Court: U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit

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In employment discrimination law, the term “unlawful employment practice” has a very specific meaning. In Cooper v. New York State Department of Labor, 15-3392 (2nd Cir. April 26, 2016), the Second Circuit affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s retaliation claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Here are the (summarized) facts: In December…

Read More 2d Circuit: Title VII Retaliation Claim Was Properly Dismissed; Amendment of Internal Procedures Was Not an “Unlawful Employment Practice”
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This week, in Legg v. Ulster Cty., No. 14-3636, 2016 WL 1637993 (2d Cir. Apr. 26, 2016), the Second Circuit reinstated a pregnancy discrimination claim brought by an Ulster County Corrections Officer. Plaintiff argued that the defendant County “unlawfully discriminated against her on the basis of her pregnancy when it denied her request for an accommodation under…

Read More Second Circuit Reinstates Pregnancy Discrimination Claim in Light of Young v. UPS
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In Shalom v. Hunter Coll. of City Univ. of New York, No. 14-3426-CV, 2016 WL 1358607 (2d Cir. Apr. 6, 2016), the Second Circuit affirmed the district court’s dismissal of plaintiff’s claims under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. § 1681) for (1) quid pro quo sexual harassment, (2) hostile educational environment,…

Read More Second Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Title IX Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment, Hostile Educational Environment, and Retaliation Claims
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In Graziadio v. Culinary Institute of America et al, 15-888-cv (2nd Cir. March 17, 2016), the Second Circuit vacated a district court’s Order granting defendants summary judgment and dismissing plaintiff’s claims under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Here are the facts, as summarized by the court: Plaintiff Cathleen Graziadio, an employee at the…

Read More FMLA Retaliation and Interference Claims Survive Summary Judgment; Case Continues Against HR Director as FMLA “Employer”; ADA “Associational Discrimination” Claim Properly Dismissed
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In Riddle v. Citigroup, 15-233-cv, a Second Circuit Summary Order issued today, the court held that the district court properly dismissed plaintiff’s retaliation claim for failure to state a claim. This Order is instructive on how courts evaluate a retaliation claim based on so-called “temporal proximity” between the alleged protected activity, on the one hand,…

Read More Retaliation Claim Properly Dismissed; Sixteen Months Was Too Long to Establish “Temporal Proximity”
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In Village of Freeport v. Barella (decided February 16, 2016), the Second Circuit addressed whether “‘Hispanic’ describes a race for purposes of 42 U.S.C. § 1981 and Title VII.” In this case – which resulted in a $1.35 million jury verdict for plaintiff – plaintiff alleged (in sum) that defendant Village’s former mayor Andrew Hardwick did…

Read More Second Circuit: “Hispanic” is a “Race” For Purposes of Federal Antidiscrimination Laws
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A Summary Order issued today by the Second Circuit (in Kirkweg v. New York City Department of Education) includes language helpful to plaintiffs asserting retaliation claims. Citing the Supreme Court’s decision in Burlington N. & Sante Fe Ry. Co. v. White, 548 U.S. 53, 68−70 (2006) and Second Circuit precedent, the Second Circuit explains: In granting dismissal,…

Read More Second Circuit: Pecuniary Injury Not Necessary for “Adverse Action” for Retaliation Claim
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According to one source, four out of 10 employees have dated someone at work. This, according to that article, “makes perfect sense [because] [t]here are more singles in the workforce than ever before, spending more than half their waking hours on the job[ and] [w]ith co-workers there’s a familiarity and commonality, not to mention proximity and…

Read More Love Can Get You Fired: Dating is Not a “Recreational Activity” Within the Meaning of New York’s “Lawful Activities” Law
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In Lekettey v. City of New York, No. 15-1169-CV, 2016 WL 482109 (2d Cir. Feb. 8, 2016), the court affirmed a lower court’s dismissal of plaintiff’s complaint alleging sexual harassment. There are generally two theories of sexual harassment recognized under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: (1) “quid pro quo” sexual harassment,…

Read More Sexual Harassment Allegations Insufficiently Alleged, Notwithstanding Assertion of “Fondling”
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In Dotel v. Walmart Stores, Inc., No. 15-76-CV, 2016 WL 158466, at *1 (2d Cir. Jan. 14, 2016) (Summary Order), the Second Circuit affirmed the district court’s dismissal of plaintiff’s complaint against Walmart Stores alleging sex discrimination, hostile work environment, retaliation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. As to her hostile work environment claim, the court…

Read More Second Circuit Invokes the “Equal Opportunity Jerk” Principle in Affirming Dismissal of Plaintiff’s Sex-Based Hostile Work Environment Claim
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