Employment Discrimination

In Chiara v. Town of New Castle, decided January 14, 2015, the Appellate Division, 2nd Dept. explicitly recognized a cause of action for discrimination “by association” under the New York State Human Rights Law, codified at Executive Law § 296. Specifically, it concluded that a plaintiff alleging discrimination in employment on the basis of religion in…

Read More Anti-Semitic Comments Support Employment Discrimination Claim by Non-Jewish Employee Married to Jewish Woman
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In Idlisan v. Mount Sinai Medical Center (decided January 9, 2015), the Southern District of New York dismissed plaintiff’s claim that he was not hired because of his race, national origin, disability, and conviction history. Title VII In dismissing plaintiff’s Title VII claims, the court – citing Second Circuit precedent for the principle that “feelings and…

Read More Court Reiterates That Mere “Perception” of Discrimination is Insufficient to Survive Summary Judgment
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In Burhans and Rivera v. The State of New York (Sup. NY Index 152906/14), New York Supreme Court Judge Wooten held that plaintiff sufficiently alleged sexual harassment/hostile work environment (but not sex discrimination) claims against the defendant State. Plaintiffs allege in their complaint that, under the New York State Human Rights Law, the State of New…

Read More Burhans/Rivera Sexual Harassment/Hostile Work Environment Claims Continue Against New York State
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In Atkins v. Pitney Bowes Management Services et al., decided Jan. 12, 2015, Southern District of New York Judge Koeltl granted defendant’s motion for summary judgment on pro se plaintiff’s Title VII race and religious discrimination and retaliation claims. The court held that defendants proffered a non-discriminatory reason for plaintiff’s termination – namely, plaintiff’s failure…

Read More “You People” Remark Insufficient to Support Race Discrimination Claim
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In Dziedzic v. State University of New York at Oswego (decided Dec. 19, 2014), the Northern District of New York reiterated that, in order to establish a hostile work environment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a plaintiff must establish two elements: [1] the workplace is permeated with discriminatory intimidation, ridicule,…

Read More Court Reiterates That Actionable Hostile Work Environment Must Be Related to Protected Class/Status
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In Turley v. ISG Lackawanna, the Second Circuit clarified the standards for awarding punitive damages in employment discrimination cases. It provides a good review of the law, as well as how it applies in specific cases. In this race discrimination case, the plaintiff “endured an extraordinary and steadily intensifying drumbeat of racial insults, intimidation, and…

Read More Second Circuit Weighs in on Punitive Damages in Employment Discrimination Cases
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In Sherman v. County of Suffolk, the Eastern District of New York addressed plaintiff’s discrimination claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The court held that plaintiff presented enough evidence to overcome summary judgment on his ADA discrimination claim: [W]hile the Plaintiff does not point to any direct evidence of discriminatory intent, such as derogatory…

Read More ADA-Based Discrimination and Retaliation, but not Hostile Work Environment, Claims Survive Summary Judgment
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In Gorman v. Covidien Sales, LLC, decided December 31, 2014, the Southern District of New York discussed the affirmative defense based on the so-called “after-acquired evidence” doctrine/defense. In this employment discrimination case, plaintiff sought “damages for alleged discrimination on the basis of military status and medical disability, retaliation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress during his…

Read More Defendants May Amend Answer to Assert the “After-Acquired Evidence” Defense in Discrimination Case Where Plaintiff Recorded Phone Conversations With Supervisor
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Here and below is the lawsuit, captioned Meyers v. Revlon, Inc. et al., 14-CV-10213, recently filed by Alan Meyers against Revlon, Inc. and Revlon Consumer Products Corp. Plaintiff alleges that defendant’s CEO/President Lorenzo Delpani subjected him to discrimination based on his race/ethnicity/religion (Jewish) and national origin. From the complaint: [R]eflecting his Anti-American and Anti-Semitic biases, Delpani treated…

Read More Lawsuit Alleges Anti-Semitic, Anti-American Discrimination/Harassment by Revlon CEO Lorenzo Delpani
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