Pleading

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In Torres v. New York City Dept. of Education, 18-cv-2156, 2019 WL 2124891 (E.D.N.Y. May 15, 2019), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s retaliation claim under the New York City Human Rights Law. The court explained that that statute “does not require an adverse employment action and a plaintiff must only provide evidence she was…

Read More Plaintiff Fails to Plead That He Was Treated “Less Well” Because of His Disability; City Law Retaliation Claim Dismissed
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In Kurlender v. Ironside Group, Inc., 2019 WL 1317405 (E.D.N.Y., 2019), the court fully adopted a Magistrate Judge’s Report & Recommendation, inter alia, denying defendant’s motion to dismiss plaintiff’s Amended Complaint’s allegation that he was subjected to hostile work environment sexual harassment. The court summarized plaintiff’s allegations as follows: Plaintiff alleges in the Amended Complaint…

Read More Allegation of “Unwanted Touching” Sufficient to Plead Hostile Work Environment Sexual Harassment
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In Gonzalez v. NYU Langone Medical Center, No. 156647/2017, 2019 WL 1975543 (N.Y. Sup Ct, New York County Apr. 29, 2019), the court granted defendant’s CPLR 3211(a)(7) motion to dismiss, for failure to state a claim, plaintiff’s retaliation claims under the New York State and City Human Rights Laws. The court summarized the law as…

Read More Retaliation Claim Dismissed; Assistance With Another’s Hostile Work Environment Claim Did Not Qualify as “Protected Activity”
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In Colas v. City of University of New York, 17-cv-4825, 2019 WL 2028701 (E.D.N.Y. May 7, 2019), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s pregnancy-based hostile work environment and constructive discharge claims. As to plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim, the court explained: Here, Defendants contend that Plaintiff’s allegations “amount to dissatisfaction with her supervisors, … personality…

Read More Pregnancy-Based Hostile Work Environment, Constructive Discharge Claims Dismissed Against CUNY
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A recent decision, Dotson v. City of Syracuse et al, 18-cv-750, 2019 WL 2009076 (N.D.N.Y. May 7, 2019), underscores that so-called “hostile work environment” claims require more than simply “derogatory”, “boorish”, or “offensive” language. The court summarized the well-established law applicable to plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim: In determining whether conduct constitutes a hostile work…

Read More Derogatory, Boorish Language Did Not Give Rise to Hostile Work Environment
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In Doe v. Solera Capital LLC, 18-cv-1769, 2019 WL 1437520 (S.D.N.Y. March 31, 2019) – in which plaintiff alleges employment discrimination and a hostile work environment on the basis of race and plaintiff’s status of a survivor of domestic violence, retaliation, and failure to pay overtime – the court, inter alia, dismissed defendant’s counterclaim alleging…

Read More “Faithless Servant” Counterclaim Dismissed; Alleged Wrongdoing Insufficient
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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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