Damages

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In Fisher v. Mermaid Manor Home for Adults, LLC, No. 14-CV-3461 (WFK)(JO), 2016 WL 3636021 (E.D.N.Y. June 29, 2016), the court denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s race/national origin-based hostile work environment claim. Plaintiff sued after being apprised by co-workers of an Instagram post which “consisted of two photographs of Plaintiff contrasted with a…

Read More Instagram “Planet of the Apes” Comparison Results in Denial of Summary Judgment in Race/National Origin Discrimination (Hostile Work Environment) Case
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In New York State Div. of Human Rights v. Team Taco Mexico, Corp., No. 2014-06673, 2016 WL 3265489 (N.Y. App. Div. June 15, 2016), the court held that there was “substantial evidence in the record to support the determination of the Commissioner of the [NYS Division of Human Rights] … that the respondent David Orduna…

Read More Court Upholds NYSDHR Sexual Harassment Determination and Award Against Team Taco Mexico And Individual Harasser
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In Tse v. New York University, No. 10-CV-7207 (DAB), 2016 WL 3281045 (S.D.N.Y. June 6, 2016), the court, per SDNY Judge Batts, held that plaintiff’s receipt of long-term disability and social security disability insurance benefits did not preclude her from receiving back pay or front pay as a matter of law, and that those benefits should…

Read More SDNY Holds That Lost Wages Were Not Precluded, and Should Not Be Offset, by Disability Benefits
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In In re Townsend, No. 15-43411-CEC, 2016 WL 2927522 (Bankr. E.D.N.Y. May 16, 2016), the court granted plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment that a judgment entered on a $450,000 jury verdict in Ganci v. U.S. Limousine Service and Raymond Townsend, EDNY 10-cv-3027, was non-dischargeable under the Bankruptcy Code. The Bankruptcy Code “exempts from discharge any debt for…

Read More Sexual Harassment Judgment Not Dischargeable in Bankruptcy, Court Holds
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In Thurmond v. Bowman, No. 14-CV-6465W, 2016 WL 1295957 (W.D.N.Y. Mar. 31, 2016), a Fair Housing Act case, the court discussed the discoverability of social media evidence in connection with a claim for emotional distress damages. From the decision: I disagree that the entirety of a plaintiff’s social media account is per se relevant to…

Read More Seeking Emotional Distress Damages Does Not Automatically Make Social Media Posts Relevant and Discoverable, Court Holds
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A recent decision, Kelly v. Times/Review Newspapers Corp., 14-cv-2995, 2016 WL 2901744 (E.D.N.Y. May 18, 2016), illustrates how courts are applying the newly-amended Federal Rules of Civil Procedure in employment cases. In this employment discrimination case, plaintiff “seeks compensatory damages, alleging that he suffered actual anguish, embarrassment, suffering, and humiliation as result of his wrongful involuntary termination…

Read More Court Applies Amended Discovery Rule to Discovery Demands Seeking Information Relating to Claimed Emotional Distress in Age Discrimination Case
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In Belton v. Lal Chicken, Inc., 2016 NY Slip Op 03115, 2016 WL 1629367 (N.Y. App. Div. 1st Dept. Apr. 26, 2016), the Appellate Division, First Department upheld a jury verdict of $320,000 for plaintiff on her sexual harassment (hostile work environment) claim under the New York City Human Rights Law. From the decision: Plaintiff…

Read More Court Upholds Sexual Harassment (Hostile Work Environment) Jury Verdict for Plaintiff, Citing Rejection of Unwanted Advances and Lack of “Meaningful” Anti-Discrimination Policy
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In Styka v. My Merchants Services LLC et al (EDNY 14-cv-6198 (March 15, 2016)), an employment discrimination/sexual harassment/hostile work environment/retaliation case, Eastern District of New York Magistrate Judge Scanlon recommended awarding plaintiff $120,000 to compensate her for emotional distress (in addition to other damages, such as back pay and punitive damages) following defendants’ default. This case…

Read More Court Recommends Award of $120,000 in Emotional Distress Damages in Gender Discrimination/Hostile Work Environment/Sexual Harassment Case
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In Drice v. My Merch. Servs., LLC, 2016 WL 1266866 (E.D.N.Y. Mar. 4, 2016), Eastern District of New York Magistrate Judge Go recommended that plaintiff be awarded (among other damages) $20,000 for emotional distress. (Judge Brodie adopted the Magistrate’s report at 2016 WL 1266948 (E.D.N.Y. Mar. 31, 2016)). The below excerpts are from the Magistrate’s report and recommendation.…

Read More Court Awards Sexual Harassment Plaintiff Emotional Distress Damages of $20,000 Following Defendants’ Default
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In Makinen v. City of New York, No. 111CV07535ALCAJP, 2016 WL 880194 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 1, 2016), the Southern District of New York upheld a jury verdict, largely in plaintiffs NYPD officers’ favor, that defendants them to discrimination based on their perceived disability (here, alcoholism). In sum, plaintiffs, who denied having issues with alcohol, were separately referred…

Read More Court Upholds Jury Verdict of Discrimination Based on Perceived Disability (Alcoholism)
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