Race / Color Discrimination

On April 18, 2017, the Second Circuit heard oral argument in the case of Daniel v. T&M Protection Resources LLC (Case No. 15-560). At issue is whether a single, offensive comment (here, the n-word) is sufficient to overcome summary judgment on plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim. The EEOC argued (as Amicus Curiae in support of pro…

Read More 2d Circuit Hears Oral Argument as to Whether the Single Use of the “N-Word” by a Supervisor is Sufficient to Overcome Summary Judgment on Plaintiff’s Hostile Work Environment Claim
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In Alvarado v. Nordstrom, Inc., No. 16-971-CV, 2017 WL 1175654 (2d Cir. Mar. 29, 2017) (Summary Order), the court vacated the district court’s dismissal of plaintiff’s retaliation claim under the NYC Human Rights Law. It affirmed its dismissal, however, of plaintiff’s race discrimination and hostile work environment claims (as well as his retaliation claims under federal…

Read More NYC Human Rights Law Retaliation Claim Survives Summary Judgment; Race Discrimination and Hostile Work Environment Claims Properly Dismissed
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In Creacy v. BCBG Max Azria Grp., LLC, No. 14 CIV. 10008 (ER), 2017 WL 1216580 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 31, 2017), the court denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment as to her hostile work environment and constructive discharge claims. In sum, plaintiff asserts that defendant subjected her to a racially hostile work environment, retaliated against her, and…

Read More Customer-Caused Race Discrimination/Hostile Work Environment Claims Survive Summary Judgment
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In Balk v. New York Institute of Technology, No. 16-984-CV, 2017 WL 1103428, (2d Cir. Mar. 23, 2017) (Summary Order), the Second Circuit affirmed the dismissal of the race, national origin, and religious discrimination claims asserted by the plaintiff. The court considered, and rejected, plaintiff’s reliance on the so-called “customer preference” doctrine, which provides (in sum) that…

Read More 2d Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Non-Muslim American Professor’s Race/Religion/National Origin Discrimination Claims
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In Rogers v. Fashion Inst. of Tech. et al, No. 14-CV-6420 (AJN), 2017 WL 1078572 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 21, 2017), the court granted in part and denied in part defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s (an African American part-time adjunct professor in FIT’s production management department) claims of race discrimination. (This decision follows a prior dismissal and…

Read More FIT Professor’s Race Discrimination Claims Proceed in Part
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In Carris v. First Student, Inc., 15-3350 (2d Cir. March 8, 2017) (summary order), the Second Circuit vacated the dismissal of plaintiff’s Title VII race discrimination claim. The law: To survive a motion to dismiss, a Title VII plaintiff does not have to plead a full prima facie case pursuant to the first stage of…

Read More 2d Circuit Vacates Title VII Race Discrimination Claim Dismissal
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The Southern District of New York’s recent decision in McCray v. Project Renewal, Inc., 15-cv-8494, 2017 WL 715010 (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 22, 2017) (Judge Caproni) serves as another reminder of the procedural hurdles that must be overcome in order to assert an employment discrimination claim in federal court. Plaintiff, proceeding pro se, sued his former employer, Defendant Project Renewal,…

Read More Court Dismisses ADA Disability Discrimination Claim as Unexhausted, Title VII Race Discrimination Claim as Insufficiently Pled
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In Morshed v. St. Barnabas Hosp., No. 16 CIV. 2862 (LGS), 2017 WL 543236 (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 10, 2017), the court overruled defendants’ claims that ten documents were “privileged under the self-critical analysis privilege, peer review privilege and quality assurance privileges.”[1]Specifically, defendants asserted the following as grounds for their assertion of privilege: Rule 501 of the…

Read More Court Overrules Defendants’ Claims of Privilege in Sexual Harassment/Hostile Work Environment Case
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In United States v. N.Y. City Dep’t of Educ., No. 16-cv-4291, 2017 WL 435940 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 31, 2017), an employment (race) discrimination case asserted by New York City teachers, the court recommended that defendants’ motion to dismiss be granted and denied in part. The plaintiff-teachers alleged that the principal of Pan American International High School (PAIHS),…

Read More Court Cites and Applies the Doctrine of “Constructive Involuntary Transfer” in Teachers’ Race Discrimination Case Against the New York City Department of Education
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In Underwood v. Roswell Park Cancer Inst., No. 15-CV-684-FPG, 2017 WL 131740 (W.D.N.Y. Jan. 13, 2017), the court held that the plaintiff – an African American surgeon – plausibly alleged that he was subjected to a racially hostile work environment. “To state a claim for a racially hostile work environment, a plaintiff must plead facts…

Read More African American Surgeon Plausibly Alleges a Racially Hostile Work Environment
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