October 2016

Halloween is a fun holiday. Not so, however, for employees forced to endure sexual harassment during a company Halloween party. In Maher v. All. Mortg. Banking Corp., No. CV 06-5073 DRH ARL, 2010 WL 3516153 (E.D.N.Y. Aug. 9, 2010), report and recommendation adopted, No. 06 CV 5073 DRH ARL, 2010 WL 3521921 (E.D.N.Y. Sept. 1,…

Read More Sexual Harassment During Company Halloween Party Among Facts of Case Resulting in $170,000 Compensatory Damages Award
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In N.Y. State Div. of Human Rights v. Besdad, Inc., No. 2014-08481, 2016 WL 6269891 (N.Y. App. Div. 2d Dept. Oct. 26, 2016), the court upheld a determination by the NYS Division of Human Rights that the respondents discriminated against the complainant on the basis of his race and color by subjecting him to a…

Read More Desire Not to “Offend” Alleged Harasser Properly Found to Result in Condonation of Racial Discrimination
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In a lawsuit filed on Sept. 26, 2016, captioned Johnson v. Haagen-Dazs Shoppe Co., Inc., plaintiff alleges, among other things, that plaintiff “was subjected to repeated unwanted verbal and physical sexual harassment by the store manager and his direct supervisor”, defendant Kevin Hickman. The complaint alleges, for example, that Hickman frequently sent plaintiff “sexually explicit text messages…

Read More Same-Sex Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Haagen Dazs Franchisee
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In McLeod v. Post Graduate Ctr. for Mental Health, No. 14-cv-10041, 2016 WL 6126014 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 30, 2016), SDNY Magistrate Judge Francis issued a Report & Recommendation that the court grant defendants’ motion to enforce a post-mediation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) settling plaintiff’s employment discrimination case pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act…

Read More “Buyer’s Remorse” Notwithstanding, Federal Court Enforces Post-Mediation Memorandum of Understanding Settling Title VII Employment Discrimination Case
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In Palmer v. Shchegol, No. 14-cv-4406, 2016 WL 5678544 (E.D.N.Y. Sept. 30, 2016), the court dismissed some, but not all, of plaintiff’s employment discrimination claims. Plaintiff – described in the decision as “a fifty-year-old United Kingdom native who describes herself as a dark-skinned black woman” – asserted claims of disparate treatment, discriminatory pay, and wrongful…

Read More Discriminatory Pay & Wrongful Termination Claims Sufficiently Pleaded
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In Romero v. City of N.Y., No. 16 CIV. 4157 (BMC), 2016 WL 6155935 (E.D.N.Y. Oct. 21, 2016), Eastern District of New York Judge Cogan dismissed the race discrimination claims of plaintiff, a firefighter, for various reasons, including under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) because they did not plausibly allege discrimination. From the decision: As…

Read More “Serpico” Reference is an Insufficient Stand-In For Facts; FDNY Plaintiff’s Race Discrimination Complaint Dismissed For Failure to State a Claim
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In Donahue v. Asia TV USA Ltd., No. 15 CIV. 6490 (NRB), 2016 WL 5173381 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 21, 2016), the court granted in part and denied in part plaintiff’s employment discrimination claims. While, for example, the court dismissed plaintiff’s hostile work environment claims under Title VII, the ADEA, and NYS Human Rights Law, it held…

Read More “Lazy Americans” Hostile Work Environment Claim Survives Dismissal; Court Strikes Unrelated Sexual Harassment Allegations From Plaintiff’s Complaint
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NYPD Officer Ann Cardenas, indicated, in an October 20, 2016 filing, that she has settled her sexual harassment lawsuit against defendants the City of New York, Sergeant David John, and Police Officer Angel Colon. The Daily News reports that the settlement amount is $535,000, allocated as $500,000 from the City, $20,000 from John, and $15,000…

Read More Settlement of Female NYPD Officer Ann Cardenas’ Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
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In Legrá v. Bd. of Educ. of the City Sch. Dist. of the City of N.Y., No. 14-CV-9245 (JGK), 2016 WL 6102369 (S.D.N.Y. Oct. 19, 2016), the court dismissed plaintiff’s employment discrimination complaint – alleging employment discrimination, retaliation, and harassment – on statute of limitations and other grounds. Here’s the law: An action alleging an employer’s…

Read More Days-Late Employment Discrimination Lawsuit Dismissed
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