Coded Discriminatory Language

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In Cuellar v. Christie’s Inc., No. 155077/2023, 2025 WL 2429617 (N.Y. Sup Ct, New York County Aug. 21, 2025), the court, inter alia, granted defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s discrimination claims asserted under the New York State and City Human Rights Laws. The court summarized, and applied, the law as follows: A cause of action…

Read More Discrimination Claims Dismissed; In Context, “Lazy” Was Neutral & Not Used in a Racially-Derogatory Way
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In Garcia v. The City of New York, No. 151552/22, 2023 WL 5531753 (N.Y. Sup Ct, New York County Aug. 28, 2023), the court, inter alia, denied defendant’s motion to dismiss plaintiff’s race-based discrimination claim asserted under the New York City Human Rights Law. From the decision: The conduct alleged in the Proposed Amended Complaint…

Read More “Coded” Racial Language Supports NYC Human Rights Law Discrimination Claim
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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 Montgomery v. New York City Transit Authority, 2020 WL 1313184 (2d Cir. March 18, 2020) (Summary Order), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s employment discrimination claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the New York State and City Human Rights Laws.…

Read More 2d Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Plaintiff’s Discrimination Claims Against the NYC Transit Authority; Rejects “Coded Language” Theory
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In Cook v. Emblem Health Services Co., LLC,2018 NY Slip Op 30460(U), 2018 WL 1399351 (N.Y.Sup. Ct. March 16, 2018), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s race discrimination claim. In reaching this conclusion, it addressed the use of so-called “racially coded” language – i.e., language that is facially benign but that may actually have a…

Read More Race Discrimination Claim Dismissed Against Emblem Health, Notwithstanding Alleged Use of “Racially Coded” Language
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In Wooding v. Winthrop University Hospital et al, No. 16-cv-4477, 2017 WL 2559942 (E.D.N.Y. June 12, 2017) (J. Spatt), the court granted in part and denied in part defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s claims under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). It held that plaintiff plausibly alleged various claims, including race discrimination, retaliation, and hostile…

Read More Race Discrimination Plausibly Alleged Against Winthrop University Hospital; Complaint Referred to Use of the Word “Nigger” and “Coded” Racial Language
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A First Department case, Cadet-Legros v. New York Univ. Hosp. Ctr., 2015 NY Slip Op 08984 (App. Div. 1st Dept. Dec. 8, 2015), held that defendants were entitled to summary judgment dismissing plaintiff’s race discrimination cause of action under the NYC Human Rights Law. This case offers guidance on how courts evaluate motions for summary judgment…

Read More Termination Reasons Were Not Pretextual; “Leopard Does Not Change its Spots” Was Not “Coded” Racial Language
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