Pleading

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A recent decision, Petrisko v Animal Medical Center, No. 151573/2018, 2019 NY Slip Op 30679(U), 2019 WL 1311026 (N.Y. Sup Ct, New York County Mar. 22, 2019), highlights important features of New York defamation law – such as when alleged defamatory statements are non-actionable opinion, and the specificity with which such claims must be alleged.…

Read More Defamation Claim Dismissed; Alleged Defamatory Statements Were Non-Actionable Opinion, and Allegations Were Insufficiently Specific as to Time
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In Appleton v City of New York, No. 157849/2017, 2019 WL 1206347, at *8 (N.Y. Sup Ct, New York County Mar. 14, 2019), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim for failure to state a claim. The court summarized the relevant law: With respect to plaintiff’s hostile work environment claims, “[i]n order…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Claim Dismissed; Belittling, Shouting, Demeaning etc. Conduct Amounted to “Minor Annoyances”
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In Baker v. Medical Answering Services, LLC, 18-cv-00870, 2019 WL 634654 (N.D.N.Y. Feb. 14, 2019), the court dismissed plaintiff’s employment discrimination complaint, finding that plaintiff did not sufficiently allege a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. From the decision: Plaintiff has, however, failed to plausibly allege circumstances giving rise to…

Read More Inference of Discrimination Not Sufficiently Alleged; Employment Discrimination Complaint Dismissed
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In Canosa v. Harvey Weinstein et al, 2019 WL 498865 (S.D.N.Y. 2019), the court, inter alia, clarified that sexual harassment is a form of “discrimination” under federal law (Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964) and the New York State and City Human Rights Laws, and does not constitute an independent common-law tort.…

Read More Sexual Harassment is a Statutory Claim, Not a Common-Law Tort, Court Explains
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In Wu v. Jensen-Lewis Co., Inc., 2018 WL 5723122 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 1, 2018), the court (inter alia) held that the plaintiff plausibly stated a claim for public accommodation discrimination. Plaintiff, who is legally blind, asserted that defendants’ website is not compliant with federal law (the Americans with Disabilities Act) because it was not fully and…

Read More Website-Accessibility Disability Discrimination Plausibly Alleged, Court Finds
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In Geffner v. Quanta Services, Inc., 2018 WL 6807388 (S.D.N.Y. 2018), the court, inter alia, found that plaintiff failed to state claim(s) of employment discrimination – based, e.g., on his religion – against his supervisor (Austin). The decision is instructive as to how and when individual liability for employment discrimination may be imposed under 42…

Read More Employment Discrimination Claims Not Stated Against Individual Supervisor, SDNY Holds
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In Schmitt v Artforum Intl. Mag., Inc., 2018 NY Slip Op 33345(U) (Sup. Ct. NY Cty. Dec. 20, 2018), the court (inter alia) dismissed plaintiff’s retaliation claim under teh NYC Human Rights Law. In sum, plaintiff alleges retaliation by both defendants a violation of the New York City Human Rights Law [Administrative Code of the City…

Read More Retaliation Claim Under NYC Human Rights Law Insufficiently Pled
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In Roskin-Frazee v. Columbia University, 17-CV-2032, 2018 WL 6523721 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 26, 2018), the court dismissed plaintiff’s claim under Title IX of the United States Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. § 1681(a) (and state causes of action) against Columbia University. In this case, plaintiff alleged “that Defendant created a culture of sexual hostility on…

Read More Student-on-Student Sexual Harassment Title IX Claim Dismissed Against Columbia
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In Martin v. City University of New York, 2018 WL 6510805 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 11, 2018), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s age and race discrimination claims. In doing so, the court cited and applied the so-called “stray remarks” doctrine. In support of the “inference of discrimination” element of plaintiff’s prima facie case, plaintiff advanced the following four remarks…

Read More Citing the “Stray Remarks” Doctrine, Court Dismisses Plaintiff’s Age and Race Discrimination Claims
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