Employment Discrimination

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The Appellate Division, First Department held, in Walzer v. Metropolitan Transportation Authority (decided May 13, 2014), that plaintiff’s gender discrimination claims should not have been dismissed: Applying the liberal pleading standards applicable to employment discrimination claims under the State and City Human Rights Law, plaintiff has stated causes of action for violations of the Human…

Read More First Department Reinstates Gender Discrimination Claims
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In Kaplan v. NYC Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene (NY Sup. Ct. Kings Cty. Index No. 506658-2013), the court dismissed plaintiff’s sexual harassment and retaliation claims – asserted under the NYC Human Rights Law – arising from a male boss’s masturbating in front of his female subordinate. Plaintiff alleged that, at the beginning of a training…

Read More Male Boss Masturbating in Front of Female Subordinate Was Merely a “Trivial Inconvenience”, and Hence Not Sexual Harassment, Court Rules
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The New York Court of Appeals held, in Webb-Weber v. Community Action for Human Servs., Inc. (decided May 13, 2014) that plaintiff adequately stated a claim under New York’s Whistleblower Law, Labor Law § 740(2)(a). That statute provides, in pertinent part: An employer shall not take any retaliatory personnel action against an employee because such employee … discloses,…

Read More Court of Appeals Broadly Interprets New York’s General Whistleblower Statute, Labor Law § 740
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In Catalanello v. Kramer (decided May 7, 2014), Southern District Judge Paul Engelmayer dismissed plaintiff Robert Catalanello’s complaint alleging defamation and false light invasion of privacy against law professor Zachary Kramer. Applying New Jersey law, the court held that the alleged defamatory statements (which were contained in Kramer’s law review article titled “Of Meat and Manhood” and…

Read More Court Dismisses Defamation and False Light/Privacy Claims Brought By Alleged Harasser Against Law Professor
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The Eastern District of New York recently held, in Baron v. Advanced Asset and Property Management Solutions LLC, that plaintiff presented sufficient evidence to survive summary judgment on his disability discrimination claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the New York State Human Rights Law. Plaintiff, who worked for defendant as an Assistant Controller,…

Read More Disability Discrimination Claims Survive Summary Judgment
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A recent Southern District decision, James v. NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation, illustrates that the anti-discrimination laws are not a “general civility code” and underscores the critical requirement that, in order to be actionable, any alleged discrimination or harassment must be “because of” a protected characteristic (here, the plaintiff’s sex). Plaintiff, a female Special Officer in…

Read More Workplace Slap Was Not “Because Of” Plaintiff’s Sex; Sexual Harassment Claim Dismissed
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In Hernandez v. Edison Properties, 2013 NY Slip Op 33620(U) (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Index # 103762/12 March 31, 2013), the court dismissed a complaint under the “election of remedies” doctrine codified in the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL), Executive Law 297(9). In this case, plaintiff asserted a discrimination complaint in the New York State Division of…

Read More “No Probable Cause” Finding by State Division of Human Rights Bars Subsequent Claims Under the “Election of Remedies” Doctrine
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The Second Department’s recent decision in Croci v. Town of Haverstraw et al. is instructive as to how to plead causes of action, under the New York State Human Rights Law, against co-workers engaging in allegedly discriminatory conduct. In this case plaintiff sued one of her co-employees and their employer, alleging “ that she was subjected…

Read More Co-Worker Harassment Suit Dismissed Due to Failure to Allege Aiding and Abetting Theory Against Individual Defendant
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In Greene v. Middletown, filed April 29, 2014, the Southern District of New York granted defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s disability discrimination claim under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In reaching its decision, Judge Cote cited and applied the “stray remarks” doctrine, which is used to evaluate whether allegedly discriminatory comments are…

Read More Amputee’s Disability Discrimination Case Dismissed Due to “Oblique and Remote” Nature of Alleged Discriminatory Remark
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