As 2016 draws to a close, I’d like to take a brief moment to reflect on the past year. Cases We have continued to fight on behalf of our clients in employment discrimination, sexual harassment, and personal injury matters. Cases we have handled this year include: Sexual harassment ($500,000 settlement) Disability discrimination and retaliation ($30,000…
Read More Pospis Law Year in Review: 2016In Camarda v. City of New York et al, 15-3262-cv, 2016 WL 7234686 (2d Cir. Dec. 14, 2016) (Summary Order), the Second Circuit affirmed the summary judgment dismissal (Camarda v. City of NY, EDNY 11-cv-2629, Sept. 16, 2015 (J. Mauskoopf)) of plaintiff’s claims of sex discrimination, hostile work environment, and retaliation under 42 U.S.C. § 1983;…
Read More 2nd Circuit Explains Decision to Affirm Dismissal of Police Officer’s Sexual Harassment, Gender Discrimination, Hostile Work Environment, and Retaliation ClaimsIn Willis v. Cty. of Onondaga, No. 14-cv-1306, 2016 WL 7116126 (N.D.N.Y. Dec. 6, 2016), the court dismissed plaintiff’s sexual harassment, racial harassment, retaliation, and other claims asserted under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Here I’ll discuss the court’s evaluation of plaintiff’s Title VII sexual harassment claim. Plaintiff, an African-American heterosexual…
Read More Court Dismisses Sheriff’s Sexual Harassment and Other Claims; Court Assumed Conduct Was “Because of Sex” and Sufficiently “Severe” and “Pervasive” But Was Not Imputable to DefendantIn Szwalla v. Time Warner Cable LLC, No. 15-3479, 2016 WL 7018340 (2d Cir. Dec. 1, 2016) (Summary Order), the Second Circuit affirmed the summary judgment dismissal of plaintiff’s hostile work environment/sexual harassment and retaliation claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In sum, plaintiff alleged that two supervisors sexually harassed her…
Read More Sexual Harassment (Hostile Work Environment) & Retaliation Claims Properly Dismissed Against Time Warner CableIn Ilinca v. Bd. of Coop. Educ. Servs. of Nassau, No. 13-CV-3500(JS)(AYS), 2016 WL 6989780 (E.D.N.Y. Nov. 29, 2016), the court dismissed plaintiff’s sexual harassment (hostile work environment) claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The decision gives us a summary of the relevant law: [A] plaintiff states a Title VII…
Read More Sexual Harassment Hostile Work Environment Claim Dismissed; “Inappropriate and Grossly Unprofessional” Conduct Was Insufficiently SevereIn a lawsuit filed in New York State Court on 11/22/16, captioned Corcoran v. Siebert Cisneros Shank Co LLC et a (Index No. 159868/2016), plaintiff asserts that “[h]is working environment … more closely resembled a rowdy teenage boys’ locker room than a professional trading floor at a well-regarded Wall Street firm.” This allegation evokes president-elect Donald…
Read More Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Siebert Cisneros ShankIn Figueroa v. Johnson, 648 F. App’x 130, 133 (2d Cir. 2016), the court affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s gender/national origin discrimination, hostile work environment, quid pro quo sexual harassment, and retaliation claims. Plaintiff, a Customs and Border Protection Officer at JFK Airport, argued (inter alia) that he was discriminated against on the basis of gender…
Read More Gender/National Origin Discrimination Claim Dismissed; Comparators Also Required to Work Holidays (Including Thanksgiving)In a recently-filed lawsuit, captioned Castellanos v. Berkman Capital LLC et al (filed in NY Sup. Ct., Index 159768-2016, 11/18/16), plaintiff asserts claims of gender discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, and sexual harassment against financial lending company Berkman Financial and others, including individual defendants Geoffrey Byruch and Michael Vulcano. Plaintiff alleges, among other things, that she was…
Read More Sexual Harassment, Gender/Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit Against Berkman CapitalA recent upstate appellate decision addresses the correlation between a sexual harassment claim, on the one hand, and workers’ compensation benefits, on the other. In Shiner v. Suny at Buffalo, No. 522762, 2016 WL 6782717, (N.Y. App. Div. 3d Dept. Nov. 17, 2016), the court affirmed the Workers Compensation Board’s decision that claimant’s failure to obtain…
Read More Sexual Harassment Settlement Bars Further Workers Compensation Benefits, DeIn Case v. Onondaga Cty., No. 5:14-cv-272, 2016 WL 6781237 (N.D.N.Y. Nov. 16, 2016), the court granted defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s sexual harassment/hostile work environment and retaliation claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. As to plaintiff’s harassment claim, the court explained: Here, assuming, without deciding, that [alleged…
Read More Sexual Harassment Claim Dismissed in Light of Policy and Investigation