Happy Flag Day! Did you know that in New York, it is unlawful for an employer to punish you for displaying the American flag on your person or work station? New York Labor Law § 215-c, titled “Discrimination against employees for displaying the American flag”, provides: 1. No employer, public or private, or such employer’s duly…
Read More Flag DiscriminationIn Thurmond v. Bowman, No. 14-CV-6465W, 2016 WL 1295957 (W.D.N.Y. Mar. 31, 2016), a Fair Housing Act case, the court discussed the discoverability of social media evidence in connection with a claim for emotional distress damages. From the decision: I disagree that the entirety of a plaintiff’s social media account is per se relevant to…
Read More Seeking Emotional Distress Damages Does Not Automatically Make Social Media Posts Relevant and Discoverable, Court HoldsIn Altman v. New Rochelle Pub. Sch. Dist., No. 13-CV-3253 (NSR), 2016 WL 3181153 (S.D.N.Y. June 2, 2016), the court denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s national origin discrimination claim. “In order to establish a prima facie case of discriminatory termination of employment [under Title VII], the plaintiff must show that she belongs to…
Read More Title VII Plaintiff Survives Summary Judgment on National Origin Discrimination ClaimThe City has recently moved to strike plaintiff Dominique Sharpton’s personal injury/pothole trip/fall complaint, based on her failure to appear for her deposition despite multiple adjournments.
Read More City Moves to Strike Dominique Sharpton’s Slip/Fall Complaint For Failure to Appear for DepositionIn Motta v. Glob. Contract Servs. Inc., No. 15 CV 8555 (LGS), 2016 WL 2642229 (S.D.N.Y. May 4, 2016), the court dismissed plaintiff’s retaliation and discriminatory pay claims as insufficiently pled. While the court held that the complaint was deficient, its decision is nevertheless instructive as to what must be alleged in order to survive a…
Read More SDNY Explains Discriminatory Pay, Retaliation Pleading DeficienciesIn Alvarado v. Jeffrey, Inc., No. 14 CIV. 500 (NRB), 2016 WL 922216 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 4, 2016), the court dismissed claims by plaintiff – a gay Hispanic man and salesman at high-end fashion store Just Jeffrey – for race and sexual orientation discrimination, retaliation, and constructive discharge. In dismissing plaintiff’s hostile work environment claims, Judge…
Read More SDNY Dismisses Race & Sexual Orientation Discrimination, Hostile Work Environment, Retaliation, and Constructive Discharge Claims Against Just Jeffrey and NordstromIn Vangas v. Montefiore Med. Ctr., No. 15-1514-CV, 2016 WL 2909354 (2d Cir. May 19, 2016), the Second Circuit ruled for defendant on plaintiff’s claims that she was subjected to disability discrimination under the NYS and NYC Human Rights Laws, and that her COBRA notice was defective. In sum, plaintiff alleged that the defendant terminated…
Read More 2nd Circuit Considers NYSHRL Reasonable Accomodation Disability Discrimination; NYCHRL Applicability; COBRA Notice RequirementsIn a recent federal sexual harassment lawsuit, Coyle v. Canto Design Consultants, SDNY 16-CV-4052, the male plaintiff alleges (among other things) that defendant Joanne Del Prete-Rosten, the CEO of defendant Canto Design Consultants, “repeatedly subjected [plaintiff] to unwelcome sexual behavior and misconduct” and that “Canto terminated [plaintiff]’s employment after he complained about being subjected to sexual…
Read More Sexual Harassment/Hostile Work Environment Lawsuit Against Canto Design Consultants LLC and Joanne Del Prete-RostenIn Galbraith v. Westchester County Health Care Corp., 2016 NY Slip Op 04176 (App. Div. 2nd Dept. June 1, 2016), the court affirmed the trial court’s finding in favor of plaintiff, a perfusionist (Wikipedia definition here), on his whistleblower claim under New York Labor Law § 741. Here’s what happened: In October 2008, [plaintiff] was appointed as…
Read More Court Affirms $455K Award to Whistleblowing Perfusionist on Labor Law 741 ClaimIn Bell v. McRoberts Protective Agency, No. 15-CV-0963 (JPO), 2016 WL 1688786 (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 25, 2016), the court held that plaintiff failed to sufficiently allege race/gender discrimination, retaliation, and hostile work environment claims. The court’s explanation of why the plaintiff’s claims were insufficiently pled is instructive as to what courts look for when evaluating these…
Read More Race/Sex Discrimination, Hostile Work Environment and Retaliation Claims Insufficiently Alleged