In Watkins v. New York City Health and Hospitals Corp., 2018 NY Slip Op 31054, 2018 WL 2445548 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Index No. 152836/2013, May 11, 2018), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s hostile work environment claims under the New York State and City Human Rights Laws. Here I will focus on the court’s assessment of…
Read More Hostile Work Environment Claims Dismissed; Negative Comments InsufficientIn Krause v. Kelehan, 17-CV-1045, 2018 WL 2021484 (N.D.N.Y. April 26, 2018), the court – applying the “continuing violation doctrine” – held that plaintiff sufficiently alleged a timely hostile work environment claim against the defendants.[1]The court also held, inter alia, that plaintiff’s discrimination claims survive dismissal. From the decision: Like Plaintiff’s discrimination claim, her hostile…
Read More Hostile Work Environment Claim Survives Dismissal; Court Applies the “Continuing Violations Doctrine”In Campbell v. national Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation (2d Cir. 17-1820 May 25, 2018) (Summary Order), the court affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s Title VII gender discrimination claim. Initially, the court rejected plaintiff’s attempt to establish discrimination by comparing herself to male co-workers: We affirm for substantially the same reasons given by the district court…
Read More 2d Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Gender Discrimination, Rejects “Cat’s Paw” TheoryIn Boliak v. Reilly, 2018 NY Slip Op 03745 (App. Div. 1st Dept. May 24, 2018), the court overturned the dismissal[1]Boliak v. Reilly, 2017 NY Slip Op 32010, Index No. 153941/2016, Judge Erika Edwards, Sept. 22, 2017. of plaintiff’s employment discrimination claims under the NYC Human Rights Law against Father Michael P. Reilly and others. From…
Read More Employment Discrimination Claims Reinstated Against Father Reilly et alIn Rasko v. N.Y.C. Admin. for Children’s Servs., 17-967 (2d Cir. May 17, 2018) (Summary Order), the court, inter alia, affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim. The court explained the legal requirements for such a claim: To establish a hostile work environment claim, a plaintiff must show, inter alia, that the workplace was…
Read More 2d Circuit: Hostile Work Environment Properly Dismissed; Rudeness, Noise, Throwing Papers Held InsufficientIn Gordon v. Bayrock Sapir Organization LLC, 2018 NY Slip Op 03425, 2018 WL 2141237 (N.Y.A.D. 1 Dept., 2018), the court held that plaintiff survived summary judgment on her gender- and race-based hostile work environment claims and retaliation claims under the NYS and NYC Human Rights Laws, and on her discrimination claim under the NYC…
Read More Hostile Work Environment, Retaliation, Discrimination Claims Survive Summary Judgment Against Trump SohoIn Pecile v. Titan Capital Group, LLC, 2018 WL 2100456 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. N.Y. Cty. Index No. 110490/2010, May 3, 2018), the court, inter alia, denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiffs’ sexual harassment claims under the NYC Human Rights Law. From the decision: The Court finds that there are issues of fact with…
Read More Sexual Harassment / Hostile Work Environment Claim Survives Dismissal [Pecile v. Titan Capital Group]In Esar v. JP Morgan Chase Bank N.A., 15-cv-382, 2018 WL 2075421 (E.D.N.Y. May 3, 2018), the court (inter alia) dismissed plaintiff’s hostile work environment claims. Plaintiff asserted that she was subjected to an “atmosphere of adverse action”, namely (i) lobby cleaning assignments, (ii) covering for one week at another branch, (iii) unpacking branch supplies,…
Read More Hostile Work Environment Claims Dismissed Against JP Morgan Chase BankA federal (EDNY / Brooklyn) jury recently awarded several employees a collective $5.1 million in damages against a health insurance company that, the plaintiffs claimed, forced them to follow the practices of an obscure religion called “Onionhead.” (I wrote about the lawsuit’s filing here.) The verdict sheet (below) reflects, inter alia, that the jury awarded…
Read More EDNY Jury Awards $5.1M in “Onionhead” Religious Discrimination Case [EEOC v. United Health Programs of America]In Murphy v. Wappingers Central School District, 15-cv-7460, 2018 WL 1831847 (S.D.N.Y. April 16, 2018), the court dismissed plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim. In sum, the court held that the alleged harasser (DeFazio) created an “abusive” environment for the plaintiff, but that plaintiff could not show that the harasser’s conduct should be imputed to the…
Read More Hostile Work Environment Claim Dismissed; While Conduct Was “Abusive” There Was No Basis For Imputing it to Employer