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An employer recently learned the hard way that firing an employee – because she rejected his sexual advances – by text message is a bad idea. In Comm’n on Human Rights ex rel. Martinez v. Joseph “J.P.” Musso Home Improvement & Joseph Musso, OATH Index No. 2167/14 (Feb. 27, 2015), the New York City Office of Administrative…

Read More OMG LOL: Text Message Firing of Employee Who Opposed Sexual Harassment May Cost Employer $37K
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In Greathouse v. JHS Security, 12-4521-cv (2nd Cir. April 20, 2015), the Second Circuit (panel: Carney, Pooler, Korman) held that, in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Kasten v. Saint-Gobain (2011), the FLSA’s retaliation provision (29 USC 215) is not restricted to written complaints to a government agency, but is broad enough to prohibit retaliation…

Read More Second Circuit: FLSA Anti-Retaliation Provision Covers Oral Complaints to Employer, Not Just Written Complaints to Government
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In a lawsuit filed April 2, 2015 and captioned Lombardi v. CBS Broadcasting, Inc. et al., 15-cv-02516, plaintiff Lombardi asserts various claims against defendant CBS, including gender discrimination, retaliation, constructive discharge, aiding and abetting discrimination, and hostile work environment. Among other allegations, plaintiff (who is male) alleges that at CBS’ December 2013 holiday party, a…

Read More Same-Sex Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against CBS
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In Bivens v. Institute for Community Living, 15-cv-07173 (SDNY April 17, 2015), the Southern District of New York held that plaintiff plausibly alleged gender discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (and, necessarily, the New York City Human Rights Law). In addition to providing guidance on pleading these types of claims,…

Read More Instructive Decision on Pleading a Title VII Gender Discrimination Claim
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In Kurtz v. Supercuts, Inc. – a personal injury / premises liability / slip-and-fall case – the Appellate Division, First Department affirmed the denial of defendant’s motion for summary judgment. The court explained: Summary judgment was properly denied in this action where plaintiff alleges that she was injured when she slipped and fell on a…

Read More Hair Salon Slip/Fall Case Continues
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In Dosanjh v. Satori Laser Ctr. Corp. (App. Div. 1st Dept. Apr. 16, 2015) – a personal injury case arising from burns sustained by the plaintiff during a laser hair removal procedure – the court discussed the limitations on the doctrine of “res ipsa loquitur” in a negligence case. The court unanimously reversed the Supreme Court’s…

Read More Expert Testimony Required to Prove Negligence in Laser Hair Removal Injury Case, Court Holds
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In Green v. District Council 1707, a Summary Order issued by the Second Circuit on April 17, 2015, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated a lower court’s order dismissing plaintiff’s race discrimination claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1981. “To survive a motion to dismiss, a discrimination complaint need not allege facts…

Read More Second Circuit Vacates Dismissal of Race Discrimination Claim
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In Jangana v. Nicole Equities LLC (App. Div. 1st Dept. Apr. 9, 2015), a trip-and-fall case, the Appellate Division, First Department rejected the defendants’ argument that the alleged injury-causing defective condition – here, a moving carpet – was “trivial” as a matter of law. The court explained: Summary judgment was properly denied in this action…

Read More Carpet Trip/Fall Case Continues
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In Grigoryou v. Pallet Serv., Inc., No. 13-CV-00526AM, 2015 WL 1647139 (W.D.N.Y. Apr. 14, 2015), the court denied defendant’s motion to dismiss plaintiff’s age discrimination claims based on theories of disparate treatment (termination) and hostile work environment. Plaintiff (who is 51 years old) alleged, for example, that most of the other employees were between 20…

Read More Treating Older Worker Worse Than Younger Co-Workers Sufficient to Allege Age Discrimination
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