Employment Discrimination

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Here and below is the gender discrimination lawsuit filed on 9/23/14 by former contract partner Jodi Ritter against law firm Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP. Plaintiff alleges, for example, that she “was regularly exposed to differential treatment and a persistent hostile and abusive work environment because of her sex and the gender stereotypes perpetrated…

Read More Attorney’s Gender Discrimination Lawsuit Against Law Firm Wilson Elser
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In EEOC v. Suffolk Laundry Services, 48 F.Supp.3d 497 (2014), the Eastern District of New York denied defendants’ motion for partial summary judgment on plaintiffs’ hostile work environment claims. (Here is the complaint and here is the EEOC press release about the lawsuit.) One point this decision makes is that “conduct directed at other employees is part of the…

Read More “Hostile Work Environment” Can Be Shown By Conduct Directed at Other Employees
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Here is the recently-filed complaint, captioned Pako Mikel and Denise Klerx v. Guerlain, Inc. (N.Y. Sup. Ct., N.Y. Cty., Sept. 25, 2014), Index No. 159425-2014, alleging sexual harassment, hostile work environment, and retaliation against French cosmetic company Guerlain Inc. Plaintiffs allege that they were sexually harassed by another employee, and that defendant didn’t do anything to…

Read More Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Guerlain
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In Vosburgh v. American Nat. Red Cross, 2014 WL 4826688 (N.D.N.Y. Sept. 29, 2014), the court denied defendant’s summary judgment motion regarding plaintiff’s retaliation claim (but granted it regarding plaintiff’s wage and individual liability claims). As to her retaliation claim, the court held: [T]o prevail at the pretext stage of the McDonnell–Douglas analysis, a plaintiff must show…

Read More Hostility to Employee’s Alleged “Disloyal” Conduct Supports Retaliation Claim
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Santiago v. Dept. of Education illustrates that in an employment discrimination case, the plaintiff must plausibly allege an “adverse employment action.” The quintessential “adverse employment action” is, of course, termination. However, other actions short of termination may qualify. Plaintiff – an itinerant attendance teacher – alleged disparate treatment and a hostile work environment under the…

Read More Employment Discrimination Lawsuit Dismissed; No “Adverse Action”
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Here is the recently-filed federal court complaint (captioned Jermaine Gilyard v. Nine West Group et al., 1:14-cv-07096) in which plaintiff alleges, among other things, that he “was subjected to a hostile work environment on the basis of race, racial discrimination, was disciplined several times on spurious charges, and was finally fired … in retaliation for his attempts…

Read More Race Discrimination and Hostile Work Environment Lawsuit Against Nine West Group
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Cafe Lalo, the Upper West Side cafe featured in the Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan romantic comedy “You’ve Got Mail” has been sued for wage violations and sexual harassment. Here’s the complaint. The plaintiffs, several women, allege (among other things) that defendant Daniel Reyes, a “barista and defacto manager … treated the restaurant as his own personal dating…

Read More “You’ve Got Mail” Cafe Sued for Sexual Harassment and Wage Violations
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In Davis v. Duane Reade, Inc. (2d Dept. Sept. 24, 2014), the court explained the narrow scope of the waiver provision of New York’s Whistleblower Law: Labor Law § 740(7) provides that “the institution of an action in accordance with this section shall be deemed a waiver of the rights and remedies available under any…

Read More Court Clarifies Limited Scope of Whistleblower Law’s Waiver Provision
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In Pal v. New York University (Summary Order dated 9/22/14), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit clarified that New York’s “Whistleblower” law – New York Labor Law § 740 – only provides for “equitable” relief (such as back pay), does not allow recovery for “future or anticipated lost wages or benefits,” and does not provide…

Read More Second Circuit Clarifies Remedies Available Under New York’s “Whistleblower Law”, New York Labor Law 740/741
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By now you may have read the open letter by SoHo bartender Laura Ramadei to customer/hedge funder Brian Lederman, chronicling an unpleasant encounter in which Lederman allegedly groped Ms. Ramadei while she was waiting on him and then left her a paltry tip because she rejected his amorous advances. Here’s the Gothamist article about the incident.…

Read More Sexual Harassment by Non-Employee Customers, Clients, and Patrons
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