Alleged
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In Hindi and Aljader v. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, 14-cv-8984, 2019 WL 2325969 (SDNY May 30, 2019), the court, inter alia, granted defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiffs’ religion- and national origin-based hostile work environment claims. Plaintiffs’ allegations included having a picture of one’s face superimposed onto a picture…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Claim Dismissed; “Al-Qaeda” and Other Remarks Not “Severe” or “Pervasive”
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From Rapaport v Strategic Financial Solutions LLC, No. 152764/18, 2019 WL 1247132 (N.Y. Sup Ct, New York County Mar. 15, 2019): The motion as to Action 1 is denied. In that action, plaintiff claims that while she was pregnant, defendants unlawfully reclassified her from a full-time employee to a part-time consultant when they acquired her…

Read More Pregnancy Discrimination, Religious-Based Hostile Work Environment Claims Survive Dismissal
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From Gebrial Rasmy, Plaintiff, v. Marriott International, Inc., d/b/a JW Marriott Essex House Hotel, et al., Defendants., 2018 WL 4682231 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 28, 2018): Plaintiff writes in his opposition brief that Efstratiou would tell Plaintiff, who he knew to be a devout Christian, that “God is garbage” and “Religions [are] for the stupid people,” but…

Read More Court Dismisses Christian’s “Anti-Religion” Discrimination/Hostile Work Environment Claim; Comments Not Made Directly to Plaintiff Deemed “Stray Remarks”
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In Vaigasi v. Solow Management Corporation, et al. , 17-784-cv (2d Cir. Sept. 14, 2018) (Summary Order), the court affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s claims, including those for gender, religious, and age discrimination. As to his gender discrimination claim, the court states: Vaigasi does not plausibly allege that his gender was a basis for any of…

Read More Second Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Discrimination Claims; “Write Up” Threat Insufficient
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In a 7-2 decision issued today, Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission (U.S. No. 16-111 June 4, 2018) (J. Kennedy), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to create a cake for a gay couple’s wedding because of his claimed religious opposition to same-sex marriage. Importantly,…

Read More SCOTUS Issues Narrow Decision in Baker’s Favor in “Gay Wedding Cake” Case
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A federal (EDNY / Brooklyn) jury recently awarded several employees a collective $5.1 million in damages against a health insurance company that, the plaintiffs claimed, forced them to follow the practices of an obscure religion called “Onionhead.” (I wrote about the lawsuit’s filing here.) The verdict sheet (below) reflects, inter alia, that the jury awarded…

Read More EDNY Jury Awards $5.1M in “Onionhead” Religious Discrimination Case [EEOC v. United Health Programs of America]
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