2016

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In Weslowski v. Zugibe, 96 F. Supp. 3d 308 (S.D.N.Y. 2015) aff’d, 626 F. App’x 20 (2d Cir. 2015), the court dismissed the wrongful termination complaint filed by an Assistant District Attorney. Among other things, the court unsurprisingly held that public employees do not have a right to watch pornography in the workplace. As to…

Read More Public Employee Did Not Have Right to Download or Watch Pornography in the Workplace
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In a lawsuit filed on March 25, 2016 in Manhattan federal court, Durazzo v. BRG West Village LLC 16-cv-02232, the plaintiff alleges that he was denied the opportunity to purchase his West Village Apartment because he has cancer, in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act. (He also asserts claims for breach of contract.) The federal Fair…

Read More Fair Housing Act Lawsuit By Cancer Patient Denied Opportunity to Purchase West Village Apartment
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In Ahmed v. Astoria Bank, No. 14-CV-4595, 2016 WL 1254638 (E.D.N.Y. Mar. 31, 2016), the court granted defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s claims of discrimination and hostile work environment (race, religion, national origin) and retaliation. This decision is instructive on what is required to survive summary judgment on a Title VII hostile work…

Read More Alleged “Terrorist” (Etc.) Comments Were Insufficient to Survive Summary Judgment on Hostile Work Environment Claim; Retaliation Claim Dismissed For Failure to Exhaust Administrative (EEOC) Remedies
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In Alex v. Gen. Elec. Co., No. 12-cv-1021, 2016 WL 1057042 (N.D.N.Y. Mar. 14, 2016), the court dismissed plaintiff’s race-based hostile work environment claim. From the decision: Plaintiff’s deposition testimony that one or more unidentified co-workers told Plaintiff that Defendant Lanoue had referred to Plaintiff as “N—–” (behind her back) is inadmissible. Specifically, the alleged statements…

Read More Court Dismisses Race Discrimination/Hostile Work Environment Claim; “N-Word” Evidence Was Inadmissible Hearsay
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In Pawson v. Ross, 2016 NY Slip Op 02502 (App. Div. 3d  Dept. March 31, 2016), an upstate appellate court held that defendants should have been granted summary judgment dismissing plaintiff’s complaint alleging hostile work environment sexual harassment under the New York State Human Rights Law. After stating the relevant law, the court proceeded to apply…

Read More “Reprehensible” Conduct (Including “Butt Swats” and “Spanking” Comments) Held Insufficient to Establish Sexual Harassment Hostile Work Environment Under NYS Human Rights Law
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In Matter of Cruz v. Schriro, 2016 NY Slip Op 50363(U) (NY Sup Ct. NY Cty. March 24, 2016), the court held that the petitioner – a probationary NYC Dept. of Correction Correction Officer – sufficiently alleged that he suffered a “disability” under the NYC Human Rights Law and that the respondent failed to accommodate his disability.…

Read More Probationary Corrections Officer Sufficiently Alleges That Rikers Island-Related Hives and Allergic Reactions Constituted a “Disability” Under the NYC Human Rights Law
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In a lawsuit captioned Tomahawk v. 207-215 W 98th St. Condominium et al (NY Sup. Ct. NY Cty. 152509/2016, filed March 23, 2016), the plaintiff – a disabled Native American and Hispanic porter at a Manhattan building – alleges that he was subjected to discrimination based on his disability and Native American heritage. From the…

Read More Disparaging Remarks About Native Americans Alleged in Manhattan Employment Discrimination Lawsuit
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In Brown v. Queens Center for Progress, No. 16 CIV 1399, 2016 WL 1171593 (E.D.N.Y. Mar. 24, 2016), Eastern District Judge Brian Cogan dismissed the pro se plaintiff’s employment discrimination complaint for failure to state a claim. The court succinctly explains what the federal anti-discrimination laws cover (and, arguably more importantly, what they do not cover): Plaintiff…

Read More Court Explains That Federal Anti-Discrimination Law Does Not Entitle Workers to be Treated Fairly, Reasonably, or Wisely
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In Day v. City of New York, No. 15CV04399, 2016 WL 1171584 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 22, 2016), the court adopted the Magistrate Judge’s Report & Recommendation as to plaintiff’s discrimination and retaliation claims under Title VII, the NYS Human Rights Law, and the NYC Human Rights Law. In brief, the plaintiff (a male grand jury stenographer…

Read More NYC Human Rights Law Discrimination Claim, Based on Alleged Different Treatment of Reciprocal Male/Female Employee Harassment Allegations, Continues
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In a consent decree filed on March 24, 2016, plaintiff U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and defendants (various Mavis Tire entities and Cole Muffler) resolved plaintiff’s claims of gender discrimination (failure to hire). In its 2012 federal court complaint, the EEOC asserted that Defendants … failed to hire … qualified female applicants while hiring less qualified men for…

Read More $2.1 Million Consent Decree in Gender Discrimination/Failure to Hire Case Against Mavis Tire et al
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