One doesn’t have to go very far into the Interwebs to find stories, often accompanied by video(s), of people behaving badly. Recent examples include a lawyer’s racist tirade at a midtown deli, and a woman’s racist outburst on a NYC subway train. If – and, let’s face it, when – their employer(s)[1]As always, unless otherwise…
Read More Can You Be Fired For Non-Work (Mis)Conduct?In Martin v. City University of New York, 2018 WL 6510805 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 11, 2018), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s age and race discrimination claims. In doing so, the court cited and applied the so-called “stray remarks” doctrine. In support of the “inference of discrimination” element of plaintiff’s prima facie case, plaintiff advanced the following four remarks…
Read More Citing the “Stray Remarks” Doctrine, Court Dismisses Plaintiff’s Age and Race Discrimination ClaimsIn Martin v. City University of New York, 2018 WL 6510805 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 11, 2018), the court, inter alia, rejected defendants’ argument that plaintiff is precluded from litigating his § 1981 claims in the instant action, because plaintiff presented those allegations to the New York State Division of Human Rights (SDHR), which rejected them on the merits.…
Read More Court Finds That “No Probable Cause” Determination Did Not Preclude Litigation of § 1981 Race Discrimination Claim in CourtIn Giordani v. Legal Aid Society, 17-CV-5569, 2018 WL 6199553 (E.D.N.Y. Nov. 27, 2018), the court held, inter alia, that plaintiff failed to plead an age-based hostile work environment claim. From the decision: While Plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim is largely based on a series of unpleasant interactions with his colleagues, some of the incidents…
Read More Age-Based Hostile Work Environment Insufficiently AllegedIn Cook v. EmblemHealth Servs. Co., LLC, 2018 NY Slip Op 08433 (App. Div. 1st Dept. Dec. 11, 2018), the First Department unanimously affirmed the denial of defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s retaliation claim under the New York City Human Rights Law. From the decision: The temporal proximity between plaintiff’s complaints to his employer…
Read More Retaliation Claim Continues Against EmblemHealth; Summary Judgment Denial AffirmedIn Chin v. Alejandro Torres et al, 2018 WL 6435898, at *2 (N.D.N.Y. Dec. 7, 2018), the court dismissed plaintiff’s sexual harassment complaint, citing the well-established principle that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is not applicable against individual defendants. As summarized by the court, plaintiff “alleges that she was employed in…
Read More Court Dismisses Title VII Sexual Harassment Complaint Against Individual DefendantsIn Alatsas v Sacchetti, 2018 NY Slip Op 08270 (App. Div. 2nd Dept. Dec. 5, 2018), a personal injury car accident case, the court affirmed the lower court’s decision denying summary judgment to defendant. The court explained: The City defendants failed to establish their prima facie entitlement to judgment as a matter of law. While…
Read More Car Accident Case Survives Summary Judgment; Plaintiff Not Shown to be the Sole Proximate Cause of AccidentIn Triana v. Sodexo, Inc., 2018 WL 6413151, at *7 (S.D.N.Y., 2018), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s First Amendment retaliation claim. The court provides the following summary of the relevant law: Where a plaintiff claims that he or she was retaliated against in violation of the First Amendment, he or she must demonstrate that “(1)…
Read More First Amendment Retaliation Claim DismissedIn Peckham v. Island Park Union Free School District, 2018 WL 6332441 (App. Div. 2nd Dept. Dec. 5, 2018), the Second Department reversed the lower court’s denial of defendant’s motion for summary judgment, and held that plaintiff’s complaint – alleging age and sexual orientation discrimination under the New York State Human Rights Law – should…
Read More Age, Sexual Orientation Discrimination Claims Should Have Been Dismissed as Time-Barred, Second Department HoldsFrom THOMAS GIBB, Plaintiff, v. TAPESTRY, INC. d/b/a Stuart Weitzman, Defendant., 2018 WL 6329403, at *5–6 (S.D.N.Y., 2018): Congress has unequivocally addressed the exclusive conditions under which Title VII complainants may bring a private suit in federal court. As this Court previously held in Henschke, “the language of section 2000e-5(f)(1) explicitly requires that one of two…
Read More Sexual Harassment Case Dismissed in Light of Premature EEOC Right-to-Sue Letter