Pleading

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In Yang Zhao v. Keuka College, 2017 WL 3917145 (W.D.N.Y., 2017), plaintiff – a U.S. Citizen of Chinese origin – alleged that she was denied tenure because of her ethnicity, race, and national origin. The court held that plaintiff did not sufficiently allege a hostile work environment claim: Plaintiff has not alleged a hostile work…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Claim Not Alleged; Discrete Incident of Discrimination Relating to Denial of Tenure Not Enough
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In Butterfield-Bajinan v. City of New York, 2017 WL 4045175 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 11, 2017), the court granted defendant’s motion to dismiss plaintiff’s Title VII race discrimination claim as insufficiently alleged. The court explained what a plaintiff asserting such a claim must allege: To survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint alleging employment discrimination under Title…

Read More Title VII Race Discrimination Claim Dismissed; Court Cites Lack of Alleged Racial Comments or Favorable Treatment of “Similarly Situated” Caucasian Employees
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In Yang Zhao v. Keuka College, 2017 WL 3917145 (W.D.N.Y., 2017), plaintiff – a U.S. Citizen of Chinese origin – alleges that she was denied tenure because of her ethnicity, race, and national origin. The court granted plaintiff’s motion to amend her complaint to add a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1981, finding that plaintiff…

Read More Chinese Professor Plausibly Alleges Intentional Discrimination Under 42 U.S.C. 1981; May Amend Complaint
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In Kpaka v. City University of New York, 2017 WL 3866642 (2d Cir. 16-3527 Sept. 5, 2017) (Summary Order), the Second Circuit affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s race discrimination claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The court explained the standards applicable to evaluating the sufficiency of a discrimination claim: To…

Read More Second Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Race Discrimination Claims as Time-Barred and Based on Different Treatment of a Non-Similarly-Situated White Employee
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In Edwards v. Nicolai, 2017 NY Slip Op 06235 (App. Div. 1st Dept. Aug. 22, 2017), the court modified a lower court’s Order (issued by Judge Shlomo Hagler) dismissing plaintiff’s causes of action for gender discrimination in violation of the New York State and New York City Human Rights Laws, to deny defendant’s motion as to those…

Read More Court Reinstates “Too Cute” Gender Discrimination Claims Under NYS and NYC Human Rights Laws
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In Schultz v. Congregation Shearith Israel of the City of New York et al, 2017 WL 3427130 (2d Cir. Aug. 10, 2017), the court addressed the following issue: whether a cause of action under Title VII can be based on notice to an employee of a termination of employment effective in approximately three weeks, that…

Read More 2d Circuit Holds That Title VII Claim May Be Based on Subsequently-Revoked Notice of Termination
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In Ivankovskaya v. Metro. Transportation Auth. Bus Co., No. 15-cv-5727, 2017 WL 3328166 (E.D.N.Y. Aug. 3, 2017), the court held that plaintiff sufficiently alleged a retaliation claim under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).[1]I addressed this decision’s resolution of plaintiff’s hostile work environment and disability discrimination claims, respectively, here and here. Plaintiff worked as a…

Read More ADA Retaliation Claim Survives Dismissal
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In Ivankovskaya v. Metro. Transportation Auth. Bus Co., No. 15-cv-5727, 2017 WL 3328166 (E.D.N.Y. Aug. 3, 2017), the court dismissed plaintiff’s disability discrimination claim under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), on the ground that plaintiff did not plausibly allege that she suffered a “disability” within the meaning of the statute.[1]The court also granted defendant’s…

Read More Court Dismisses ADA Disability Discrimination Claim; Complaint Did Not Plausibly Allege That Plaintiff’s Medical Condition Was a “Disability” Because it Did Not “Substantially Limit” a “Major Life Activity”
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In Stabler v. Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York, No. 16 CIV. 9601 (RWS), 2017 WL 3268201 (S.D.N.Y. July 28, 2017), the court denied defendants’ motions to dismiss plaintiff’s claims of (e.g.) age discrimination, disability discrimination, and hostile work environment. Defendants based their motion to dismiss on the “ministerial exception”. The court summarized the…

Read More Hostile Work Environment And Other Claims Survive Dismissal on Basis of the “Ministerial Exception”
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In Brooks v. City of Utica, No. 16-cv-1427, 2017 WL 3242273 (N.D.N.Y. July 28, 2017), the court ruled on claims asserted by plaintiff – a firefighter-paramedic and practicing Nazirite – of discrimination based on religion, retaliation, failure to accommodate religious beliefs, and hostile work environment. Plaintiff’s religious observance as a Nazirite required him to keep…

Read More Practicing Nazirite Sufficiently Alleges Religion-Based Hostile Work Environment Claim
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