March 2022

by

In Gangadharan v. GNS Goods and Services, et al, 18-cv-7342, 2022 WL 824135 (E.D.N.Y. March 18, 2022), the court, inter alia, granted plaintiff’s motion for default judgment on her claims of religion and gender-based hostile work environment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the New York State Human Rights Law, and…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Claims Sufficiently Alleged; Allegations Include “Muslim Bitch” Comments
Share This:
by

In Malone v. TDMW Management Inc., No. 5:21-cv-180, 2022 WL 507436 (N.D.Ala. Feb. 18, 2022), the court, inter alia, held that plaintiff did not state a plausible sexual harassment (hostile work environment) claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and therefore denied plaintiff’s motion for a default judgment as to this…

Read More Title VII Sexual Harassment (Hostile Work Environment) Claim Not Plausibly Alleged; Three Instances of Harassment Insufficient
Share This:
by

In Doe v. Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, 1:20-CV-01416, 2022 WL 676970 (M.D.Pa. March 7, 2022), the court, inter alia, denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s quid pro quo sexual harassment claim asserted under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. § 1681. In sum, plaintiff Doe was a graduate student at,…

Read More Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment Claim Survives Summary Judgment Against Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
Share This:
by

In Miles v. Pepsico et al, 20-cv-1591, 2022 WL 798272 (N.D.N.Y. March 16, 2022), a case arising from allegations of a racially discriminatory workplace – asserted by one African American plaintiff and two of his Caucasian co-workers – the court granted defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s claims for (1) intentional infliction of emotional distress, (2)…

Read More Racially Discriminatory Workplace Allegations May Not Proceed Under “Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress” Theory; Negligence Claims Barred by NY Workers’ Compensation Law
Share This:
by

In Felder v. United States Tennis Association, 2022 WL 663145 (2d Cir. March 7, 2022), the Second Circuit considered the question of what a Title VII plaintiff must adequately allege to plead the existence of an employer-employee relationship pursuant to the “joint employer” doctrine. The alleged facts, in sum/brief: a security company (AJ Security) hired…

Read More Second Circuit Clarifies Application of the “Joint Employer” Doctrine to Title VII Discrimination Claims
Share This:
by

In Montiel v. Degeorgio, No. 155126/2019, 2022 WL 783951 (N.Y. Sup Ct, New York County Mar. 15, 2022), the court, inter alia, denied defendants’ motion to dismiss employment discrimination claims asserted by plaintiff under the New York City and State Human Rights Laws. Among other things, plaintiff – a 38 year-old Hispanic male employed as…

Read More Discrimination, Hostile Work Environment Claims Sufficiently Alleged Against Boat Basin Café
Share This:
by

In Ames v. New York City Dept. of Educ., No. 151743/2021, 2022 WL 705673 (N.Y. Sup Ct, New York County Mar. 09, 2022), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s employment discrimination complaint under CPLR 3211(a)(5), since it was barred by a release plaintiff entered into. From the decision: This action is barred by the releases…

Read More Employment Discrimination Claims Barred by Release; Duress Argument Rejected
Share This:
by

In Litten v. GM Components Holdings, LLC, 2022 WL 706971 (W.D.N.Y. March 9, 2022), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim – based on her status as a Native American – asserted under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This case is, unfortunately, yet another that serves as an…

Read More “Dirty Indian” Comment Insufficient to Support Hostile Work Environment Claim, Court Holds
Share This:
by

Taxes. The second thing in the oft-quoted sardonic/cynical short list of things that are certain in this life. If and when the settlement of an employment discrimination claim is discussed, consideration must be given to the tax implication of any such settlement, both to the payor employer and payee employee. (For this purpose a tax…

Read More Employment Settlement Subject to Taxation; Did Not Qualify For Section 104(a)(2) “Personal Physical Injuries or Physical Sickness” Exclusion
Share This:
by

In Kao v. Onyx Renewable Partners L.P., No. 654411/2021, 2022 WL 705640 (N.Y. Sup Ct, New York County Mar. 08, 2022), the court dismissed plaintiff’s retaliation claims under the New York State and City Human Rights Laws. (The court also dismissed plaintiff’s gender discrimination claims, which I discussed here.) The court summarized the black-letter law…

Read More Retaliation Claim Dismissed; “Adverse Action” Preceded “Protected Activity”
Share This: