2016

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In a recently-filed lawsuit, captioned Castellanos v. Berkman Capital LLC et al (filed in NY Sup. Ct., Index 159768-2016, 11/18/16), plaintiff asserts claims of gender discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, and sexual harassment against financial lending company Berkman Financial and others, including individual defendants Geoffrey Byruch and Michael Vulcano. Plaintiff alleges, among other things, that she was…

Read More Sexual Harassment, Gender/Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit Against Berkman Capital
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In Goodwin v. Dix Hills Jewish Ctr., 2016 NY Slip Op 07293 (App. Div. 2nd Dept. Nov. 9, 2016), a construction accident case, the court held that plaintiff established a violation of New York Labor Law § 240(1). It therefore modified a lower court order denying plaintiff’s, and granting defendant’s, motion on that issue. Here are the…

Read More Injured Worker Who Fell From Ladder Entitled to Summary Judgment on Labor Law 240(1) Claim; Work Was Ancillary to Covered Activity of “Altering”
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A recent upstate appellate decision addresses the correlation between a sexual harassment claim, on the one hand, and workers’ compensation benefits, on the other. In Shiner v. Suny at Buffalo, No. 522762, 2016 WL 6782717, (N.Y. App. Div. 3d Dept. Nov. 17, 2016), the court affirmed the Workers Compensation Board’s decision that claimant’s failure to obtain…

Read More Sexual Harassment Settlement Bars Further Workers Compensation Benefits, De
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In Case v. Onondaga Cty., No. 5:14-cv-272, 2016 WL 6781237 (N.D.N.Y. Nov. 16, 2016), the court granted defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s sexual harassment/hostile work environment and retaliation claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. As to plaintiff’s harassment claim, the court explained: Here, assuming, without deciding, that [alleged…

Read More Sexual Harassment Claim Dismissed in Light of Policy and Investigation
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In Bliss v. MXK Rest. Corp., No. 16CV2676, 2016 WL 6775439 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 14, 2016), the court dismissed plaintiff’s gender and sexual orientation-based hostile work environment, retaliation, and aiding-and-abetting discrimination claims. In her complaint, plaintiff – a bartender/manager at defendants’ Remix nightclub – alleged (among other things) that she was subjected to a hostile work…

Read More Remix Bartender’s Gender-Based Hostile Work Environment Claims Dismissed as Insufficiently Pled
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In Hermés of Paris, Inc. v. Swain, No. 16-CV-6255 (CM), 2016 WL 4990340 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 13, 2016), the court granted the request by petitoner (Hermes) to compel arbitration of the respondent/employee’s claims. Respondent, who worked in one of Hermes’ retail locations, filed a lawsuit in New Jersey state court alleging claims of sexual orientation discrimination, creation of…

Read More Sexual Orientation Discrimination Claim Must Be Arbitrated; Consent to Arbitration Was “Knowing and Voluntary”
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In Orosz v. Regeneron Pharm., Inc., No. 15-cv-8504, 2016 WL 6083993 (S.D.N.Y. Oct. 17, 2016), the Southern District of New York adopted a Magistrate Judge’s Report & Recommendation denying plaintiff’s FRCP 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss plaintiff’s Title VII pregnancy discrimination claim on a “failure to hire” theory. SDNY Judge Nelson Roman summarized/outlined the law as…

Read More Title VII Pregnancy Discrimination Failure-to-Hire Lawsuit Against Pharmaceutical Company Survives Dismissal
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An upstate sexual harassment lawsuit, Knapp v. General Electric Company, 16-cv-00340, has been settled (under undisclosed terms) following mandatory mediation. Plaintiff alleged, in her March 23, 2016 federal court complaint, that she was constructively discharged after she complained about sexual harassment. Specifically, plaintiff alleged (e.g.) that a supervisor left her notes such as “you look sexy…

Read More Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against General Electric Settled
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In Caputo v. Copiague Union Free Sch. Dist., No. CV 15-5292 (DRH), 2016 WL 6581865 (E.D.N.Y. Nov. 4, 2016), the court, inter alia, denied defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s retaliation claim under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the New York State Human Rights Law. The court summarized the law: In order to state a…

Read More Retaliation, But Not Age Discrimination, Claims Sufficiently Alleged; Seven-Month Gap Between Disability Accommodation Request and Alleged Retaliatory Act Not Too Long as a Matter of Law
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From James v. City of N.Y., No. 157296/14, 2016 WL 6637734 (N.Y. App. Div. 1st Dept. Nov. 10, 2016): Crediting the allegations in the complaint for purposes of this motion to dismiss, we find that plaintiff, a correction officer and captain during the relevant time periods, has adequately alleged a claim for sexual orientation-based discrimination…

Read More Correction Officer Sufficiently Alleges Sexual Orientation Discrimination Under the NYC Human Rights Law
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