Employment Discrimination

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Many employment discrimination cases involve allegations by an employee (or former employee) that they have endured discriminatory treatment based on one or more of that person’s protected characteristics. But what you may not know is that there is another type of claim – referred to in the case law as “associational discrimination” – based on the…

Read More Your Sick Daughter or Your Job? Associational Discrimination Claims Survive Summary Judgment
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More lawyers (allegedly) behaving badly. Here is the complaint, captioned Chechelnitsky v. McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, LLP, SDNY 15-cv-01777 (March 10, 2015), filed in the Southern District of New York on March 10, 2015 containing allegations of sexual harassment by an associate attorney against Newark, NJ-based law firm McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter. Plaintiff…

Read More Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Law Firm McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter
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In Heiser v. Collorafi et al. (NDNY March 9, 2015), the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York held that plaintiff, a former employee of the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, sufficiently alleged hostile work environment sexual harassment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of…

Read More Inappropriate Emails and Sexual Comments Plausibly Support Sexual Harassment Hostile Work Environment Claim
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Nazi dentists are terrifying. Drunk dentists may be a close second. New York’s whistleblower statutes – codified at Labor Law §§ 740 and 741 – are notoriously (and, from a plaintiffs’ lawyer’s perspective, frustratingly) narrow. It is, therefore, refreshing to see a plaintiff prevail, if “only” on a motion for summary judgment. This victory – arguably the…

Read More Plaintiff Fired After Complaining About Drunk Dentist Survives Summary Judgment on Labor Law § 741 Whistleblower Claim
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In a complaint filed in New York State Supreme Court, captioned Cynthia Terrana v. Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. et al. (NY Sup. Ct. 3/6/15, No. 152281-2015), plaintiff alleges that she was subjected to discrimination (termination) based on her pregnancy, in violation of the New York State and City Human Rights Laws. In particular, plaintiff alleges (among…

Read More Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit Against Cantor Fitzgerald
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In Lashley v. New Life Bus. Inst., Inc., No. 13 CIV. 2683 BMC, 2015 WL 1014128 (E.D.N.Y. Mar. 9, 2015), the Eastern District of New York upheld a jury verdict in favor of Corey Lashley on his quid pro quo and hostile work environment sexual harassment claims. In this case, plaintiff Corey Lashley alleged, among other things,…

Read More Court Upholds Jury’s Verdict that Male Plaintiff Endured Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment by Female Boss
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In Overbeck v. Alpha Animal Health, P.C. (App. Div. 2nd Dept. Jan. 28, 2015), the Appellate Division, Second Department reversed the lower court’s order granting summary judgment to defendants on plaintiff’s sex discrimination and retaliation claims under the New York State and City Human Rights Laws. This decision illustrates that even “voluntary” sexual conduct –…

Read More Evidence of Intimidation Into Sexual Relationship Overcomes Summary Judgment for Defendants on Sex Discrimination and Retaliation Claims
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In Figueroa v. RSquared NY Inc. (EDNY March 3, 2015), the Eastern District of New York held that plaintiff stated a claim for “quid pro quo” sexual harassment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the New York State Human Rights Law. In sum, plaintiff alleged that while on a leave of absence…

Read More Conditioning Return to Work on “Hooking Up” With “De Facto Supervisor” is Plausible Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment Theory, Court Holds
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When many people think of sexual harassment, they likely think of a man sexually harassing their female subordinate. However, sexual harassment works both ways – i.e., the harasser, as well as the victim. That was the case in Hasper v. County of Suffolk, decided by the Eastern District of New York on Feb. 25, 2015. There,…

Read More Treating Male and Female Sexual Harassment Victims Differently Creates Factual Issue on Title VII Gender Discrimination Claim
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