In Mildes v. Shriners Hosps. for Child., No. 2:23-CV-00356-SAB, 2025 WL 3176084 (E.D. Wash. Nov. 13, 2025), the court, inter alia, denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s failure to accommodate disability claim under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). From the decision: To establish a prima facie failure to accommodate claim under the…
Read More ADA Failure to Accommodate Claim Survives Summary JudgmentIn Paige v. Garvan’s Rock and Rye, LLC, Maggie Mae’s, LLC, & Garvan McCloskey, No. 24CV3189 (DLC), 2025 WL 3201762 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 14, 2025), the court, inter alia, denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s disability discrimination claims asserted under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the New York State Human Rights Law. From…
Read More Disability Discrimination Claims, Arising From Termination Following Workers Compensation Leave, Survive Summary JudgmentIn Cassel v. Truss Communications, Inc., 2025 WL 2882054 (N.D.Okla. Oct. 9, 2025), the court, inter alia, granted defendant’s motion to dismiss plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim asserted under the Americans with Disabilities Act. From the decision: The ADA recognizes certain mental health conditions as qualifying disabilities. See 29 C.F.R. 1630.2(h) (“mental impairment means ……
Read More ADA Hostile Work Environment Claim Dismissed; Mental Health, Obesity Not Shown to Qualify as Statutory “Disabilities”A slice of cake, a cheerful song, and a brightly-colored card—workplace birthdays seem like harmless, even morale-boosting, fun. As an employment lawyer, however, I see a few too many “Happy Birthday” signs that, in a worst-case scenario, could become a sign of legal trouble. What is intended as a kind gesture can unintentionally trigger legal…
Read More ♫ Happy Lawsuit to You ♪: An Employment Lawyer’s Take on Workplace BirthdaysIn Frantz v. XL Diamonds LLC, No. 151672/2022, 2025 WL 1994469, 2025 N.Y. Slip Op. 32697(U) (N.Y. Sup Ct, New York County July 16, 2025), the court granted defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s disability discrimination claims under the New York State and City Human Rights Laws. From the decision: Both Executive Law §…
Read More Disability Discrimination Claims Dismissed; Brief Illness Was Not a “Disability” Under NYS or NYC Human Rights LawsNew York is a city of ambition, hustle, and incredible opportunity. But for some, the daily grind is made unbearable by a different kind of challenge: workplace bullying. While it’s a pervasive issue across the country, New York’s unique legal landscape offers both hurdles and pathways for those who are targeted. So, what exactly is…
Read More Workplace Bullying in New YorkIn Nazath v Our Lady of Consolation Nursing & Rehabilitative Care Center, No. 2023-06250, 615567/22, 2025 N.Y. Slip Op. 04796, 2025 WL 2458592 (App. Div. 2 Dept. Aug. 27, 2025), the Appellate Division, Second Department affirmed the lower court’s denial of defendant’s motion to dismiss plaintiff’s claims of disability discrimination and retaliation in violation of…
Read More Perceived-Disability Discrimination & Retaliation Claims Survive Dismissal, 2nd Dept. HoldsIn Guarniero v City of Yonkers, No. 2023-11290, 58292/21, 2025 N.Y. Slip Op. 04554, 2025 WL 2233306 (N.Y.A.D. 2 Dept., Aug. 06, 2025), the New York Appellate Division, Second Department held that plaintiff presented sufficient evidence of failure to accommodate his disability under the New York State Human Rights Law. From the decision: NYSHRL prohibits…
Read More Failure to Accommodate Disability Claim Against City of Yonkers Survives Summary JudgmentIn Brunette v. Bausch Health US, LLC, Case # 22-CV-6376-FPG-CDH, 2025 WL 2240477 (W.D.N.Y. Aug. 2025), the court granted defendant’s motion for summary judgment dismissing plaintiff’s claims of age- and disability-based hostile work environment. This decision illustrates the well-established point, integral to employment law, that generally unpleasant conduct – such as being micromanaged, reprimanded, etc.…
Read More Age and Disability-Based Hostile Work Environment Claims DismissedIn Stanley v. City of Sanford, Fla., 2025 WL 1716138 (U.S. June 20, 2025), the U.S. Supreme Court interpreted the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and addressed the question of whether that statute “reaches discrimination against retirees who neither hold nor desire a job whose essential tasks they can perform with reasonable accommodation.” The Court…
Read More Supreme Court: Retiree’s ADA Disability Discrimination Claim Properly Dismissed