Pleading

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In Freeman v. City of New York (decided November 20, 2013), the Appellate Division, Second Department held that plaintiff failed to state a claim for relief. Plaintiff alleged that her mother Yvonne Freeman died after the December 27, 2010 blizzard because defendants “were negligent in failing to provide emergency services, and in failing to prepare for,…

Read More Trial Court Should Have Dismissed Blizzard Death Lawsuit Due to Absence of “Special Relationship”
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In Kennington v. 226 Realty LLC, the court denied defendant’s motion to dismiss plaintiffs’ complaint alleging sexual harassment and age discrimination. Although the court held only that the plaintiffs state a claim for relief (without determining the ultimate issue of liability), this case is instructive as to how to plead discrimination claims under the New…

Read More Plaintiffs Sufficiently Alleged Sexual Harassment and Age Discrimination Claims Under the New York City Human Rights Law
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In Knight v. State University of New York at Stony Brook, the Eastern District of New York recently dismissed plaintiff’s race discrimination and retaliation claims, on the ground that plaintiff did not sufficiently allege that he was employed by the defendant. Plaintiff alleged that he worked as an electrician at a construction project for defendant…

Read More Court Dismisses Race Discrimination Case Because Plaintiff Didn’t Sufficiently Allege That He Was Employed by Defendant
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In Grant v. County of Erie (Summary Order), the Second Circuit vacated the dismissal, under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), of plaintiff’s disability discrimination claim under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Ordinarily, when reviewing the facial sufficiency of a federal court complaint to determine whether it states a claim, a trial court must accept…

Read More Plaintiff Sufficiently Alleged Disability Discrimination; Allegations Regarding Qualification to Perform Job Were Not Contradictory
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On Friday, the Second Circuit held in Colquitt v. Xerox Corp. (Summary Order) that plaintiff’s employment discrimination claims that were not raised – or “administratively exhausted” – in the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) were properly dismissed from plaintiff’s lawsuit. In Colquitt, plaintiff alleged that she was subjected to (1) a race-based denial of phone privileges and…

Read More Second Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Employment Discrimination Claims Not Raised in the EEOC
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In Boutros v. JTC Painting, the Southern District of New York denied defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiffs’ complaint seeking unpaid overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the New York Labor Law. Plaintiffs are painters who worked for defendant JTC, a painting contractor owned by co-defendant Caruso.  They allege that JTC failed to pay…

Read More Overtime Complaint Was Not Moot in Light of Open-Ended Allegation of Hours Worked
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In Wingfield v. Rochester School for the Deaf, the Western District of New York recently clarified that not all employment decisions that affect employees at work are “employment actions” sufficient to support a claim of employment discrimination. In Wingfield, plaintiff and her ex-husband worked at defendant. Following an altercation, family court issued a temporary order of…

Read More All Actions Affecting Workers Are Not Necessarily “Employment Actions” For Purposes of the Discrimination Laws
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In Romanello v. Intesa Sanpaolo, S.p.A., decided Oct. 10, 2013, the New York Court of Appeals (the state’s highest court) reinstated plaintiff’s disability discrimination claim under the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL) but held that plaintiff’s claim under the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL) was properly dismissed. In doing so, it highlighted crucial…

Read More Plaintiff Suffering From Depression Adequately Stated Disability Discrimination Claim Under New York City Human Rights Law
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Although unpaid interns recently obtained a court victory on the wage and hour front (i.e., a ruling that they are “employees” under federal and state wage/hour laws), Southern District Judge P. Kevin Castel recently issued them a defeat on the discrimination/harassment front. In Wang v. Phoenix Satellite Television US Inc., the court dismissed an intern’s…

Read More Court Holds That Unpaid Interns Are Not Protected From Sexual Harassment Under the New York City Human Rights Law
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The Northern District of New York recently held, in Hexemer v. General Electric, that plaintiff adequately pleaded retaliation for complaining about a co-worker’s discriminatory comments. Plaintiff, who was born in Iran and is of Persian descent, alleged that after she made a comment to two co-workers about how sitting at their desks led to weight…

Read More Iranian Plaintiff Sufficiently Alleged Retaliation After Firing For Complaining About Being Called “Uncivilized”
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