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 InsufficientIn Calise v. New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, 17-cv-791, 2018 WL 4350247 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 12, 2018), plaintiff, a white woman, asserted claims of race discrimination – based on alleged mistreatment by her boss, who is black – under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 1981, 42 U.S.C.…
Read More Title VII Race Discrimination Claim Survives Against NYS Dept. of Motor VehiclesIn Duplan v. City of New York, 2018 WL 1996613 (2d Cir. April 30, 2018), the U.S. Court of Appeals held, inter alia, that plaintiff – a gay black Haitian man – sufficiently alleged retaliation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The court initially held that plaintiff, a New York City…
Read More Title VII Retaliation Claim Survives Dismissal [Duplan v. City of New York]On November 18, 2017, a plaintiff filed a lawsuit (captioned Cater v. State of New York et al (SDNY 17-cv-9032 Nov. 18, 2017)) against the State of New York, the Empire State Development Corporation, Governor Andrew Cuomo, and William Ballard Hoyt a/k/a Samuel B. Hoyt, III. In it, plaintiff alleges, inter alia, that “Defendant Hoyt engaged in…
Read More Sexual Harassment, Discrimination, Retaliation Lawsuit Against New York State, Governor Cuomo, William Hoyt, et alIn Iscenko v. City of New York, No. 16 CIV. 6535 (LGS), 2017 WL 2880553 (S.D.N.Y. July 5, 2017), the court dismissed plaintiff’s race discrimination claims The Complaint alleges that Defendants took adverse employment actions — suspended Plaintiff without pay, significantly diminished his responsibilities, filed charges against him and fired him — at least in…
Read More Court Dismisses White NYPD Detective’s Race Discrimination ClaimsIn Magnusson v. County of Suffolk, No. 16-1876-CV, 2017 WL 1958699 (2d Cir. May 11, 2017) (Summary Order), the Second Circuit affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s sexual harassment claims under Title VII and 42 U.S.C. 1983 (Equal Protection). The court held that plaintiff’s Title VII’s claim was appropriately dismissed, because she did not follow the…
Read More Title VII Sexual Harassment Claim Dismissed Due to Failure to Follow Internal Grievance ProceduresIn Small v. State of New York et al, No. 12-CV-1236S, 2017 WL 1176032 (W.D.N.Y. Mar. 30, 2017), the court denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim. In sum, plaintiff, a school teacher who worked at Attica Correctional Facility, alleged that a Corrections Officer (Cuer) subjected her to unwanted romantic…
Read More Prison Teacher’s Hostile Work Environment and Retaliation Claims ContinueHere is the recently-filed lawsuit, captioned Springs v. City of New York et al (SDNY 17-cv-00451), in which a black firefighter alleges that he endured sexual hazing and race discrimination. Among other things, plaintiff alleges that one defendant told him “I don’t like you … blacks getting on the job this way. You don’t have good…
Read More Lawsuit Alleges Sexual Hazing and Race Discrimination at NY Fire Dept.In order to hold an employer liable for a hostile work environment, a plaintiff needs to establish two elements: The existence of a hostile work environment (i.e., sufficiently “hostile” conduct connected a protected characteristic); and A specific basis for imputing the hostile work environment to the employer (vicarious liability). A recent case, Ward v. Shaddock, No.…
Read More Hostile Work Environment Created by Co-Worker Not Imputable to Entity EmployerIn Camarda v. City of New York et al, 15-3262-cv, 2016 WL 7234686 (2d Cir. Dec. 14, 2016) (Summary Order), the Second Circuit affirmed the summary judgment dismissal (Camarda v. City of NY, EDNY 11-cv-2629, Sept. 16, 2015 (J. Mauskoopf)) of plaintiff’s claims of sex discrimination, hostile work environment, and retaliation under 42 U.S.C. § 1983;…
Read More 2nd Circuit Explains Decision to Affirm Dismissal of Police Officer’s Sexual Harassment, Gender Discrimination, Hostile Work Environment, and Retaliation Claims