Employment Discrimination

In Emmanuel v. Cushman & Wakefield, Inc., No. 159316/15, 2018 WL 4148520 (Sup Ct, New York County Aug. 30, 2018) (J. Bannon), the court, inter alia, granted defendants summary judgment on plaintiff’s NYC Human Rights Law hostile work environment claim. From the decision: The court rejects the plaintiff’s contention that she raised a triable issue…

Read More Gender/Pregnancy Hostile Work Environment Claim Dismissed; Attendance Monitoring Insufficient
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Employment discrimination claims are frequently analyzed pursuant to the well-known McDonnell Douglas[1]McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green, 411 U.S. 792 (1973). burden shifting framework. Under that framework, the plaintiff must first establish a prima facie case of discrimination by showing, by a preponderance of the evidence, that: (1) he is a member of a protected class; (2) he is…

Read More Office Relocation as an “Adverse Employment Action”
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In employment discrimination cases, defendants sometimes argue, in effect, that unlawful discrimination can not have occurred, since the alleged victim and the alleged discriminator/harasser are in the same “protected class.” The law is to the contrary. For example, in Poliard v. Saintilus Day Care Center, Inc., 11-CV-5174, 2013 WL 1346238, at *4 (E.D.N.Y.,2013), the court noted (albeit…

Read More Discrimination Where Discriminator and Victim Are in the Same Protected Class
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In Pothen v. StonyBrook University, 2018 WL 3954148 (E.D.N.Y. Aug. 15, 2018), the court adopted a Report and Recommendation (R&R) that plaintiff’s discrimination and retaliation claims be dismissed. In doing so, the court discussed the so-called “continuing violation” doctrine. From the decision: the Court agrees with the R&R’s conclusion that plaintiff’s claims based on separate,…

Read More Absent Evidence of “Practice or Policy” of Discrimination, Court Declines to Apply “Disfavored” Continuing Violations Doctirine “Continuing Violation” Doctrine Held Inapplicable
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In Johnson v IAC/Interactivecorp., No. 155837/2014, 2018 WL 3536599, 2018 N.Y. Slip Op. 31720(U) (Sup Ct, New York County July 16, 2018), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s claim for gender discrimination. This case illustrates, among other things, that when assessing employment discrimination claims, context counts. From the decision: It is significant here that plaintiff was…

Read More “College Humor” Gender Discrimination Claim Dismissed
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In Morales v. PepsiCo. Inc., 16-cv-6597, 2018 WL 3853390 (W.D.N.Y. August 14, 2018), the plaintiff filed a lawsuit against his former employer alleging race discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the New York State Human Rights Law. Not uncommonly, a discovery dispute arose. Among other issues contested…

Read More Court Addresses Discovery Relating to Emotional Distress Damages in Title VII Discrimination Case
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In Garcia v. The Comprehensive Center, LLC et al, 17-CV-8970, 2018 WL 3918180 (S.D.N.Y. Aug.16, 2018), the court, inter alia, granted plaintiff’s motion for default judgment on her race and gender discrimination (constructive discharge) claims. Plaintiff’s allegations are, to say the least, shocking: For the last two years of her employment, Garcia suffered increasingly abusive treatment…

Read More Default Judgment Granted as to Race, Gender Discrimination (Constructive Discharge) Claims
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In a recent decision, Wolfinger v. Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc., 17-cv-1710, 2018 WL 3637964 (E.D.N.Y. July 31, 2018), the court, inter alia, explained and clarified what, exactly, a plaintiff must allege to sufficiently plead a failure-to-accommodate claim under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The court explained: A plaintiff bringing a failure-to-accommodate claim…

Read More Court Clarifies “Failure to Accommodate Disability” Employment Discrimination Claim: Wolfinger v. ConEd
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In Karimian v. Time Equities, Inc., 2018 NY Slip Op 05583 (App. Div. 2nd Dept. Aug. 1, 2018), the court, inter alia, affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s claims of employment discrimination, hostile work environment, and retaliation. The court explained that while “a cause of action asserted pursuant to NYCHRL must be analyzed independently from similar or identical…

Read More NYC Human Rights Law Claims Barred by Collateral Estoppel [Karimian v. Time Equities]
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In Wheeler v. The Bank of New York Mellon, 2018 WL 3730862 (N.D.N.Y. August 6, 2018), the court held, inter alia, that plaintiff – a Mexican woman – plausibly asserted a failure-to-promote employment discrimination claim. In reaching this conclusion, the court pointed to plaintiff allegation that the less-qualified American woman was given the position instead.…

Read More Failure-to-Promote Claim Survives Dismissal Against BNY Mellon
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