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The Appellate Division, First Department, in Matter of Law Offs. of Oliver Zhou, PLLC v. New York State Div. of Human Rights, 2015 NY Slip Op 04569 (App. Div. 1st Dept. May 28, 2015) recently upheld the determination of the State Division of Human Rights that the petitioners violated the State Human Rights Law. In…

Read More Termination After Showing Employer Sexual Harassment Complaint Supports State Division Award
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In Orange v. Leake & Watts Inc., No. 13-CV-6110 KBF, 2015 WL 2340649 (S.D.N.Y. May 15, 2015), the court granted defendant’s motion for summary judgment and dismissed plaintiff’s race discrimination and retaliation claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Plaintiff, an African American assistant teacher, alleged “that she suffered an adverse employment…

Read More Court Dismisses Race Discrimination Claim; Disciplinary Notice and Negative Evaluation Were Not “Adverse Employment Actions”
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New York Labor Law § 240(1) is a formidable statute that, when applicable, holds “contractors and owners and their agents” absolutely liable for certain injuries sustained by construction workers. The statute’s reach, however, is not absolute. By its terms, Labor Law § 240(1) affords protection to workers engaged in the “erection, demolition, repairing, altering, painting, cleaning or pointing…

Read More Worker Struck on Head by Falling Tree Trunk Not Protected by Labor Law § 240(1)
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In Leon v. NYC Dept. of Education, a Summary Order dated May 22, 2015, the Second Circuit vacated the dismissal of plaintiff’s age/disability discrimination, retaliation, and accommodation claims, and held that a finding pursuant to NY Education § 3020-a that a teacher was fired for “cause” does not necessarily preclude a viable claim for (e.g.) discriminatory termination…

Read More Employment Discrimination Claims Not Collaterally Estopped By Finding That Teacher Was Fired For “Cause” Under New York Education Law § 3020-a
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A recent decision, Moultrie v. NYS Dep’t of Corr. & Cmty. Supervision, No. 13-CV-5138 NSR, 2015 WL 2151827 (S.D.N.Y. May 7, 2015), elaborates on how to prove employment discrimination with so-called “comparator” evidence. In this case, plaintiff, a Corrections Officer trainee at Sing Sing prison, was fired for, among other things, bringing a SIM card…

Read More Gender Discrimination Complaint Dismissed; Alleged Male Comparators Engaged in Less Serious Conduct
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Here is the federal court complaint filed by Philippa Okoye against her employer deVere Group on May 18, 2015. She alleges hostile work environment sexual harassment, gender discrimination, associational race discrimination (in light of her husband, Lawrence Okoye’s, race), religion-based discrimination, and retaliation under the New York City Human Rights Law.

Read More Philippa Okoye’s Employment Discrimination Lawsuit Against DeVere Group
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