2016

by

In a recent Brooklyn federal lawsuit, captioned Fischer v. WW Bakers LLC (EDNY 16-5103), plaintiff (a baker) asserts, inter alia, that defendant violated New York’s general whistleblower law, NY Labor Law 740, after he advised his employer about bug-infested flour. That statute, inter alia, provides: An employer shall not take any retaliatory personnel action against…

Read More Baker Asserts Whistleblower Claim Arising From Termination Following Complaint of Bug-Infested Flour
Share This:
by

In Serin v. Soulcycle Holdings, LLC, 2016 NY Slip Op 08179 (App. Div. 1st Dept. Dec. 6, 2016), the Appellate Division unanimously reversed a lower court’s order granting defendant’s motion for summary judgment. The court held: Although defendant made a prima facie showing that the spin cycle on which plaintiff was injured was not defective and…

Read More Spin Cycle Personal Injury Case Continues; Claim Not Barred By Release
Share This:
by

In Casseus v. N.Y. Coll. of Health Professions, 15-cv-1914, 2016 WL 7029157 (E.D.N.Y. Nov. 10, 2016), report and recommendation adopted, 2016 WL 7017364 (E.D.N.Y. Dec. 1, 2016), the court dismissed plaintiff’s employment discrimination claims. Among other things, it held that plaintiff failed to exhaust her administrative remedies with respect to her gender discrimination and hostile…

Read More Unasserted Gender Discrimination & Hostile Work Environment Claims Dismissed as Not Administratively Exhausted
Share This:
by

In Willis v. Cty. of Onondaga, No. 14-cv-1306, 2016 WL 7116126 (N.D.N.Y. Dec. 6, 2016), the court dismissed plaintiff’s sexual harassment, racial harassment, retaliation, and other claims asserted under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Here I’ll discuss the court’s evaluation of plaintiff’s Title VII sexual harassment claim. Plaintiff, an African-American heterosexual…

Read More Court Dismisses Sheriff’s Sexual Harassment and Other Claims; Court Assumed Conduct Was “Because of Sex” and Sufficiently “Severe” and “Pervasive” But Was Not Imputable to Defendant
Share This:
by

In Martinez v. N.Y. City Transit Auth., No. 15-3159-CV(L), 2016 WL 7036823 (2d Cir. Dec. 2, 2016) (Summary Order), the Second Circuit affirmed in part and reversed in part a district court’s summary judgment dismissal of plaintiff’s age discrimination claims under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). This decision is instructive on the quantity/quality…

Read More 2d Circuit Overturns Summary Judgment as to One Transit Authority Employee’s Age Discrimination Case; “Retire” Comment Was Not a “Stray Remark”
Share This:
by

In 2015 I wrote a blog post about a Southern District of New York decision and order in a case captioned Varughese v. Mount Sinai Med. Ctr., No. 12-cv-8812 CM JCF, 2015 WL 1499618 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 27, 2015), which granted defendants’ motion for summary judgment and dismissed with prejudice all of plaintiff Dr. Leena Varughese’s claims…

Read More Bullying, Censorship, and Baseless Lawsuit Threats: Dr. Leena Varughese
Share This:
by

In Dollinger v. N.Y. State Ins. Fund, No. 314CV908MADDEP, 2016 WL 6833993 (N.D.N.Y. Nov. 18, 2016), the court dismissed plaintiff’s disability discrimination, hostile work environment, and retaliation claims. Plaintiff alleged, inter alia, “that he has been subjected to such treatment because he is ‘regarded as belonging to a group associated with high risk for HIV/AIDS;…

Read More Disability Discrimination Lawsuit Dismissed on the Pleadings; “Gay Terrorist” Email Among Allegations Failing to Meet “Plausibility” Pleading Standard
Share This:
by

In Sciddurlo v. Financial Indus. Regulatory Auth., 2016 NY Slip Op 08061 (App. Div. 2nd Dept. Nov. 30, 2016), the court reversed the lower court’s dismissal of plaintiff’s age discrimination claims asserted under the New York State and New York City Human Rights Laws. Specifically, it held that the New York whistleblower statute’s waiver provision, New York…

Read More Age Discrimination Claims Not Barred By the New York Whistleblower Law’s Waiver Provision
Share This:
by

In Ellison v. Chartis Claims, Inc., 2016 NY Slip Op 51336(U), 53 Misc 3d 1203(A) (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Kings Cty. Sept. 23, 2016), the court dismissed plaintiff’s race discrimination (including wrongful termination, salary discrimination, and failure to promote), retaliation, hostile work environment, and other claims. Among other things, the decision provides an instructive point regarding the…

Read More Race Discrimination, Hostile Work Environment, and Retaliation Claims Dismissed Against AIG
Share This:
by

In Szwalla v. Time Warner Cable LLC, No. 15-3479, 2016 WL 7018340 (2d Cir. Dec. 1, 2016) (Summary Order), the Second Circuit affirmed the summary judgment dismissal of plaintiff’s hostile work environment/sexual harassment and retaliation claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In sum, plaintiff alleged that two supervisors sexually harassed her…

Read More Sexual Harassment (Hostile Work Environment) & Retaliation Claims Properly Dismissed Against Time Warner Cable
Share This: