Retaliation

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Payano v. CompassRock Real Estate LLC, decided by the Southern District of New York on May 12, 2014, discusses the application of the anti-retaliation provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and the New York Labor Law. Plaintiff, a live-in apartment maintenance worker, alleged that he was only paid for 40 hours, even though he…

Read More Maintenance Worker Successfully Pleads Retaliation Claim Arising From Termination Following Wage Complaints
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The court’s decision in Garrigan v. Ruby Tuesday, 14-cv-155 (S.D.N.Y. May 22, 2014) illustrates the important distinctions between pleading employment discrimination claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the much broader New York City Human Rights Law. Plaintiff claimed that she was harassed in the workplace because she would not…

Read More Plaintiff Successfully Pleads Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Under NYC Human Rights Law
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Below is the complaint filed on May 12, 2014 in the Southern District of New York by television writer/producer and professor Mollie Fermaglich against New York University and others. The lawsuit is captioned Mollie Fermaglich v. New York University et al., 1:14-cv-03434, and has been assigned to Judge Engelmayer. Ms. Fermaglich, who is Jewish, asserts (among other things)…

Read More NYU Professor and TV Writer/Producer Mollie Fermaglich’s Federal Discrimination Suit Against NYU
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In Lehman v. Bergmann Associates (decided March 31, 2014), the Western District of New York held that plaintiff adequately pleaded some, but not other, employment discrimination claims. The case provides a good review of federal pleading standards for various employment-related claims. Plaintiff alleged that she was the first woman to hold a senior management position at…

Read More Court Provides Guidance on Pleading Employment Discrimination Claims
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The New York Court of Appeals held, in Webb-Weber v. Community Action for Human Servs., Inc. (decided May 13, 2014) that plaintiff adequately stated a claim under New York’s Whistleblower Law, Labor Law § 740(2)(a). That statute provides, in pertinent part: An employer shall not take any retaliatory personnel action against an employee because such employee … discloses,…

Read More Court of Appeals Broadly Interprets New York’s General Whistleblower Statute, Labor Law § 740
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A recent Southern District decision, James v. NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation, illustrates that the anti-discrimination laws are not a “general civility code” and underscores the critical requirement that, in order to be actionable, any alleged discrimination or harassment must be “because of” a protected characteristic (here, the plaintiff’s sex). Plaintiff, a female Special Officer in…

Read More Workplace Slap Was Not “Because Of” Plaintiff’s Sex; Sexual Harassment Claim Dismissed
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Here is the complaint, captioned Jackson v. OpenCommunications Omnimedia LLC et al, Index No. 151596/2014, filed on February 24, 2014 in New York State Supreme Court by a male plaintiff against his former employer, New York City media company OpenCommunications Omnimedia and three of its principals. Plaintiff claims he was sexually harassed by his female bosses and…

Read More Male Employee Asserts Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Claims Against Female Bosses at NYC Media Company
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In McGuinness v Concentric Health Care LLC, the Appellate Division, First Department permitted plaintiff’s New York City Human Rights Law-based age discrimination and retaliation claims to continue. As to plaintiff’s discrimination claim: Defendants failed to demonstrate that they did not discriminate against plaintiff on the basis of her age. Plaintiff, who was 49 when she was…

Read More Age Discrimination and Retaliation Claims Continue Against Pharmaceutical Advertising Agency
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Below is the federal complaint, captioned Chang et al. v. Phoenix Satellite Television (US), Inc. et al., 1:14-cv-02686, filed yesterday by three plaintiffs against Phoenix Satellite Television US, Inc., Phoenix Satellite Television Holdings Limited, and Zhengzhu Liu. Gothamist reported on the lawsuit here. Mr. Liu, it might be recalled, was featured as the alleged harasser…

Read More Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Phoenix Satellite Television and Alleged Intern Harasser Zhengzhu Liu
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