In Philip v. Gtech Corp., No. 14 CIV. 9261 (PAE), 2016 WL 3959729 (S.D.N.Y. July 20, 2016), the court held that there were “triable issues of fact which, if resolved in Philip’s favor, would enable a reasonable jury to find that race was more likely than not a motivating factor in his termination.” For example, the…
Read More Race Discrimination Claims Survive Summary JudgmentIn Von Maack v. Wyckoff Heights Med. Ctr., 140 A.D.3d 1055 (N.Y. App. Div. 2d Dept. June 22, 2016), the court held that (1) an arbitration determination that plaintiff was terminated for just cause did not collaterally estop her from pursuing a retaliation claim under New York’s “health care whistleblower law”, codified at New York Labor Law…
Read More Health Care Whistleblower Claim Sufficiently Alleged; Arbitration Decision That Termination Was For “Just Cause” Did Not Preclude Retaliation ClaimIn Williams v. Rosenblatt Sec. Inc., No. 14-CV-4390 (JGK), 2016 WL 4120654 (S.D.N.Y. July 22, 2016), the court held that plaintiff – a former securities strategist – plausibly alleged various discrimination claims, including a hostile work environment claim based on his perceived mental illness. The court evaluated plaintiff’s claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act,…
Read More Plaintiff Plausibly Alleges Disability Discrimination/Hostile Work Environment Based on Perceived Mental IllnessIn Epstein v. County of Suffolk & Suffolk County Community College, No. 14-CV-0937, 2016 WL 4257349 (E.D.N.Y. Aug. 11, 2016), the court dismissed plaintiff’s claims for, e.g., age discrimination, disability discrimination (failure to provide reasonable accommodation), and hostile work environment. In this post I’ll discuss the court’s evaluation of plaintiff’s failure-to-accommodate-disability and hostile work environment claims.…
Read More Professor’s Hostile Work Environment & Sleep-Related Disability Discrimination Claims Dismissed as Insufficiently PledIn Koss v. Strippit, Inc., No. 12-CV-486, 2016 WL 3963204 (W.D.N.Y. July 22, 2016), the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York upheld the Magistrate Judge’s Report and Recommendation that defendant’s motion for summary judgment be granted and that plaintiff’s gender and disability discrimination claims be dismissed. This decision is instructive on how…
Read More Gender & Disability Discrimination Claims Dismissed; Denial of Training Was Not “Adverse Action” and Reduction-in-Force Termination Was Not PretextIn Misas v. N.-Shore Long Island Jewish Health Sys., No. 14-cv-8787, 2016 WL 4082718 (S.D.N.Y. July 25, 2016), the court reaffirmed that an employment discrimination/sexual harassment plaintiff seeking only so-called “garden variety” emotional distress damages does not put their medical condition in issue for discovery purposes. In this case, plaintiffs assert claims of, inter alia, sexual…
Read More Sexual Harassment Plaintiffs’ Assertion of “Garden Variety” Emotional Distress Damages Does Not Authorize Extensive Medical DiscoveryA recent decision, Campisi v. The City University of New York & Dean George Ranalli, No. 15 CIV. 4859 (KPF), 2016 WL 4203549 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 9, 2016), addresses the interplay between Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. §§ 1681-1688). Plaintiff, a…
Read More Student Worker Plausibly Alleges Title IX Hostile Work Environment Sexual Harassment Claim Against CUNYIn Beecher v. Northwell Health, EDNY 16-cv-4190, plaintiff alleges gender discrimination, hostile work environment, and retaliation. Among plaintiff’s allegations were that defendant’s Administrative Director, Nelson Mercurio, “went out of his way to catch the female staff members wearing scented products and, upon information and belief, was observed smelling the female staff in an effort to reprimand…
Read More Gender Discrimination, Hostile Work Environment, and Retaliation Lawsuit Cites Employee-Sniffing BossIn Smolyn v. Tyco Integrated Sec. LLC, No. 1:14-CV-56 (GLS/CFH), 2016 WL 4120325 (N.D.N.Y. July 28, 2016), the court held that plaintiff presented enough evidence to survive summary judgment on her pregnancy and gender discrimination claims. As to plaintiff’s pregnancy discrimination claim, the court explained: The court finds that a jury could reasonably conclude that…
Read More Pregnancy & Gender Discrimination Claims Survive Summary Judgment, Notwithstanding Reduction-in-Force Rationale for TerminationIn Atencio v. United States Postal Serv., No. 14 CIV. 7929 (AJP), 2016 WL 4145930 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 4, 2016), the court granted defendant USPS’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s reasonable accommodation claim, but denied its motion on plaintiff’s retaliation claim under the Rehabilitation Act (a federal statute applicable to claims of disability discrimination by…
Read More Letter Carrier’s Retaliatory Hostile Work Environment Claim Against USPS Survives Summary Judgment