Collateral Estoppel

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In Giove v. City of New York, 15-cv-2998, 2018 WL 736008 (E.D.N.Y. Feb. 5, 2018), the court addressed whether sexual orientation discrimination and retaliation claims brought by a teacher were barred by collateral estoppel due to a prior finding at a hearing pursuant to NY Education Law § 3020-a. Under the facts of this case, the…

Read More Sexual Orientation Discrimination & Retaliation Claims Not Barred By Adverse 3020-a Hearing Determination
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In Featherstone v. Cornell University, 17-cv-565, 2017 WL 4736738 (NDNY Oct. 19, 2017), the court dismissed plaintiff’s Title VII discrimination, hostile work environment, and retaliation claims. Plaintiff had initially asserted her claims at the New York State Division of Human Rights, which – after an investigation – found that there was no probable cause to…

Read More Title VII Discrimination, Hostile Work Environment, Retaliation Claims Dismissed on Collateral Estoppel Grounds Following NYSDHR Dismissal
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In Mehulic v. New York Downtown Hosp., 2017 NY Slip Op 06416 (App. Div. 1st Dept. Sept. 12, 2017), the court reversed the trial court’s Order granting defendant summary judgment on plaintiff’s retaliation claim under Labor Law § 741 on the ground of collateral estoppel. From the decision: However, the motion court erred in finding that plaintiff’s…

Read More Whistleblower (NY Labor Law § 741) Retaliation Claim Survives Summary Judgment; OPMC Rulings Did Not Operate as Collateral Estoppel
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In Milione v. City Univ. of N.Y., 2017 (App. Div. 2d Dept. Aug. 23, 2017), the court affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s employment discrimination claims. Plaintiff, an Italian American, initially sued in federal court, alleging that “defendants discriminated and retaliated against him based on his national origin and his advocacy for Italian Americans.” The federal court…

Read More Federal Court’s Dismissal of Plaintiff’s Employment Discrimination Operates as Collateral Estoppel as to State and City Human Rights Law Claims
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In Leon v. NYC Dept. of Education, a Summary Order dated May 22, 2015, the Second Circuit vacated the dismissal of plaintiff’s age/disability discrimination, retaliation, and accommodation claims, and held that a finding pursuant to NY Education § 3020-a that a teacher was fired for “cause” does not necessarily preclude a viable claim for (e.g.) discriminatory termination…

Read More Employment Discrimination Claims Not Collaterally Estopped By Finding That Teacher Was Fired For “Cause” Under New York Education Law § 3020-a
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In Ji Sun Jennifer Kim v Goldberg, Weprin, Finkel, Goldstein, LLP (decided June 3, 2014), the Appellate Division, First Department held that the plaintiff’s claims of retaliatory termination under the New York State and City Human Rights Laws were not collaterally estopped by a prior federal court decision dismissing her claims under the Family and…

Read More Dismissal of FMLA Claims Does Not Preclude Assertion of State/City Human Rights Law Retaliation Claims, First Department Holds
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In a recent decision (Sloth v. Constellation Brands), the Western District of New York declined to give collateral estoppel effect to the findings of the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB). Plaintiff alleged that she was subjected to sexual harassment at work.  The WCB denied her benefits, finding in part that she made false…

Read More Workers’ Compensation Board Findings Not Entitled to Collateral Estoppel Effect in Sexual Harassment Case
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In Auqui v Seven Thirty One Ltd. Partnership, decided December 10, 2013, the New York Court of Appeals (the state’s highest court) held that the determination by the Workers’ Compensation Board that plaintiff had “no further causally-related disability since January 24, 2006” and no further need for treatment was not entitled to collateral estoppel effect in…

Read More Court of Appeals Declines, in Negligence Case, to Give Collateral Estoppel Effect to Workers’ Compensation Board Finding
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