Today, July 4th, is a federal holiday – also known (here, anyway) as Independence Day – commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 by the Continental Congress declaring that the 13 original American colonies considered themselves a new nation (the United States of America) and no longer part of the British…
Read More Have a Happy Fourth of July – Just Be CarefulIn Brothers. v. 574 9th Ave. Rest. Corp., No. 1458, 2016 WL 3341787 (N.Y. App. Div. 1st Dept. June 16, 2016), a slip-and-fall case, the court affirmed the denial of defendants’ motion for summary judgment. From the decision: The testimony of defendant bar proprietor that he personally inspected the bathrooms and areas outside the bathrooms, just…
Read More Slip/Trip and Fall on Water/Debris Case Survives Summary JudgmentIn Francis v. Wyckoff Heights Med. Ctr., No. 13-cv-2813, 2016 WL 1273235 (E.D.N.Y. Mar. 30, 2016), the court cited and applied the principles that “regular attendance at work is an essential requirement of virtually all employment” and “[t]he [Americans with Disabilities Act] does not require employers to tolerate chronic absenteeism even when attendance problems are caused…
Read More Court Rejects “Increased Sick Days” as a “Reasonable Accommodation”In Ingram v. Life Fitness, 2016 NY Slip Op 05085 (App. Div. 1st Dept. June 28, 2016), the court reversed a denial of summary judgment to defendants, and directed the clerk to enter judgment dismissing the complaint. In her complaint, plaintiff alleged that, while she was attempting to step on a treadmill – identified in the…
Read More Treadmill Injury Claim Dismissed; Plaintiff Assumed the RiskIn Godino v. Premier Salons, Ltd., No. 13705/13, 2016 NY Slip Op 05118, 2016 WL 3533532 (N.Y. App. Div. 2d Dept. June 29, 2016), the court affirmed the denial of defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s complaint alleging age discrimination and hostile work environment. On a motion to dismiss a complaint for failure to state a cause…
Read More Plaintiff Hairstylist Sufficiently Alleges Age Discrimination and Hostile Work Environment; Survives CPLR 3211(a)(7) Motion to DismissIn Gomez v. Cablevision Sys., 2016 NY Slip Op 31177(U) (N.Y. Sup. Ct. June 20, 2016), the court held that plaintiff presented enough evidence to survive summary judgment on his race-based hostile work environment under the NYC Human Rights Law (but not under the NYS Human Rights Law). This case is another example of the…
Read More Race-Based Hostile Work Environment Claim Survives Under the New York City (But Not New York State) Human Rights LawIn a New York State court lawsuit, captioned Lisser v. Bloomberg L.P. et al (Index No. 155354/2016), plaintiff Elizabeth Lisser alleges (among other things) that her manager – defendant Brian Schuler – “continually directed sexual innuendo and comments towards plaintiff about her figure, weight and appearance, massaged her shoulders, look[ed] down her blouse, [and] direct[ed] texts…
Read More Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Bloomberg LPIn Deluca v. Sirius Xm Radio, Inc., No. 12-CV-8239, 2016 WL 3034332 (S.D.N.Y. May 27, 2016), an employment discrimination case, plaintiff alleged that “she was paid less than her male peers, that she was removed from her supervisory authority, and that she was subjected to anti-gay slurs in the workplace.” To flesh out her claims,…
Read More Court Orders Pre-Statute of Limitations “Comparator” Discovery in Gender Pay and Sexual Orientation Discrimination Lawsuit Against Sirius XM RadioIn Mero v. Vuksanovic, 2016 NY Slip Op 05025 (App. Div. 1st Dept. June 23, 2016), the court modified a lower court order to reinstate plaintiff’s allegations concerning defendants’ failure to install smoke detectors. This case concerns the application of NYC Administrative Code § 27-2045, which pertains to the duties of the owner and occupant with respect to…
Read More Wrongful Death Action, Based on Failure to Install Smoke Detectors, ContinuesIn Hinz v. Vill. of Perry, No. 15-2239-CV, 2016 WL 3435265 (2d Cir. June 20, 2016) (Summary Order), the Second Circuit affirmed the judgment of the district court dismissing his claim thta he was subjected to discrimination based on his alleged disability (Chron’s disease) in violation of Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act.…
Read More 2nd Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Disability Discrimination Claim; Employer Lacked Knowledge of Alleged Disability (Chron’s Disease)