Religion-Based Discrimination

In Macchio v. Michaels Elec. Supply Corp., 2017 NY Slip Op 02636 (App. Div. 2d Dept. April 5, 2017), the court held that plaintiff presented sufficient evidence of pretext to survive summary judgment on his discrimination, retaliation, and FMLA claims, but that his hostile work environment claim was properly dismissed. In this case, plaintiff alleged,…

Read More Employment Discrimination (Ancestry, Association, Religion), Retaliation, and FMLA Claims Survive Summary Judgment; Hostile Work Environment Claim Properly Dismissed
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In Balk v. New York Institute of Technology, No. 16-984-CV, 2017 WL 1103428, (2d Cir. Mar. 23, 2017) (Summary Order), the Second Circuit affirmed the dismissal of the race, national origin, and religious discrimination claims asserted by the plaintiff. The court considered, and rejected, plaintiff’s reliance on the so-called “customer preference” doctrine, which provides (in sum) that…

Read More 2d Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Non-Muslim American Professor’s Race/Religion/National Origin Discrimination Claims
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In a recently-filed lawsuit, captioned Piatek v. The Happiest Hour and Jon Neidich (NY Sup. Ct., NY Cty., Index 152578/2017, filed 3/17/17), plaintiff alleges that he (while wearing a hat bearing the Donald Trump slogan “Make America Great Again”) “was unlawfully ridiculed, discriminated against and ejected from The Happiest Hour on account of his creed,…

Read More Lawsuit Alleges Public Accommodation Discrimination Against Bar by Trump Hat-Wearing Patron
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In Meyer v. New York State Office of Mental Health (2d Cir. 16-1163-cv March 10, 2017) (summary order), the Second Circuit affirmed the summary judgment dismissal of plaintiff’s gender and religious discrimination claims. As to plaintiff’s gender discrimination claim, the court explained: Even assuming arguendo that Meyer made a prima facie case of gender discrimination,…

Read More 2d Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Doctor’s Gender- and Religious-Based Discrimination Claims
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In Rasmy v. Marriott Int’l, Inc., No. 16-CV-04865 (AJN), 2017 WL 773604 (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 24, 2017), the court discussed and applied the doctrines of election of remedies, administrative exhaustion, and mandatory arbitration in the context of defendant’s motion to dismiss the hostile work environment (religion, national origin) and retaliation claims asserted by plaintiff. Plaintiff, an Egyptian…

Read More State/City Human Rights Law Religion and National Origin Hostile Work Environment Claims Dismissed Against Marriott; Retaliation and Title VII Hostile Work Environment Claims Continue
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In Demir v. Sandoz Inc. and Fougera Pharmaceuticals (NY Sup. Ct. NY Cty., Index 150954/2015, Feb. 17, 2017), the court held that plaintiff – a Muslim woman of Turkish national origin – sufficiently alleged causes of action for discrimination and hostile work environment (based on her gender, national origin, and religion) under the New York State…

Read More Muslim/Turkish Woman Sufficiently Alleges Gender, National Origin, and Religious Discrimination Against Sandoz
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It is an unfortunate reality that many employment discrimination cases are dismissed. These cases are often difficult to prove, and success requires navigating a path riddled with hurdles, ranging from statutes of limitation, to proper pleading, to dismissal on summary judgment following the completion of discovery. A recent example is Edwards v. N.Y. State Office of…

Read More Court Dismisses Born Again Christian’s Employment Discrimination, Hostile Work Environment, and Retaliation Claims
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In Jacobs v. Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse & Hirschrit, 15-cv-10100, 2017 WL 432803 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 30, 2017), the court dismissed plaintiff’s employment discrimination action. Plaintiff, a 72 year-old Episcopalian contract law partner, alleged that he was treated unfairly (i.e. subject to unlawful discrimination) based on his religion (under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of…

Read More Court Dismisses Contract Law Firm Partner’s Religious & Age Discrimination Claims
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In Yeger v. Inst. of Culinary Educ., Inc., No. 14CV8202-LTS, 2017 WL 377936 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 25, 2017), the court granted defendants’ motion for summary judgment as to various discrimination claims (including based on plaintiff’s gender, age, and religion), but denied it in part with respect to her FMLA retaliation claim. Here I’ll focus on the court’s…

Read More FMLA Retaliation Claim Survives Summary Judgment (In Part)
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In Bell v. McRoberts Protective Agency, Inc., No. 15-CV-0963 (JPO), 2016 WL 7192083 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 12, 2016), the court dismissed plaintiff’s federal, state, and city claims of religious, race, and sex discrimination under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). (This decision, which follows a prior dismissal of plaintiff’s claims, focuses on plaintiff’s amended complaint.) Initially,…

Read More Religious, Race, Sex Discrimination Claims Dismissed on Non-Exhaustion and Substantive Grounds
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