In Johnson v. County of Nassau (EDNY Jan. 30, 2015), the Eastern District of New York explained and applied Section 296(6) of the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL), which makes it an unlawful discriminatory practice “for any person to aid, abet, incite, compel or coerce the doing of any of the acts forbidden…
Read More Court Ponders Individual Liabilty for Race Discrimination Under NYS Human Rights LawHere is the complaint, filed in the Southern District of New York on Jan. 30, 2015 and assigned index number 15-cv-00688, alleging various claims – namely, pregnancy discrimination, gender discrimination, sexual harassment, national origin discrimination, race discrimination, and retaliation – against Mergermarket.
Read More Lawsuit: Sexual Harassment (etc.) at “Boys Club” MergermarketIn Dunn v. URS Corp., 13-cv-6626 (SDNY Jan. 12, 2015), the Southern District of New York held that plaintiff, an African American man, sufficiently alleged race discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Plaintiff alleged that defendants failed to promote him, paid him less than what similarly situated employees received, failed…
Read More Raises Given to Others Supports Race Discrimination ClaimIn Idlisan v. Mount Sinai Medical Center (decided January 9, 2015), the Southern District of New York dismissed plaintiff’s claim that he was not hired because of his race, national origin, disability, and conviction history. Title VII In dismissing plaintiff’s Title VII claims, the court – citing Second Circuit precedent for the principle that “feelings and…
Read More Court Reiterates That Mere “Perception” of Discrimination is Insufficient to Survive Summary JudgmentIn Atkins v. Pitney Bowes Management Services et al., decided Jan. 12, 2015, Southern District of New York Judge Koeltl granted defendant’s motion for summary judgment on pro se plaintiff’s Title VII race and religious discrimination and retaliation claims. The court held that defendants proffered a non-discriminatory reason for plaintiff’s termination – namely, plaintiff’s failure…
Read More “You People” Remark Insufficient to Support Race Discrimination ClaimIn Turley v. ISG Lackawanna, the Second Circuit clarified the standards for awarding punitive damages in employment discrimination cases. It provides a good review of the law, as well as how it applies in specific cases. In this race discrimination case, the plaintiff “endured an extraordinary and steadily intensifying drumbeat of racial insults, intimidation, and…
Read More Second Circuit Weighs in on Punitive Damages in Employment Discrimination CasesHere and below is the lawsuit, captioned Meyers v. Revlon, Inc. et al., 14-CV-10213, recently filed by Alan Meyers against Revlon, Inc. and Revlon Consumer Products Corp. Plaintiff alleges that defendant’s CEO/President Lorenzo Delpani subjected him to discrimination based on his race/ethnicity/religion (Jewish) and national origin. From the complaint: [R]eflecting his Anti-American and Anti-Semitic biases, Delpani treated…
Read More Lawsuit Alleges Anti-Semitic, Anti-American Discrimination/Harassment by Revlon CEO Lorenzo DelpaniIn Diggs v. Oscar De La Renta, LLC (decided Dec. 9, 2014), a race discrimination case, the Supreme Court, Queens County denied defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s discrimination claim under the NYC Human Rights Law and her retaliation claims under the NYC and NYS Human Rights Laws. According to plaintiff, twice on second…
Read More Co-Worker’s “N-Word” Use Supports Discrimination ClaimHere is the complaint recently filed by plaintiff Michael Douglas against Bleecker Kitchen & Co. and its co-owner (and owner of Gold Bar) Joshua Berkowitz. Plaintiff – who is bi-racial (mixed Black and Asian Asian ancestry) – asserts, among other things, that Berkowitz made derogatory comments about black people, in violation of the New York City…
Read More Race Discrimination/Hostile Work Environment Lawsuit Against Bleecker Kitchen and Owner Joshua BerkowitzIn TE v. Pine Bush Central School Dist, the Southern District of New York denied defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiffs/students’ Title VI claims. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, codified at 42 U.S.C. § 2000(d), provides that [n]o person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or…
Read More Anti-Semitic Student Harassment Case Continues