FRCP 12(b)(6)

In Tiffany v. Dzwonczyk, 2016 WL 3661410 (N.D.N.Y. July 5, 2016), the court dismissed plaintiff’s claim asserting retaliation in violation of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The court summarized the law: The Second Circuit recognizes two claims under the FMLA: (i) interference with FMLA rights; and (ii) retaliation for exercising FMLA rights. … To…

Read More FMLA Retaliation Claim Dismissed; Yearlong Work Absence Was Not FMLA-Protected, Evidence of Causation Lacking
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In Staten v. City of New York, No. 15-2611, 2016 WL 3569906 (2d Cir. June 30, 2016) (Summary Order), the Second Circuit affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim. This case illustrates the importance of context – specifically, the nature of the plaintiff’s job – in evaluating hostile work environment claims. From the…

Read More No Hostile Work Environment Claim Stated by Police Officer Based on Receipt of “Dangerous Orders”
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In Beaton v. Metro. Transp. Auth. New York City Transit, No. 15 CIV. 8056 (ER), 2016 WL 3387301 (S.D.N.Y. June 15, 2016), the court held that plaintiff – who suffered from schizophrenia – successfully pleaded discrimination (termination) and retaliation claims, but failed to sufficiently allege a failure-to-accommodate claim. Plaintiff’s allegations, in sum: Plaintiff alleges that…

Read More Schizophrenic Plaintiff Fired for Sleeping on the Job Plausibly Alleges Disability Discrimination and Retaliation, But Not Failure-to-Accommodate, Claims
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In Franchino v. Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, No. 15 CV 6299 (VB), 2016 WL 3360525, at (S.D.N.Y. June 15, 2016), the court dismissed plaintiff’s complaint for discrimination on the basis of gender, ethnicity, national origin, and age under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim. In dismissing his Title VII…

Read More SDNY Dismisses Employment Discrimination Complaint Asserting Unequal Discipline and Age-Related Jokes and Comments
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In Motta v. Glob. Contract Servs. Inc., No. 15 CV 8555 (LGS), 2016 WL 2642229 (S.D.N.Y. May 4, 2016), the court dismissed plaintiff’s retaliation and discriminatory pay claims as insufficiently pled. While the court held that the complaint was deficient, its decision is nevertheless instructive as to what must be alleged in order to survive a…

Read More SDNY Explains Discriminatory Pay, Retaliation Pleading Deficiencies
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In Bell v. McRoberts Protective Agency, No. 15-CV-0963 (JPO), 2016 WL 1688786 (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 25, 2016), the court held that plaintiff failed to sufficiently allege race/gender discrimination, retaliation, and hostile work environment claims. The court’s explanation of why the plaintiff’s claims were insufficiently pled is instructive as to what courts look for when evaluating these…

Read More Race/Sex Discrimination, Hostile Work Environment and Retaliation Claims Insufficiently Alleged
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In Capek v. BNY Mellon, N.A., No. 15-cv-4155, 2016 WL 2993211 (S.D.N.Y. May 23, 2016) the court denied defendant’s motion to dismiss plaintiff’s race and religious discrimination claims. Plaintiff alleged in her federal court complaint, e.g., that “[i]n the mistaken belief that [she] is Jewish, she was required by her managers to cultivate clients in…

Read More Work Assignments Based on Perceived Jewish Faith Supports Race/Religious Discrimination Claims, Court Holds
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In Garcia v. Yonkers Bd. of Educ., No. 15 CIV. 0767 (NSR), 2016 WL 3064116 (S.D.N.Y. May 27, 2016), the court granted in part and denied in part defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s sexual harassment and retaliation claims. In this case, plaintiff (a high school mathematics teacher) alleged in her federal court complaint that she…

Read More Math Teacher’s Retaliation Claim, Arising From Sexual Harassment Complaint, Survives Dismissal
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In Tulino v. City of New York, No. 15-CV-7106 (JMF), 2016 WL 2967847 (S.D.N.Y. May 19, 2016), the court held that plaintiff sufficiently alleged a gender-based hostile work environment claim under the NYC Human Rights Law. In her amended complaint, plaintiff alleged (among other things) that defendant “created and perpetuated a culture that essentially required female…

Read More Plaintiff States Hostile Work Environment Sexual Harassment Claim; Alleges She Was Called a “Slut” and “Dick Climber”
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In Menghini v. Neurological Surgery, P.C., No. CV 15-3534, 2016 WL 3034482 (E.D.N.Y. May 24, 2016), the court denied defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s sexual harassment and whistelblower claims, as well as defendants’ motion to strike “redundant, immaterial, impertinent and scandalous” material from plaintiff’s complaint. The facts, briefly and as summarized by the court (here’s plaintiff’s…

Read More Plaintiff States Hostile Work Environment Claim Based on Allegations of “Sexually Charged” Comments
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