April 2019

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In McCullough v. John T. Mather Hospital of Port Jefferson, New York, Inc., 16-cv-4968, 2019 WL 1755436 (EDNY April 19, 2019), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim. It summarized the law as follows: Title VII and NYSHRL prohibits an employer from discriminating against an employee on the basis of race, color,…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Claims Dismissed; “Inappropriate” Comments Were Insufficiently Severe, and Not Tied to Protected Status
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In Harding v Donatella GCT LLC, No. 158886/2017, 2019 WL 1597675, at *1 (N.Y. Sup Ct, New York County Apr. 11, 2019), the court granted plaintiff’s motion under CPLR 3025 (b) to amend her complaint to add a claim under the Fair Chance Act of the New York City Human Rights Law, alleging that Donatella…

Read More Court Permits Amendment to Add “Fair Chance Act” Criminal History Discrimination Claim
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In Escobar v. Tutor Perini Corp. 2019 NY Slip Op 31020(U), 152524/2018 (Sup. Ct. NY Cty. April 8, 2019) (J. Freed), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s discrimination claims, advanced under the New York State and City Human Rights Laws under an “aiding and abetting” theory. The court wrote: To be held liable as an…

Read More Court Dismisses “Aiding and Abetting” Discrimination Claim
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In Natofsky v. City of New York, 2019 WL 1715951 (2d Cir. April 18, 2019), the Second Circuit, inter alia, held that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) employs the (relatively strict) “but for” causation standard. From the decision: Having determined that the ADA does not incorporate Title VII’s mixed-motive standard, the remaining question is…

Read More 2d Circuit Holds That the ADA Requires “But For” Causation
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From Williams v New York City Transit Authority, No. 2017-02335, 505636/16, 2019 N.Y. Slip Op. 02747, 2019 WL 1549176 (N.Y.A.D. 2 Dept., Apr. 10, 2019): We agree with the Supreme Court’s determination that, based on the prior federal determination, the plaintiff is collaterally estopped from asserting the NYSHRL causes of action. The doctrine of collateral…

Read More Employment Discrimination Claims Properly Dismissed on the Ground of Collateral Estoppel
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In Anderson v. NYC Health and Hospitals (Coney Island Hospital), 2019 WL 1765221 (E.D.N.Y. April 22, 2019), the court, inter alia, held that plaintiff failed to state a claim for hostile work environment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It summarized the (well-established) law as follows: In order to prevail on…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Claim Dismissed; Amended Complaint Failed to Allege Specifics
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In Kaplan-DiNola v. NYC Dept. of Education, 2019 WL 1779601 (S.D.N.Y. April 23, 2019) – a sexual orientation discrimination case – the court denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s employment discrimination claims. In this case, plaintiff, a teacher who describes herself as “homosexual”, alleges (inter alia) that throughout her tenure as teacher at P.S.…

Read More Teacher’s Sexual Orientation Discrimination Claim Against the NYC Dept. of Education Survives Dismissal
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In Torres v. City of New York, 2019 WL 1765223 (S.D.N.Y. April 22, 2019), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s employment discrimination and hostile work environment claims. From the decision: The Complaint describes two incidents in which Chu made disparaging remarks in Plaintiff’s presence over the course of two years. The first incident occurred in…

Read More Court Dismisses NYPD Officer’s Discrimination, Hostile Work Environment Claims
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On Monday, April 22, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari in several cases – including Altitude Express, Inc. et al v. Zarda, Melissa, et al. (17-1623), which originated in the Second Circuit. The Question Presented in the Zarda case, as set forth in that case’s certiorari petition (which I wrote about here) is: Whether…

Read More SCOTUS Agrees to Hear Title VII Sexual Orientation Discrimination Case
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