42 USC § 1981

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In Brailsford v. Zara USA, Inc., No. 14 CIV. 6999 (LGS), 2016 WL 626560 (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 16, 2016), the court granted defendant’s motion for summary judgment dismissing plaintiff’s employment (race) discrimination claims, asserted under 42 U.S.C. § 1981 and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, against Zara. In sum, plaintiff alleges that while working…

Read More Court Dismisses Race Discrimination, Hostile Work Environment Claims Against Zara
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In Village of Freeport v. Barella (decided February 16, 2016), the Second Circuit addressed whether “‘Hispanic’ describes a race for purposes of 42 U.S.C. § 1981 and Title VII.” In this case – which resulted in a $1.35 million jury verdict for plaintiff – plaintiff alleged (in sum) that defendant Village’s former mayor Andrew Hardwick did…

Read More Second Circuit: “Hispanic” is a “Race” For Purposes of Federal Antidiscrimination Laws
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A Manhattan federal jury recently awarded $2.2 million to male trucking company employee Raymond Rosas and rejected defendant’s counterclaim for conversion. In that lawsuit, captioned Rosas v. Balter Sales Co. Inc. et al. (SDNY 12-cv-6557), plaintiff – a Hispanic male – asserted claims of (e.g.) race discrimination, gender discrimination, hostile work environment, sexual harassment, and…

Read More $2.2 Million Verdict in Male Truck Driver’s Sexual & Race Harassment Lawsuit
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In Bacchus v. New York City Dep’t of Educ., No. 12 CV 1663 PKC, 2015 WL 5774550 (E.D.N.Y. Sept. 30, 2015), the court denied defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s (a black woman of Guyanese national origin) claims of employment discrimination and hostile work environment. This case provides a helpful analysis of whether alleged…

Read More Race, National Origin Discrimination Claims Survive Summary Judgment; Alleged Discriminatory Comments Were Not “Stray Remarks”
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In Postell v. Rochester City Sch. Dist., No. 11-CV-6550L, 2015 WL 5882287 (W.D.N.Y. Oct. 8, 2015), the court denied defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s race discrimination claim under 42 USC 1981. Plaintiff, an African American school counselor for John Marshall High School, alleged (among other things) that the defendant subjected her to race…

Read More African American School Counselor Survives Summary Judgment on Race Discrimination and Retaliation Claims
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In Sosa v. Local Staff LLC (14-3704-cv), a Summary Order issued by the Second Circuit on Oct. 9, 2015, the court discussed what constitutes “protected activity” for purposes of asserting a retaliation claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the NYC Human Rights Law (NYCHRL). In this employment discrimination case,…

Read More Complaint About “You’re So Street” Comment Was Not “Protected Activity”; Retaliation Claim Properly Dismissed
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A recent Southern District decision, Villar v. City of New York, No. 09-CV-7400 DAB, 2015 WL 5707125 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 29, 2015), illustrates how a plaintiff can overcome summary judgment on a gender discrimination claim by demonstrating that a defendant’s proffered legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for the discriminatory act is a “pretext” for discrimination. Plaitniff, a Hispanic…

Read More Wrongful Termination Gender Discrimination Claim Against NYPD Survives Summary Judgment
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In McCall v. Genpak, LLC, No. 13-CV-1947 KMK, 2015 WL 5730352 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 30, 2015), the court denied defendants’ summary judgment motion on plaintiff’s race discrimination and hostile work environment claims. Race Discrimination Based on “Adverse Action” Plaintiff alleged that he was subjected to two adverse employment actions – demotion and termination – because of…

Read More Plaintiff Survives Summary Judgment on Race Discrimination, Hostile Work Environment, and Retaliation Claims
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In a recent race discrimination lawsuit, captioned Li’Gon v. ASPCA, SDNY 15-07686 (filed Sept. 29, 2015), plaintiff Benjamin Li’Gon alleges that the defendant terminated him because of his race, gender, and sexual orientation. Plaintiff, who is a gay black man, alleges (among other things) that “ASPCA cultivated a work environment in which it allowed its…

Read More “Sexual Chocolate” Race, Gender, Sexual Orientation Discrimination Lawsuit Against ASPCA
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In Gordon v. City of New York, 14-545-cv (2d Cir. 2015), the Second Circuit affirmed, in a summary order, the dismissal of plaintiffs’ First Amendment retaliation and hostile work environment claims. The facts, as summarized by the court: While working as emergency medical technicians (“EMTs”) for the New York City Fire Department (“FDNY”), plaintiffs Tomeko…

Read More Second Circuit: No Hostile Work Environment Where Black Woman and White Male Were Subjected to Similar Treatment
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