In Graham v. Macy’s, Inc., SDNY 14-cv-3192 (March 23, 2015), Southern District Judge Paul Engelmayer granted defendant Macys’ motion to dismiss the pro se plaintiff’s claims of discrimination based on disability (here, arthritis and bipolar disorder) under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Although Judge Engelmayer determined that plaintiff’s complaint was deficient – citing, for example,…
Read More Disability Discrimination RoadmapMany employment discrimination cases involve allegations by an employee (or former employee) that they have endured discriminatory treatment based on one or more of that person’s protected characteristics. But what you may not know is that there is another type of claim – referred to in the case law as “associational discrimination” – based on the…
Read More Your Sick Daughter or Your Job? Associational Discrimination Claims Survive Summary JudgmentIn a federal court complaint captioned Pereyra v. Toys “R” Us Property Co. et al., 15-cv-00048 (SDNY Jan. 6, 2015), plaintiff alleges discrimination on the basis of sex/gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, retaliation, and constructive discharge. Plaintiff alleges, among other things, that his supervisor harassed him by calling him a “fag” and saying making…
Read More Discrimination Lawsuit Against Toys “R” UsIn Rodriguez v. City of New York, decided January 23, 2015, the Eastern District of New York held that plaintiff, a NYPD officer, sufficiently alleged a claim for disability discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the New York State Human Rights Law, and the New York City Human Rights Law. Plaintiff alleges that the…
Read More NYPD Officer Characterized as “Delusional” Plausibly Alleges Disability Discrimination ClaimsIn the case of Vale v. Great Neck Water Pollution Control District, decided January 20, 2015, the Eastern District of New York held that the plaintiff sufficiently alleged various claims – including discrimination, failure to accommodate, and retaliation – under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Plaintiff alleged that she was subjected to unfair treatment in…
Read More Plaintiff Sufficiently Alleges Employment Discrimination Based on Disability (Broken Wrist)In Idlisan v. Mount Sinai Medical Center (decided January 9, 2015), the Southern District of New York dismissed plaintiff’s claim that he was not hired because of his race, national origin, disability, and conviction history. Title VII In dismissing plaintiff’s Title VII claims, the court – citing Second Circuit precedent for the principle that “feelings and…
Read More Court Reiterates That Mere “Perception” of Discrimination is Insufficient to Survive Summary JudgmentIn Sherman v. County of Suffolk, the Eastern District of New York addressed plaintiff’s discrimination claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The court held that plaintiff presented enough evidence to overcome summary judgment on his ADA discrimination claim: [W]hile the Plaintiff does not point to any direct evidence of discriminatory intent, such as derogatory…
Read More ADA-Based Discrimination and Retaliation, but not Hostile Work Environment, Claims Survive Summary JudgmentIn Lewis v. Blackman Plumbing Supply Co. 51 F. Supp. 3d 289 (SDNY 2014), the Southern District of New York denied defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s claims that defendants terminated him because of his hip-related disability, failed to accommodate him, and subjected him to a hostile work environment. As to plaintiff’s discriminatory-discharge claim,…
Read More Evidence, Including Derogatory Comments About Plaintiff’s Walk, Was Sufficient to Overcome Summary Judgment on Plaintiff’s Disability Discrimination ClaimsHere is the employment discrimination complaint, filed 12/29/14 in the NY County Supreme Court, against Reem Bridals LLC et al. In it, plaintiff alleges disability discrimination under the New York City Human Rights Law. She alleges that defendant fired her shortly learning of her diagnosis with and hospitalization for a liver tumors, failed to accommodate her…
Read More Liver Tumor Disability Discrimination LawsuitDecember 25, 2014 By Mail S. Claus Chief Executive Officer Claus Manufacturing, Inc. 25 Holiday Lane North Pole, AK 01225 Re: Deere v. Claus Mfg. Confidential and For Settlement Purposes Only Dear Mr. Claus: This law firm has been retained to represent Mr. Rudolph Deere (“Mr. Deere” or “our client”), a current employee of Claus…
Read More Deere v. Claus Manufacturing