After the plaintiff has filed and served the complaint, received the answer (or overcome a motion to dismiss), and conducted and completed discovery, we reach a point where a party may seek a remedy called “summary judgment.” (While technically a party may move for summary judgment before the close of discovery, it typically occurs after…
Read More Anatomy of a Lawsuit, Part 5: Summary JudgmentPlaintiff has filed and served their Complaint, and the Defendant has either filed their Answer, or made a motion to dismiss which the Court has denied. At this point, we enter the most involved, costly, and time-consuming stage of litigation: Discovery (“Disclosure” in New York practice). (If this were a cross-country road trip from New…
Read More Anatomy of a Lawsuit, Part 4: Discovery / DisclosureNow that the papers have been appropriately served, the ball shifts to the defendant(s), who have several options. Generally, this boils down to 3 options: (1) default; (2) submit an answer; or (3) make a motion to dismiss. Default Where a defendant defaults – i.e., fails to submit an answer or responsive pleading , the…
Read More Anatomy of a Lawsuit, Part 3: Defendant’s Move – Default, Answer, Motion to DismissNow that the plaintiff has filed the Summons and Complaint (or, if in federal court, filed the Complaint and received the Summons issued by the court), they must “serve” these documents on the defendant(s). There are highly detailed and technical rules governing this process (see, e.g., FRCP 4; CPLR Article 3) which is beyond the…
Read More Anatomy of a Lawsuit, Part 2: Service of ProcessEvery war begins with a first shot. In the context of litigation, that first shot is the timely filing of a complaint in an appropriate court – i.e., one that has both “subject matter jurisdiction” over the dispute and “personal jurisdiction” over the defendant(s). The one doing the filing is the “plaintiff” (who is comPLAINing…
Read More Anatomy of a Lawsuit, Part 1: The Summons & ComplaintTitle VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin. 42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq. (emphasis added). The statute further provides that The term “religion” includes all aspects of religious observance and practice, as well as belief, unless an employer demonstrates that he is…
Read More What is “Religion” Within the Meaning of Title VII?The anti-discrimination laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the New York State Human Rights Law, and the New York City Human Rights Law prohibit (inter alia) discrimination based on “national origin.” See 42 U.S.C. § 2000e–2(a)(1). The regulations flesh out this aspect of Title VII as follows: The Commission defines…
Read More “National Origin” Discrimination Under Title VII Etc.In Stripling v. Ingram Barge Company, LLC, No. 3:21-cv-00654, 2022 WL 17475764 (M.D.Tenn. Dec. 6, 2022), the court, inter alia, denied defendant’s motion to dismiss plaintiff’s hostile work environment sexual harassment claim asserted under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. From the decision: A prima facie claim for discrimination arising out sexual…
Read More Sexual Harassment (Hostile Work Environment) Claim Sufficiently Alleged; Court Rejects Defense Argument Focusing on “Discrete” ActsIn Wallace v. Performance Contractors, Incorporated, 2023 WL 21856 (5th Cir. Jan. 3, 2023), the court reversed the lower court’s order dismissing plaintiff’s hostile work environment sexual harassment claim. As to whether the alleged conduct was severe or pervasive, the court explained: We agree with the district court that a reasonable jury could find that…
Read More Sexual Harassment Claim Survives Summary Judgment; Conduct Was “Severe or Pervasive” and Defendant Was Not Entitled to Faragher/Ellerth DefenseIn Wasserman v. Kiran Ahuja, Director, Office of Personnel Management, et al, Defendants., No. 21-0026 (ABJ), 2023 WL 157319 (D.D.C. Jan. 11, 2023), the court dismissed plaintiff’s age- and gender-based hostile work environment claims asserted under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. After summarizing the…
Read More Conduct by “Mean Girls” Insufficient to Give Rise to Actionable “Hostile Work Environment”, Court HoldsEngaged in