Sexual Harassment

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In Ghonda v. Time Warner Cable, Inc., 16-cv-2610, 2017 WL 395111 (EDNY Jan. 27, 2017) – in which plaintiff asserts claims of employment (gender) discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation – the court denied plaintiff’s request to quash a subpoena seeking information relating to plaintiff’s prior employer. From the Order: Plaintiff’s contention that the mere service…

Read More Court Permits “Former Employer” Discovery in Sexual Harassment Case
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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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A recent New York state court decision, Fernandez v. POP Displays & Active Staffing Services (NY Sup. Ct. NY Cty. 154516/2016 Jan. 5, 2017), illustrates the limitations on the geographic reach of the New York City Human Rights Law. The court granted defendant POP Display’s motion to dismiss under CPLR 3211(a)(2) for lack of subject…

Read More Court Dismisses NYC Human Rights Law Claims (Sexual Harassment Etc.) Against Non-NYC Company
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In a recently-filed New York state court lawsuit, Valenti v. American International Group et al. (NY Sup. Ct. NY Cty. 150678/2017, filed 1/20/17), plaintiff asserts claims of sexual harassment, hostile work environment, and retaliation under the New York City and State Human Rights Laws. In her complaint, plaintiff describes the atmosphere at the company as…

Read More Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against AIG
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In Bailey v. The Brooklyn Hospital Center (NY Sup  Ct. NY Cty. Index No. 160752/2013 (Jan. 5, 2017), the court dismissed plaintiff’s sexual harassment claim under the New York City Human Rights Law on the ground that Brooklyn Hospital Center was not vicariously liable for the actions of the alleged harasser. Vicarious liability under the…

Read More Brooklyn Hospital Center Not Vicariously Liable for Sexual Harassment, Court Holds
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In Wiesen v. Guaranteed Home Mortgage, Inc., No. 14-CV-6649, 2017 WL 131741 (W.D.N.Y. Jan. 13, 2017), the court denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s sexual harassment claims under Title VII. Plaintiff asserted that her alleged harasser (Schwaber) was in a supervisory position with respect to her as branch manager; defendant countered that Schwaber…

Read More Sexual Harassment Hostile Work Environment Claims Survive Summary Judgment in Light of Fact Issue as to Whether Alleged Harasser Was Plaintiff’s “Supervisor” or “Co-Worker”
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Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it an unlawful discriminatory practice for an employer to discriminate against an employee because of (among other protected characteristics) “sex.” The term “sexual harassment” typically conjures up images of a male boss acting inappropriately towards a female subordinate. This is one, but not the only,…

Read More Same-Sex Sexual Harassment
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In employment discrimination cases, assuming a plaintiff sufficiently/plausibly alleges one or more claims in their complaint, the next procedural battleground is (usually) “summary judgment”. You can think of summary judgment as the last procedural hurdle – often after discovery is complete and all the facts are “in” – standing between a plaintiff and the holy grail…

Read More Surviving Summary Judgment: Sexual Harassment (Hostile Work Environment)
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As 2016 draws to a close, I’d like to take a brief moment to reflect on the past year. Cases We have continued to fight on behalf of our clients in employment discrimination, sexual harassment, and personal injury matters. Cases we have handled this year include: Sexual harassment ($500,000 settlement) Disability discrimination and retaliation ($30,000…

Read More Pospis Law Year in Review: 2016
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In Willis v. Cty. of Onondaga, No. 14-cv-1306, 2016 WL 7116126 (N.D.N.Y. Dec. 6, 2016), the court dismissed plaintiff’s sexual harassment, racial harassment, retaliation, and other claims asserted under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Here I’ll discuss the court’s evaluation of plaintiff’s Title VII sexual harassment claim. Plaintiff, an African-American heterosexual…

Read More Court Dismisses Sheriff’s Sexual Harassment and Other Claims; Court Assumed Conduct Was “Because of Sex” and Sufficiently “Severe” and “Pervasive” But Was Not Imputable to Defendant
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