Employment Law

In City of Binghamton v. Whalen, 2016 NY Slip Op 04289 (App. Div. 3d Dept. June 2, 2016), the court held that plaintiff – the defendant’s former employer was entitled to summary judgment on its claim under the “faithless servant doctrine.” The court explained the doctrine as follows: New York law with respect to the disloyal or…

Read More 3d Dept. Rejects “Apportionment” Limitation on Faithless Servant Doctrine in Case of Larcenous Director of Parks & Recreation
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In In re Townsend, No. 15-43411-CEC, 2016 WL 2927522 (Bankr. E.D.N.Y. May 16, 2016), the court granted plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment that a judgment entered on a $450,000 jury verdict in Ganci v. U.S. Limousine Service and Raymond Townsend, EDNY 10-cv-3027, was non-dischargeable under the Bankruptcy Code. The Bankruptcy Code “exempts from discharge any debt for…

Read More Sexual Harassment Judgment Not Dischargeable in Bankruptcy, Court Holds
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A recent decision, Kelly v. Times/Review Newspapers Corp., 14-cv-2995, 2016 WL 2901744 (E.D.N.Y. May 18, 2016), illustrates how courts are applying the newly-amended Federal Rules of Civil Procedure in employment cases. In this employment discrimination case, plaintiff “seeks compensatory damages, alleging that he suffered actual anguish, embarrassment, suffering, and humiliation as result of his wrongful involuntary termination…

Read More Court Applies Amended Discovery Rule to Discovery Demands Seeking Information Relating to Claimed Emotional Distress in Age Discrimination Case
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In a recently-filed lawsuit, captioned Bliss v. MXK Restaurant Corp. d/b/a Remix et al, 16-cv-02676 (SDNY, filed April 11, 2016), plaintiff – a gay female – alleges that she was subjected to a hostile work environment, gender discrimination, and sexual orientation discrimination. Among other things, she alleges that throughout her employment she was required to work…

Read More Sexual Harassment, Hostile Work Environment, Sexual Orientation Discrimination Lawsuit Against Club Remix and its Owner
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In Lago v. Wen Management Corp., 2016 WL 165834 (N.Y. Sup. Qns. Jan. 8, 2016), the court granted defendants’ motion for summary judgment and dismissed plaintiff’s age discrimination, gender discrimination, and retaliation claims. The court held that plaintiff’s discrimination claims faltered at the first step of the analysis (i.e., he failed to demonstrate a prima…

Read More Replacement of Oldest Employee by Younger Employee Insufficient to Establish Age Discrimination
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In her New York State Supreme Court sexual harassment lawsuit, captioned Toktassynova v. Adam Victor et al (NY Sup. Ct. NY Cty. Index # 162327/2014) and filed March 12, 2015 (NYSCEF Doc. No. 22), plaintiff asserts various claims – including sexual harassment, hostile work environment, and retaliation – against defendant Adam H. Victor and various entities.…

Read More Court Strikes Extraneous Matter Regarding (e.g.) Prostitution From Answer to Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
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In Tomizawa v. ADT LLC, 13-CV-6366, 2015 WL 5772106 (E.D.N.Y. Sept. 29, 2015) (decision adopting Report & Recommendation), plaintiff alleged that his former employer discriminated against him and terminated his employment on the basis of his Japanese national origin, and that his supervisor retaliated against him for complaining of discrimination. From the (adopted) Report &…

Read More Court Dismisses “Accent-Related” National Origin Discrimination Claim
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In Leon v. NYC Dept. of Education, a Summary Order dated May 22, 2015, the Second Circuit vacated the dismissal of plaintiff’s age/disability discrimination, retaliation, and accommodation claims, and held that a finding pursuant to NY Education § 3020-a that a teacher was fired for “cause” does not necessarily preclude a viable claim for (e.g.) discriminatory termination…

Read More Employment Discrimination Claims Not Collaterally Estopped By Finding That Teacher Was Fired For “Cause” Under New York Education Law § 3020-a
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In Petyan v. New York City Law Dept., 14-cv-1434, 2015 WL 1855961 (SDNY April 23, 2015), the court recommended the dismissal of plaintiff’s national origin (Israeli) discrimination and hostile work environment claims, but held that plaintiff plausibly alleged retaliation in the form of a negative performance evaluation. The court held: The law in [the Second] Circuit…

Read More Retaliation Claim, But Not National Origin Discrimination Claim, Survives Dismissal
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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”
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