Court: NY Court of Appeals

In Sander v. Westchester Reform Temple, 2025 NY Slip Op 06958 (N.Y. Ct. Appeals Dec. 16, 2025), the New York Court of Appeals held that plaintiff’s discrimination claim was barred by the “ministerial exception.” From the decision: Plaintiff Jessie Sander alleges that she was fired from her teaching position at Westchester Reform Temple for co-authoring…

Read More NY Court of Appeals Holds “Ministerial Exception” Bars Plaintiff’s Discrimination Claim; Declines to Rule on Scope of “Recreational Activities” Discrimination Statute
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On November 18, 2025, the New York Court of Appeals heard oral argument in the case of Sander v. Westchester Reform Temple, concerning the applicability of New York Labor Law § 201-d – which prohibits discrimination based on an employee’s “recreational activities” – to a teacher’s claim that she was fired for making a blog…

Read More NY Court of Appeals to Address Blogger’s Retaliation Claim
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In Ibhawa v New York State Division of Human Rights, No. 100, 2024 N.Y. Slip Op. 05872, 2024 WL 4884944 (N.Y., Nov. 26, 2024), the New York Court of Appeals held that the the First Amendment’s “ministerial exception” did not deprive the New York State Division of Human Rights (DHR) of jurisdiction over the employee’s…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Claim’s Dismissal Per “Ministerial Exception” Was Erroneous, NY Court of Appeals Holds
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In Russell v New York University, No. 37, 2024 N.Y. Slip Op. 02226, 2024 WL 1773218 (N.Y. Apr. 25, 2024), the New York Court of Appeals held that plaintiff’s claims for discrimination, hostile work environment, and retaliation were barred under the doctrine of collateral estoppel. From the decision: In the federal litigation, the district court…

Read More NYC Human Rights Law Claims Barred by Collateral Estoppel, in Light of Federal Court Findings
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In Syeed v Bloomberg L.P., No. 20, 2024 N.Y. Slip Op. 01330, 2024 WL 1097279 (N.Y. Ct. App. Mar. 14, 2024), the New York Court of Appeals, answered the following certified question from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit: Whether a nonresident plaintiff not yet employed in New York City or State…

Read More NY Court of Appeals Issues Worker-Friendly Decision as to NYC Human Rights Law’s “Impact” Requirement
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In Clifton Park Apartments, LLC v. New York State Division of Human Rights, No. 2, 2024 N.Y. Slip Op. 00793, 2024 WL 628036 (N.Y., Feb. 15, 2024), the New York Court of Appeals explained the “protected activity” and “adverse action” elements of a retaliation claim, in the context of a housing discrimination asserted under the…

Read More NY Court of Appeals Clarifies Retaliation Standard Applicable to Housing Discrimination Claims
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In Matter of Nonhuman Rights Project, Inc. v. Breheny, 2022 NY Slip Op 03859 (N.Y. Ct. App. June 14, 2022), the New York Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court’s determination that the writ of habeas corpus is unavailable where the liberty interest at issue is not that of a “human being,” but rather of an…

Read More [Un]Happy Result: Elephants, as Nonhuman Beings, May Not Invoke Habeas Corpus
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In Sassi v. Mobile Life Support Services, No. 55, 2021 N.Y. Slip Op. 05449, 2021 WL 4732794 (N.Y., Oct. 12, 2021), the New York Court of Appeals broadly construed the New York laws prohibiting discrimination based on a prior criminal conviction. From the decision: On this appeal, based on the arguments preserved by the parties,…

Read More NY Court of Appeals Provides Plaintiff-Favorable Interpretation of Criminal Conviction Discrimination Law
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In Doe v. Bloomberg, L.P., et al., 2021 N.Y. Slip Op. 00898, 2021 WL 496608 (N.Y. Ct. App., Feb. 11, 2021), the New York Court of Appeals affirmed a First Department decision declining to impose vicarious liability on defendant Michael Bloomberg, under the New York City Human Rights Law, for the alleged harassment committed by…

Read More Court of Appeals Clarifies Standard for Individual Liability as “Employers” for Discrimination Under the New York City Human Rights Law
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On January 7, 2020, the New York Court of Appeals – which, for those unfamiliar with New York’s court system, is our highest court – heard (remote) oral argument in the case captioned Doe v. Bloomberg, L.P. et al. In this case, plaintiff alleges, among other things, that while employed as a temporary employee for Bloomberg…

Read More NY Court of Appeals Hears Oral Argument in Case as to Individual Liability (Here, of Michael Bloomberg) Under the NYC Human Rights Law
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