The Southern District of New York recently held, in Khan v. Hilton Worldwide, Inc., No. 14 CIV. 1011 ALC, 2015 WL 738108 (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 20, 2015), that a failure to rehire an employee qualifies as an “adverse employment action” and that plaintiff’s retaliation claims under Title VII and the NYC Human Rights Law survived defendants’…
Read More Court: “Failure to Rehire” is an “Adverse Employment Action”In a lawsuit captioned Laknidhi v. AbilTo, Inc. and Michael Laskoff, NY Sup. Ct. Index No. 151506/2015 (filed 2/13/15), plaintiff alleges that defendants AbilTo and Laskoff (AbilTo’s CEO) subjected her to “harassment and discrimination … because of her pregnancy (and associated need for pregnancy leave and post-pregnancy accommodations) … which culminated in” her unlawful termination.…
Read More Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit Against AbilTo Inc. and Michael LaskoffIn a February 19, 2015 New York State Court lawsuit, captioned Charles Schwarz v. Consolidated Edison, Inc. et al., plaintiff asserts that he was unlawfully terminated because of his decade-old conviction for perjury in connection with the notorious Abner Louima police brutality case. Plaintiff alleges, among other things, that defendants terminated him from his position as…
Read More “Conviction Discrimination” Lawsuit Filed by Abner Louima Defendant Charles Schwarz Against Con EdVarious statutes – including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL) – provide for an award of attorney fees to the prevailing party. These statutes represent a deviation from the so-called “American rule” of litigation, under which each side is responsible for its own…
Read More Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Winner Alexandra Marchuk’s Motion for $1.4 Million Attorney Fee AwardHere is the federal court complaint, captioned Cargian v. Breitling USA, Inc., 15-cv-01084 (SDNY, filed 2/17/15), in which plaintiff alleges age, gender, and sexual orientation discrimination against watch manufacturer Breitling. He asserts claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the New York State and City…
Read More Age, Gender, and Sexual Orientation Discrimination Lawsuit Against BreitlingIn Clark v. Allen & Overy, LLP, 2015 NY Slip Op 01398, 125 AD3d 497 (App. Div. 1st Dept. Feb. 17, 2015), the Appellate Division, First Department affirmed the lower court’s order granting defendant law firm’s motion to compel plaintiff to submit to a mental examination. (I wrote about a development in this case here.) The…
Read More Discrimination Plaintiff Seeking Emotional Distress Damages Must Submit to Mental Examination, First Dept. HoldsIn Margerum v. City of Buffalo, 2015 NY Slip Op 01378 [24 NY3d 721] (N.Y. Ct. App. Feb. 17, 2015), the New York Court of Appeals held that a notice of claim need not be filed for a Human Rights Law claim against a municipality. In this case, plaintiffs – 12 white firefighters – alleged that…
Read More Discrimination Claims Under the Human Rights Law Are Not Subject to New York’s Notice of Claim Requirement, Court of Appeals HoldsIn Dillon v. Ned Management, Inc. et al., 13-cv-2622 (EDNY 2/2/15), the Eastern District of New York denied defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s hostile work environment sexual harassment, aiding and abetting, and retaliation claims. The decision offers a good review of the current state of the law under Title VII of the Civil Rights…
Read More Hostile Work Environment Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Claims Continue Against Ned ManagementA lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York, captioned Lampley et al v. Alexander Rojas and the City of New York, SDNY 14-cv-8832 (Nov. 6, 2014), alleges that a NYPD lieutenant, Alexander Rojas, subjected plaintiffs, 3 NYPD officers, to “egregious sexual harassment”, including groping the intimate areas of plaintiffs’ bodies; displaying to plaintiffs…
Read More NYPD Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Includes Allegations of Groping, Masturbation, and Penis ExposureFor employment litigators in New York City, the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL) is a formidable weapon against discrimination and harassment in the workplace. The NYCHRL’s protections are broad, particularly when compared with those offered by federal and state law. In Velazco v. Columbus Citizens Foundation et al (2nd Cir. Feb. 13, 2015),…
Read More Second Circuit Vacates Dismissal of NYC Human Rights Law Age Discrimination Claim