Court: EDNY

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The Eastern District’s recent decision in Tate v. Rocketball Ltd (decided 9/18/14) provides some insight into how courts assess discrimination claims arising outside the “typical” employer-employee relationship/setting. Plaintiff, a gay male, worked for a restaurant. Part of his job duties included bringing food and drinks to the Houston Rockets’ locker room while they were at Barclays Center…

Read More Waiter’s Sexual Orientation Discrimination/Hostile Work Environment Claims Dismissed Against Non-Employer Houston Rockets’ Owner
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In EEOC v. Suffolk Laundry Services, 48 F.Supp.3d 497 (2014), the Eastern District of New York denied defendants’ motion for partial summary judgment on plaintiffs’ hostile work environment claims. (Here is the complaint and here is the EEOC press release about the lawsuit.) One point this decision makes is that “conduct directed at other employees is part of the…

Read More “Hostile Work Environment” Can Be Shown By Conduct Directed at Other Employees
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Here and below is the complaint filed in Brooklyn federal court on September 15, 2014 against a Queens and Long Island medical practice known as DocCare and its CEO Alan Bigman. Here’s the New York Post article on the lawsuit. Plaintiff, who worked for defendants as a medical assistant, alleges that defendant failed to pay plaintiff for…

Read More Plaintiff Sues for Wage/Overtime Violations After Being Fired, Ostensibly Because of Instagram Smoking Photo
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Here is the federal lawsuit recently filed by waitress Alexandra Mitropoulous against Avlee Greek Kitchen and its owner, Peter Rogakos. Plaintiff alleges, that she was constructively discharged after being subjected to sexual harassment and battery. For example, she alleges that Rogakos asked her what color underwear she was wearing, pulled her hair, and tried to kiss…

Read More Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Avlee Greek Kitchen and Peter Rogakos
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In Pittman v. Incorporated Village of Hempstead, the Eastern District of New York held that plaintiff’s excessive force claim survived summary judgment. The “Fourth Amendment protects individuals from the government’s use of excessive force when detaining or arresting individuals. … A police officer’s use of force is excessive in violation of the Fourth Amendment[] if it…

Read More Injury to Arrestee’s Head and Ear Results in Denial of Summary Judgment to Officer on Excessive Force Claim
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In Vormittag v Unity Elec. Co., Inc., 12 CV 4116 RJD RLM, 2014 WL 4273303 [EDNY Aug. 28, 2014], the Eastern District of New York granted defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s age discrimination claim, but denied it with respect to plaintiff’s retaliation claim. Plaintiff sued after being furloughed and fired due to a large-scale…

Read More Father’s Third-Party Retaliation Claim Arising From Daughter’s Sex Discrimination Charge Survives Summary Judgment
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In a recently-filed complaint, five plaintiffs allege that they were subject to discrimination and a hostile work environment based on their race and disabilities while employed by Levy Premium Foodservice Limited Partnership, which provides food and catering services for Brooklyn Events Center, d/b/a Barclays Center. Plaintiffs (who are black) allege that defendants subjected plaintiffs to…

Read More Lawsuit Alleging Race and Disability Discrimination Against Barclays Center
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In Dorgan v. Suffolk County Community College, 12-cv-0330 (EDNY Aug. 4, 2014), the Eastern District of New York granted defendants summary judgment on plaintiff’s claim of disability discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Plaintiff, who was diagnosed with bipolar II disorder, alleged that defendants subjected her to discrimination and terminated her based on…

Read More Decision: Bipolar Plaintiff’s Disability Discrimination Case Dismissed
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The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a federal lawsuit on July 31, 2014 against Seapod Pawnbrokers, a Brooklyn and Queens-based business, alleging that its owner harassed workers because of their sex, race, and ethnicity, and then fired them for complaining. According to the agency’s press release, the harassment included referring to employees, most of whom were…

Read More EEOC Lawsuit Alleges Sexual Harassment, Hostile Work Environment, Race Discrimination, National Origin Discrimination, and Retaliation Against Seapod Pawnbrokers
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A Brooklyn federal jury recently awarded $40,000 (comprising $10,000 compensatory, $30,000 punitive) to plaintiff Corey Lashley on his claims of quid pro quo sexual harassment, hostile work environment, discrimination, and retaliation. Plaintiff alleged in his complaint that his female boss – who hired him after meeting him at a nightclub – sexually harassed him and fired him after he rebuffed…

Read More Jury Awards $40,000 to Man Sexually Harassed by Female Boss
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