42 USC § 1981

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In Sooroojballie v. Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, 2020 WL 2988851 (2d Cir. June 4, 2020) (Summary Order), the Second Circuit, inter alia, held that the jury’s emotional damages awarded by the jury ($2,160,000) on plaintiff’s race- and national origin-based hostile work environment claim was excessive, and determined that $250,000 was more appropriate.…

Read More Court Remits $2.16 Million Jury Verdict to $250,000 in Race/National Origin Hostile Work Environment Case
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In Pardovani v. Crown Building Maintenance Co., 2020 WL 2555280 (SDNY May 20, 2020), the court denied defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s race-based hostile work environment claim. From the decision: Pardovani offers evidence to suggest that, far from an occasional occurrence, the word “nigger,” and derivations thereof, were used frequently and offensively in…

Read More Race-Based Hostile Work Environment Claims Survive; Evidence Included the Use of the “N-Word”
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In Colbert v. FSA Store, Inc., Health E-Commerce, and Jeremy Miller, 2020 WL 1989404 (SDNY April 27, 2020), the court, inter alia, held that plaintiff sufficiently alleged race discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, SEction 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, and the New York State and City…

Read More Race Discrimination Complaint Survives Dismissal; Allegations Included “Coded Racial Comments”
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In a recent decision, Comcast Corporation v. National Association of African American-Owned Media, 2020 WL 1325816 (U.S. March 23, 2020) (Gorsuch, J.), the U.S. Supreme Court held that 42 U.S.C. § 1981 – a federal statute that prohibits race discrimination in the making and enforcement of contracts – is subject to the “ordinary” tort rule…

Read More SCOTUS: Race Discrimination Statute (42 U.S.C. § 1981) Requires Showing of “But For” Causation
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In Triana v. NYC Health & Hospitals, No. 152276/2019, 2020 NY Slip Op 30605(U), 2020 WL 1031379 (N.Y. Sup Ct, New York County Feb. 20, 2020), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s race-based hostile work environment claims asserted under 42 USC §§ 1981 and 1983 and the New York City Human Rights Law. The court…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Claim Dismissed; Accent Comments Held Insufficient
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In Adeniji v. U.S. Department of Commerce Census Bureau NY Regional Office, 2020 WL 882166 (S.D.N.Y. 2020), the court dismissed the claims by plaintiff – a Census Bureau employee – for employment discrimination. Initially, the court dismissed plaintiff’s claims of discrimination under 42 U.S.C. § 1981, the NYS Human Rights Law, and the New York…

Read More Census Bureau Employee’s Employment Discrimination Claims Dismissed
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In James v. Van Blarcum, 2019 WL 5681334 (2d Cir. Nov. 1, 2019) (Summary Order), the court vacated the lower court’s dismissal of plaintiffs’ race-based hostile work environment claims. Initially, the court held that the “continuing violations doctrine” applied, permitting consideration of otherwise-time barred conduct: Appellants allege that the Ulster County jail has a policy…

Read More Race-Based Hostile Work Environment Claims Survive Summary Judgment
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In a recent decision, Colon v. St. John’s Riverside Hospital, 19-cv-5846 (SDNY Oct. 15, 2019), the court dismissed plaintiff’s race discrimination claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 42 U.S.C. § 1981. The court summarized the law: To state an employment discrimination claim under Title VII or § 1981, “a…

Read More Court Dismisses Race Discrimination Complaint; Offers Guidance For Amended Complaint
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In Scarborough v. U.S. Security Associates, Inc., 2019 WL 3369456 (S.D.N.Y. July 26, 2019) – an age and race employment discrimination case – the court denied defendant’s FRCP 12(c) motion for dismissal on the pleadings. Here, plaintiff had filed a complaint in the New York State Division of Human Rights, which issued a “no probable…

Read More Employment Discrimination Case Continues in Federal Court; “Election of Remedies” and Issue Preclusion Arguments Rejected
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Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination because of (among other protected characteristics) race and color. A lesser-known federal law, 42 U.S.C. § 1981, as interpreted, also prohibits race discrimination in the making and enforcing of contracts (including the “at-will” employment relationship). While both prohibit race discrimination in employment, these federal…

Read More SCOTUS Grants Certiorari Petition to Review Causation Standard for Race Discrimination Claims Under 42 U.S.C. § 1981
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