In Kaplan v. NYC Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene et al., the plaintiff recently filed a Notice of Appeal from a May 16, 2014 decision and order dismissing her sexual harassment and retaliation claims. In this case, plaintiff alleged that she suffered harassment and a hostile work environment after being forced to watch a co-worker masturbate. In dismissing…
Read More Plaintiff Appeals Sexual Harassment Masturbation CaseIn Codrington v. Carco Group (decided June 27, 2014), the Eastern District of New York held that plaintiff stated a plausible pregnancy discrimination claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In sum, plaintiff claims that defendant replaced her with a younger non-mother six weeks after she gave birth and while she was on…
Read More Plaintiff Plausibly Alleges Pregnancy Discrimination Where She Was Replaced by Non-Pregnant EmployeeIn Battle v. Carroll, the Western District of New York denied defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s Title VII race discrimination claim. Plaintiff Ola Battle, a black woman, worked for 17 years as a Holiday Inn housekeeper until she was fired following an expletive-laced confrontation with her supervisor, David Carroll, in which she told him…
Read More Supervisor’s “You People” Remark Supports Race Discrimination ClaimLast week (July 2nd) marked the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII of the Act, beginning at section 2000e of Title 42 of the U.S. Code, provides, in part, that It shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer – (1) to fail or refuse to hire…
Read More The Civil Rights Act of 1964 Turns 50Here’s the recently-amended class-action sexual harassment lawsuit, Sanz et al v. Johny Utah 51 LLC et al., 14-cv-04380, filed by several employees against western-themed bar Johnny Utah’s. It also contains claims of wage violations under the FLSA and New York Labor Law. NY Post coverage here. Specifically, it alleges that “[b]y intentionally using the ramped…
Read More Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Johnny Utah’sA recent Eastern District decision, Sandvik v. Sears Holding/Sears Home Improvement Products, Inc., illustrates the nature and quantity of evidence necessary to overcome summary judgment in an age discrimination case under the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act and its state/city law counterparts. Plaintiff – who worked for defendant for 38 years before his departure…
Read More Ageist Comments Support Discrimination Claim Against SearsIn Pecile v. Titan Capital Group, LLC, 2014 NY Slip Op 05053, 119 A.D.3d 446 (App. Div. 1st Dept. July 3, 2014), the Appellate Division, First Department held that the plaintiffs in this sexual harassment lawsuit[1]Redacted. are entitled to production of (1) all documents concerning complaints of sexual harassment and/or retaliation, whether internal or external, made…
Read More Sexual Harassment Plaintiffs Entitled to Discovery Regarding Harassment Complaints, First Dept. HoldsBelow is the federal court complaint recently filed against PFIP LLC (doing business as Planet Fitness) and others. (News coverage here.) The suit alleges that about one month after the start of plaintiff’s employment, her (unnamed) manager “began making continual inappropriate sexual comments and innuendos towards and around Plaintiff.” She alleges, for example, he told her that…
Read More Sexual Harassment Suit Against Planet FitnessIn Chinnery v. NYS Office of Children and Family Svcs, decided April 25, 2014, Southern District of New York Magistrate Judge Maas recommended that defendant OCFS be granted summary judgment on plaintiff’s disparate treatment, retaliation, and hostile work environment claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. While the court’s discussion of…
Read More Court Reiterates That “Mere Workplace Bullying” Unrelated to the Plaintiff’s Membership in a Protected Class Does Not Constitute a Hostile Work EnvironmentIn Brown v. Daikin America, the Second Circuit (in an opinion dated June 27, 2014) held that plaintiff sufficiently alleged that his direct employer and its Japanese parent engaged in national origin and race discrimination under Title VII and NYS Human Rights Law claims. While this decision arises in the context of defendants’ motion to…
Read More White American Plaintiff Successfully Pleads Race and National Origin Discrimination Claims Against His U.S. Employer and its Japanese Parent