In a recently-filed lawsuit against the WeWork Companies (copy below), the plaintiff alleges, inter alia, that plaintiff was twice sexually assaulted by male WeWork employees at company-wide events which, according to the complaint, “are as notorious as its free beer-all-day and mandatory happy hour policies.”
Read More Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against WeWorkIn Adriana G. v. Kipp Wash. Hgts. Middle Sch., 2018 NY Slip Op 06787 (App. Div. 1st Dept. Oct. 11, 2018), the Appellate Division unanimously affirmed the lower court’s denial of defendants’ motion for summary judgment. According to the decision, plaintiff “sustained injuries that resulted in her right ring finger being amputated after it became caught…
Read More Student’s Amputated-Finger Case Survives Summary JudgmentIn Parsons v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 16-CV-0408, 2018 WL 4861379 (E.D.N.Y. Sept. 30, 2018), the court, inter alia, granted defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s age discrimination claims. This case teaches us that replacement by a younger worker does not necessarily (but, in an appropriate case, may) substantiate a claim for discrimination based…
Read More Age Discrimination Claims Dismissed, Despite Younger ReplacementIn Parsons v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 16-CV-0408, 2018 WL 4861379 (E.D.N.Y. Sept. 30, 2018), the court, inter alia, granted defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s race-based hostile work environment claims. Plaintiff alleged, for example, that she witnessed one person make disparaging comments about African-American employees’ hair and dress, and “listened to her direct…
Read More Race-Based Hostile Work Environment Claims Dismissed; Conduct Was Merely “Mildly Offensive”In Menaker v. Hofstra University, 17-cv-5562, 2018 WL 4636818 (E.D.N.Y. Sept. 26, 2018), the court granted defendant’s motion, under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), to dismiss plaintiff’s gender discrimination complaint against Hofstra University. In sum, defendant fired plaintiff (defendant’s Director of Tennis and Head Coach of men’s and women’s varsity tennis teams) for “unprofessional conduct”…
Read More Court Dismisses Hofstra Tennis Director’s Gender Discrimination Complaint Dismissed; Misconduct Allegations, Not Gender, Were Reason for TerminationIn a recent case, Aguilar v. Struhl-Nasjletti, 2018 NY Slip Op 32410(U) (NY Sup. Ct. Bx. Cty Index 0023250/2016 May 18, 2018), the court held, inter alia, that plaintiff guidance counselor sufficiently alleged a retaliation claim under the New York City Human Rights Law. In sum, plaintiff alleged that after filing a lawsuit in 2012 accusing…
Read More Retaliation Claim Sufficiently Alleged Against Principal Under the NYC Human Rights LawIn a recently-filed lawsuit, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission asserts that a well-known restaurant, Christini’s, created, permitted, and encouraged a sex-based hostile work environment for a female bartender – including that the owner propositioned her for dates, subjected to sexual innuendo, and told to dress “sexy” and “date ready” – and then terminated her…
Read More EEOC Sues Christini’s Ristorante Italiano for Gender DiscriminationIn Alexander v. Possible Productions, Inc., 17-cv-5532, 2018 WL 4804638 (S.D.N.Y. Oct. 4, 2018), the court denied defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s claims of retaliation and sex-based discrimination/sexual harassment. In sum, plaintiff – who was employed by Showtime as a body double for the character Alison on the TV show “The Affair” – alleges that…
Read More Body Double’s Sexual Harassment Claims Survive Dismissal, Not Subject to ArbitrationIn Morris v. New York City Health and Hospital Corp., 09-CV-5692, 2018 WL 4762247 (E.D.N.Y. Sept. 30, 2018), the court, inter alia, denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s sexual harassment (hostile work environment) claim, with respect to one alleged harasser. As to plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim, the court explained: After assessing the…
Read More Sexual Harassment Claims Survive Summary Judgment Against NYC Health & Hospital Corp.From Kho v. New York and Presbyterian Hospital, 2018 WL 4759739 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 30, 2018): The Hospital is entitled to summary judgment on Kho’s hostile work environment claims. These claims appear predicated on: (1) Holmes’ [plaintiff’s manager] comments regarding Kho’s accent and (2) occasions on which Holmes allegedly yelled at Kho. [T]he Court declines to…
Read More Court Explains Dismissal of Plaintiff’s Accent-Based Hostile Work Environment Claim