Author: mjpospis

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In Sandiford v. City of New York Dept. of Education the New York Court of Appeals (the state’s highest court) yesterday, Oct. 17, 2013, affirmed the Appellate Division’s order permitting plaintiff’s sexual orientation discrimination and retaliation claims under the New York State and City Human Rights Laws to proceed. The Court of Appeals decision is rather terse; for…

Read More Teacher May Continue Sexual Orientation Discrimination and Retaliation Claims
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In Seubert v. Deluty, a Nassau County judge awarded, after an inquest following defendant’s default, damages to compensate plaintiff for sexual harassment she suffered while employed as a part-time dental assistant and receptionist for defendant dentist. It also set aside a transfer of property from defendant dentist to his wife as a fraudulent conveyance. Plaintiff alleged that defendant…

Read More Dental Assistant Awarded Damages in Sexual Harassment Suit
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Below and here is the complaint, captioned Pino v. Brooks Brothers Group, Inc. et al., 13-CV-5022, filed by a female factory worker against Brooks Brothers and related entities in the Eastern District of New York. Plaintiff asserts claims of gender discrimination, race discrimination, national origin discrimination, and retaliation. Among other things, plaintiff alleges that her supervisor and…

Read More Brooks Brothers Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
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A recent federal court decision illustrates the rights that tenants, particularly those in New York City, have against discrimination outside the employment context. In Ponce v. 480 East 21st Street LLC, the court held that plaintiff stated a sex discrimination claim under the New York City Human Rights Law, and retaliation claims under that statute…

Read More Tenant States Claims Under the Fair Housing Act and New York City Human Rights Law Following Sexual Harassment By Superintendent
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In Garrett v. City of New York, the New York Supreme Court (NY County) recently granted defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s disability discrimination claims under the New York State and City Human Rights Laws. This case illustrates the extent to which illness-related absences from work may constitute a “reasonable accommodation”. Plaintiff alleged that…

Read More Absences and Failure to File Notice of Claim Doom Disability Discrimination Suit Against City of New York
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In Wingfield v. Rochester School for the Deaf, the Western District of New York recently clarified that not all employment decisions that affect employees at work are “employment actions” sufficient to support a claim of employment discrimination. In Wingfield, plaintiff and her ex-husband worked at defendant. Following an altercation, family court issued a temporary order of…

Read More All Actions Affecting Workers Are Not Necessarily “Employment Actions” For Purposes of the Discrimination Laws
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In Brandt v. Zahner, decided Oct. 9, 2013, the Appellate Division, Second Department reversed summary judgment for defendant driver, thereby reinstating plaintiff pedestrian’s claims. Plaintiff claimed he was ” injured when, after crossing the westbound lane of I.U. Willets Road in Nassau County, he was struck by a vehicle driven by the defendant in the eastbound…

Read More Plaintiff Pedestrian’s Lawsuit Continues; Defendant Driver Did Not See Plaintiff Prior to Contact
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In a Summary Order issued today in Mendez-Nouel v. Gucci America, Inc., the Second Circuit affirmed summary judgment for defendant Gucci on plaintiff’s same-sex hostile work environment/sexual harassment and retaliation claims. Harassment/Hostile Work Environment Initially, the Court explained the legal standard for sexual harassment claims: [F]or sexual harassment to be actionable, it must be sufficiently severe…

Read More Second Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Same-Sex Hostile Work Environment/Harassment and Retaliation Claims
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In Romanello v. Intesa Sanpaolo, S.p.A., decided Oct. 10, 2013, the New York Court of Appeals (the state’s highest court) reinstated plaintiff’s disability discrimination claim under the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL) but held that plaintiff’s claim under the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL) was properly dismissed. In doing so, it highlighted crucial…

Read More Plaintiff Suffering From Depression Adequately Stated Disability Discrimination Claim Under New York City Human Rights Law
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