July 2016

by

In Deberry v. Brookdale Univ. Hosp. & Med. Ctr., No. 12-CV-6251(SLT)(RLM), 2016 WL 3840673 (E.D.N.Y. July 12, 2016), the court dismissed plaintiff’s discrimination, harassment, and hostile work environment claims. Here I’ll focus on its discussion of plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim. This case is instructive on the issue of when the alleged harassment may be…

Read More Court Discusses the “Imputing Conduct” Element of a Hostile Work Environment Claim
Share This:
by

Ceiling-collapse cases are one type of “premises liability” personal injury case. Generally, a landowner has an obligation to maintain their property in a reasonably safe condition. In Lozano v. Mt. Hope Place Props., Inc., 2016 NY Slip Op 05545 (App. Div. 1st Dept. July 14, 2016), a ceiling-collapse case, the court affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s…

Read More Ceiling Collapse Personal Injury Case Dismissal Affirmed
Share This:
by

In a recent New York State court complaint, captioned Prowell v. Advanced Fertility Services, P.C. et al (NY Sup. Ct. NY Cty. 155828/2016, filed July 14, 2016), plaintiff alleges that she was terminated in retaliation for her complaints about pregnancy discrimination, in violation of the New York State and City Human Rights Laws. She asserts claims…

Read More Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit Against Advanced Fertility Services
Share This:
by

In Walsh v. New York City Housing Authority, 14-181-cv, 2016 WL 3632245 (2d Cir. July 7, 2016), a Title VII gender discrimination failure-to-hire case, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated the lower court’s order granting summary judgment to defendant. It is worth a read, for at least the reason that it…

Read More Citing People v. Gambini, 2d Circuit Reinstates Female Bricklayer’s Gender Discrimination Failure-to-Hire Case
Share This:
by

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
Share This:
by

In a recent Manhattan federal court filing, Roger Ailes – the named defendant in a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson in NJ state court – seeks to compel arbitration of her claims pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act. (Here are the supporting petition and memorandum of law.) His papers…

Read More Roger Ailes Moves to Compel Arbitration of Gretchen Carlson’s Sexual Harassment Claims
Share This:
by

In Oluwatayo v. Dulinayan, 2016 NY Slip Op 05455 (App. Div. 1st Dept. July 7, 2016), the court clarified the distinction – in the context of a rear-end car accident case – between (i) plaintiff’s freedom of culpability and (ii) defendants’ alleged negligence. Here, plaintiff was entitled to summary judgment as to (i), but not as…

Read More “Innocent” Rear-Ended Plaintiff Entitled to Summary Judgment as to His Lack of Culpable Conduct, But Not With Respect to Defendants’ Negligence
Share This:
by

In Mykytyn v. Hannaford Bros. Co., No. 15-01427, 2016 WL 3638182 (N.Y. App. Div. 4th Dept. July 8, 2016), the court reinstated several of plaintiff’s claims, including his co-worker-based sexual harassment/hostile work environment claim. The facts, as summarized by the court: Plaintiff commenced this action seeking damages for, inter alia, employment discrimination pursuant to the…

Read More Court Explains and Applies the Standard For Co-Worker Harassment/Hostile Work Environment Claims Under the NYS Human Rights Law
Share This:
by

In Carter v. Syracuse City School District, No. 15-2395, 2016 WL 3671631 (2d Cir. July 11, 2016) (Summary Order), an employment discrimination case, the Second Circuit vacated the district court’s dismissal of plaintiff’s discrimination and retaliation claims. Initially, the court held that the District Court incorrectly dismissed plaintiff’s State Human Rights Law claim because plaintiff…

Read More Second Circuit Revives Discrimination Claims Against School District; Discusses Title VII Pleading Standards for Discrimination and Retaliation Claims
Share This:
by

In Fisher v. Mermaid Manor Home for Adults, LLC, No. 14-CV-3461 (WFK)(JO), 2016 WL 3636021 (E.D.N.Y. June 29, 2016), the court denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s race/national origin-based hostile work environment claim. Plaintiff sued after being apprised by co-workers of an Instagram post which “consisted of two photographs of Plaintiff contrasted with a…

Read More Instagram “Planet of the Apes” Comparison Results in Denial of Summary Judgment in Race/National Origin Discrimination (Hostile Work Environment) Case
Share This: