Sexual Harassment

In a lawsuit recently filed in Manhattan federal court (Ravina v. Columbia University, 16-cv-02137), the plaintiff – an Assistant Professor of Finance at Columbia University – alleges (among other things) that after enduring quid pro quo sexual harassment by a tenured professor, “Columbia refused to stop his discriminatory behavior”, “allowed [plaintiff] to continue to be victimized…

Read More Professor Files Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Lawsuit Against Columbia University
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United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died on February 13, 2016. Many disagreed with the outspoken justice’s politics; some were happy to see him go. Many compilations of his opinions/dissents (such as this one or this one) appear to highlight his conservative ideology. Unsurprisingly missing from many such compilations is his opinion in Oncale v. Sundowner…

Read More Justice Scalia: Civil Rights Champion?
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In Russo v. New York State Div. of Human Rights, No. 15-01243, 2016 WL 1066422 (N.Y. App. Div. 4th Dept. Mar. 18, 2016), the court affirmed the State Division of Human Rights’ dismissal of the petitioner’s employment discrimination and retaliation claims. The New York State Division of Human Rights is a statewide administrative agency that…

Read More Discrimination and Retaliation Claims Properly Dismissed by the New York State Division of Human Rights
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In a recently-filed class action complaint, captioned Suchowieski et al v. Verboten (EDNY 16-cv-01295 filed 3/15/16), plaintiffs allege that Brooklyn nightclub and their owners – Jen Schiffer and her husband, John Perez – committed various acts of wrongdoing against their employees. The complaint alleges, for example, that “[d]efendants’ female employees are subjected to persistent sexual…

Read More Sexual Harassment, Hostile Work Environment, and Wage Lawsuit Against Brooklyn Club Verboten
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In Llanos v. T-Mobile USA, Inc., 132 A.D.3d 823, 824, 18 N.Y.S.3d 666, 667 (N.Y. App. Div. 2d Dept. 2015), the Second Dept. reversed a state court decision dismissing plaintiff’s claims under section 8-107 of the NYC Administrative Code (aka the NYC Human Rights Law/NYCHRL). Plaintiff alleged in her complaint that she was subjected to employment discrimination, quid…

Read More Discrimination Claims Under Comparatively Broad NYC Human Rights Law Were Not Duplicative of State Law Claims
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The Southern District of New York’s recent decision in Robinson v. Vineyard Vines, LLC, No. 15CIV4972VBJCM, 2016 WL 845283 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 4, 2016) provides an example of how the work product doctrine operates in the context of an employment discrimination/sexual harassment case. In this case, plaintiff alleged that another employee “repeatedly sexually harassed her and…

Read More Investigative Documents in Sexual Harassment Case Were Protected as Work Product
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In a recent complaint, captioned Johnson v. J. Walter Thompson U.S.A., LLC et al, SDNY 16-cv-01805 filed March 10, 2016, plaintiff asserts various employment-related claims – including gender discrimination, race discrimination, hostile work environment, sexual harassment, and retaliation – against J. Walter Thompson and its Chair/CEO Gustavo Martinez. Among the disturbing allegations: Despite Johnson’s success as…

Read More Race/Gender Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Hostile Work Environment, Retaliation Lawsuit Against J. Walter Thompson and Gustavo Martinez
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In Defran v. Transp Workers Union of Greater New York AFL-CIO, 2016 WL 740308 (N.Y.Sup.), 2016 N.Y. Slip Op. 30329(U), the court discussed and applied the “joint employer” doctrine in the context of an employment discrimination/sexual harassment/retaliation case. Plaintiff, a bus driver/union member who later became chairperson of her union (TWU/Local 100), alleged that she was…

Read More Plaintiff Sufficiently Alleges “Joint Employer” Status in Hostile Work Environment/Sexual Harassment Case
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In Kennedy v. NYS, 14-CV-990S, NYLJ 1202751641711 (WDNY Mar. 3, 2016), the Western District of New York held that plaintiff – a member of NYS Assembly Member Dennis Gabryszak’s staff – plausibly alleged hostile work environment sexual harassment against Mr. Gabryszak under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, and therefore denied defendants’ motion to dismiss under Fed. R. Civ.…

Read More Assembly Staff Member Sufficiently Alleges § 1983 Sexual Harassment Claim Against Dennis Gabryszak
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