In Avril Nolan, Claimant, State of New York, Defendant., No. 123283, 61 Misc. 3d 1225(A), 2018 N.Y. Slip Op. 51789(U), 2018 WL 6497131 (N.Y.Ct.Cl., Nov. 08, 2018), the Court of Claims awarded the Claimant – a model whose image was used by the New York State Division of Human Rights in an advertising campaign to…
Read More Model Awarded $125k in Damages Arising Out of Use of Image in HIV Rights CampaignChristmas and egg nog go together like, well, Christmas and egg nog. It’s a tasty drink with a few recipe variations. But this isn’t a holiday recipe blog, it’s a legal blog! So I thought I’d share an interesting older (1949) decision I came across. The case is People v Queens Farms Dairy, 90 N.Y.S.2d…
Read More Egg Nog Defendant GuiltyOne type of personal injury (negligence) claim is the so-called “negligent security” claim – which is itself a type of “premises liability” claim. In this type of case, the plaintiff asserts that the property owner or landlord failed to take necessary precautions to prevent harm arising from the alleged failure to provide adequate security. (One…
Read More “Negligent Security” Premises Liability Claims in New YorkIn Roskin-Frazee v. Columbia University, 17-CV-2032, 2018 WL 6523721 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 26, 2018), the court dismissed plaintiff’s claim under Title IX of the United States Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. § 1681(a) (and state causes of action) against Columbia University. In this case, plaintiff alleged “that Defendant created a culture of sexual hostility on…
Read More Student-on-Student Sexual Harassment Title IX Claim Dismissed Against ColumbiaOn Nov. 16, 2018, the U.S. Department of Education issued proposed regulations to supplement Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, a statute that is codified at 20 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq. Title IX, in a nutshell, is a federal law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program…
Read More Proposed Title IX RegulationsIn Duarte v. St. Barnabas Hospital, 15-CV-6824, 2018 WL 4440501 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 17, 2018) – a disability discrimination case – the court held, inter alia, that a jury award of $750,000 for punitive damages was too high, and that $125,000 was more appropriate. The court explained, inter alia, that “[u]nder the [New York City Human Rights…
Read More Court Explains Remittitur of $750,000 Punitive Damages Award in Disability Discrimination CaseIn Duarte v. St. Barnabas Hospital, 15-CV-6824, 2018 WL 4440501 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 17, 2018) – a disability discrimination case – the court held, inter alia, that a jury award of $624,000 for compensatory/emotional distress damages was too high, and that $125,000 was more appropriate. To do this, the court employed the procedural mechanism of “remittitur.” After explaining…
Read More Court Explains Remittitur of $624,000 Emotional Distress Damages Award to $125,000 in Disability Discrimination CaseGenerally, the anti-discrimination laws – such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – prohibit discrimination against employees and applicants based on certain protected characteristics (as in the case of Title VII, race, color, religion, sex, and national origin). That said, there exists a (limited) exception, where such a characteristic is…
Read More The “Bona Fide Occupational Qualification” (“BFOQ”) in Employment LawEmployment discrimination cases are often resolved by settlement – i.e., a negotiated agreement for the parties to discontinue a case on agreed-upon terms. A settlement can be reached either before or after the commencement of litigation. In many, if not most, cases, the agreement will be reduced to a writing and signed by the parties.…
Read More Settling an Employment Discrimination Case: The AgreementFederal, state, and local anti-discrimination laws prohibit discrimination based on, among other factors, “disability.” That term is, in turn, defined in the statutes themselves. For example, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C.A. § 12101 et seq., defines a “disability” as: “(A) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major…
Read More Is Obesity a “Disability” Under the Anti-Discrimination Laws?