In Sosa v. New York City Department of Education, 18-cv-411, 2020 WL 1536348 (E.D.N.Y. March 31, 2020), the court, inter alia, denied defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s claims of retaliation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL), and the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL), based…
Read More Retaliation Claim Survives Dismissal Against NYC DOEIn Sedhom v Suny Downstate Medical Center, No. 155837/2017, 2020 WL 1514710, 2020 N.Y. Slip Op. 30881(U) (N.Y. Sup Ct, New York County Mar. 27, 2020), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s claim for hostile work environment under the New York State and City Human Rights Laws. As to the state law, the court held:…
Read More Hostile Work Environment Claim Dismissed Against SUNY Downstate Medical CenterIn Anderson v. New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation et al, 16-cv-1051, 2020 WL 1528101 (S.D.N.Y. March 31, 2020), the court, inter alia, upheld the dismissal on summary judgment of plaintiff’s hostile work environment claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the New York City Human Rights Law. The…
Read More Hostile Work Environment Claim Dismissed Against NYC Health & Hospitals CorporationIt was recently reported that Amazon terminated a Staten Island-based warehouse employee after he participated in a worker walkout protesting the company’s response to apparent incidents of coronavirus in the facility. New York’s Attorney General is looking into whether this constitutes unlawful retaliation. (See also, Law360, March 30, 2020, “Amazon, Instacart Workers Strike Over COVID-19…
Read More Amazon Allegedly Fires Employee For Raising Coronavirus ConcernsIn Yarrington v. Candor Central School District et al, 18-cv-1250, 2020 WL 1493920 (N.D.N.Y. March 27, 2020), the court (inter alia) granted defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim asserted under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The court summarized the law as follows: In order to state…
Read More Hostile Work Environment Claim Dismissed; Conduct Evidenced “Personality Conflicts”In a recent case, Martin v. New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, 2020 WL 1514747 (2d Cir. March 30, 2020) (Summary Order), the court affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim asserted under Title VII of Civil Rights Act of 1964. This decision is instructive as to the standard applied…
Read More Hostile Work Environment Dismissal Affirmed; 2d Circuit Discusses & Applies Negligence Standard Under Title VIIIn a recent decision, Comcast Corporation v. National Association of African American-Owned Media, 2020 WL 1325816 (U.S. March 23, 2020) (Gorsuch, J.), the U.S. Supreme Court held that 42 U.S.C. § 1981 – a federal statute that prohibits race discrimination in the making and enforcement of contracts – is subject to the “ordinary” tort rule…
Read More SCOTUS: Race Discrimination Statute (42 U.S.C. § 1981) Requires Showing of “But For” CausationIn Matter of Vega (Postmates Inc. – Commissioner of Labor), 2020 NY Slip Op 02094 (NY Ct. App. March 26, 2020), the New York Court of Appeals – which, for non-NY practitioners, is our highest state-level appellate court – held that Postmates couriers are “employees” for purposes of unemployment benefits. This case arises from a…
Read More Court of Appeals: Postmates Couriers Are “Employees” For Purposes of Unemployment InsuranceIn Williams v. Anne Geiger and Department of Education, 2020 WL 1304397 (S.D.N.Y. March 19, 2020), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim asserted under the Americans with Disabilities Act. In order to establish a hostile work environment claim, plaintiff was required to show two elements: (1) the workplace was permeated with…
Read More Disability-Based Hostile Work Environment Claim DismissedIn Bauman v. Mount Sinai Hospital, 2020 NY Slip Op 01964 (App. Div. 1st Dept. March 19, 2020), the court unanimously affirmed the lower court’s Order dismissing (on summary judgment) plaintiff’s claims that he was subjected to religion-based discrimination and retaliation under the New York City Human Rights Law. As to plaintiff’s discrimination claim, the…
Read More Religious Discrimination Claim Dismissal Affirmed Against Mt. Sinai Hospital