Court: SDNY

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In Kaplan v. New York State Department of Labor, 2019 WL 3252911 (S.D.N.Y. July 19, 2019), a case involving claims of discrimination based on religion, the court, inter alia, denied defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s federal claims.[1]The court dismissed plaintiff’s state law discrimination claims under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1) on Eleventh Amendment (sovereign immunity)…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Claim, Based on Anti-Semitic Comments, Survives Dismissal
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A recent decision, Konteye v. NYC Dept. of Education et al, 2019 WL 3229068 (S.D.N.Y. July 18, 2019), yet again illustrates that not every perceived workplace slight gives rise to an actionable “hostile work environment” claim. From the decision: [C]onsidering the totality of the circumstances, Plaintiff failed to meet his burden of showing that “[his]…

Read More Title VII Hostile Work Environment Claim Dismissed; Notwithstanding Allegations of Verbal “Harassment”, Screaming, Criticism, Etc.
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In Taylor v. Metropolitan Transportation Authority, 18-CV-1278, 2019 WL 2766502 (S.D.N.Y. July 2, 2019), the court discussed a common discovery issue in employment discrimination cases, namely, the extent to which a plaintiff may obtain through discovery entity-wide complaints of discrimination. In this case, plaintiff asserts claims of discrimination and retaliation, and specifically that her supervisor…

Read More Court Denies Motion to Compel Discovery of Religious Discrimination Complaints, Pending Supplemental Information Relating to FRCP 26(b)(1) Proportionality
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In Osuan v. City of New York et al, 2019 WL 2544866, at *4 (S.D.N.Y. June 20, 2019), the court, inter alia, denied defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s claim of retaliation under 42 U.S.C. 1981. From the decision: Here, Osuan lodged a complaint with human resources about Martin’s behavior and was terminated without explanation only…

Read More Section 1981 Retaliation Claim Sufficiently Alleged; Termination Two Weeks After HR Complaint Plausibly Indicated Causation
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In Olivier v. County of Rockland et al, No. 15-CV-8337 (KMK), 2019 WL 2502349 (SDNY June 17, 2019), the court held that plaintiff presented sufficient evidence to overcome defendants’ motion for summary judgment. The court explained the legal standard applicable to the third (“pretext”) step of the three-step burden-shifting framework applicable to Title VII retaliation…

Read More Retaliation Claim Survives Summary Judgment; Court Cites (e.g.) Weaknesses and Inconsistencies in Defendants’ Proffered Non-Retaliatory Reasons
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A recent decision, Rodriguez v. Gikher, 2019 WL 2433596, at *2 (S.D.N.Y. June 11, 2019), provides an outline of the elements of a disability discrimination claim under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as well as what must be alleged to properly plead such a claim. The court explains: The ADA prohibits discrimination against a…

Read More “Barebones” ADA Disability Discrimination Complaint
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In Vuono v. Consolidated Edison of New York, Inc., 2019 WL 2433654 (S.D.N.Y. 2019), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s disability discrimination claim, finding that allegedly “excessive” drug and alcohol tests did not qualify as adverse employment actions. From the decision: Requiring an employee to be tested pursuant to the On Call program does not…

Read More Drug Testing Was Not an “Adverse Employment Action”, Court Holds
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In Soto v. Marist College, 2019 WL 2371713 (SDNY June 5, 2019), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s race-based hostile work environment claim. From the decision: Even liberally construed, the conduct alleged here, to the extent it demonstrates racial hostility at all, is “quintessentially episodic.” Harrison v. State Univ. of N.Y. Downstate Med. Ctr., No.…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Claim Dismissed; Alleged Racial Conduct Was “Episodic”
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In Lam v. New York City Department of Education, 18-cv-2756, 2019 WL 2327655, (S.D.N.Y. May 30, 2019), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s Americans with Disabilities-based hostile work environment claim under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). In this case, plaintiff, a special education teacher, alleges that she suffers from anxiety, depression, degenerative spine or…

Read More Disability-Based Hostile Work Environment Claim Against NYCDOE Dismissed
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