Mocking/Ridiculing Accent as Evidence of Discrimination

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In Hedvika Polonca Hribovsek v. United Cerebral Palsy of New York City et al, No. 1463, 152849/17, 2022-05615, 2024 N.Y. Slip Op. 00377, 2024 WL 330884 (N.Y.A.D. 1 Dept., Jan. 30, 2024), the court, inter alia, affirmed the denial of defendant’s motion for summary judgment dismissing plaintiff’s hostile work environment claims. From the decision: Finally,…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Claims Survive Summary Judgment; Court Cites Accent Mocking and Excessive Monitoring
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In Heavans v. Dodaro, No. 22-836 (BAH), 2022 WL 17904237 (D.D.C. Dec. 23, 2022), the court, inter alia, denied defendant’s motion to dismiss plaintiff’s claim of discrimination based on his national origin (Iranian), but not his sex. With respect to the issue of whether the alleged offending conduct constitutes an actionable “adverse employment action,” the…

Read More National Origin Discrimination Claim, Based on Alleged “Mimicking” and “Caricaturing” Iranian Background and Accent, Survives Dismissal
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The anti-discrimination laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the New York State Human Rights Law, and the New York City Human Rights Law prohibit (inter alia) discrimination based on “national origin.” See 42 U.S.C. § 2000e–2(a)(1). The regulations flesh out this aspect of Title VII as follows: The Commission defines…

Read More “National Origin” Discrimination Under Title VII Etc.
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In Hribovsek v. United Cerebral Palsy of New York City, No. 152849/2017, 2022 WL 16924073 (N.Y. Sup Ct, New York County Nov. 14, 2022), the court, inter alia, denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s claims of race and national origin discrimination, as well as her claims of hostile work environment, under the New…

Read More Discrimination Claims, Based in Part on Mocking of Slovenian Accent, Survive Summary Judgment
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In Ochoa v. New York City Department of Education, 20-cv-9014 (ALC), 2022 WL 3646208 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 24, 2022), the court dismissed plaintiff’s claims of race discrimination asserted under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the New York State Human Rights Law, and the New York City Human Rights Law. Plaintiff, a teacher,…

Read More NYC Teacher’s Title VII Race Discrimination Claim, Based on Accent Mocking, Dismissed
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In Everett v. New York City Department of Education et al, 2022 WL 2342693 (S.D.N.Y. June 29, 2022), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim asserted under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The court summarized the black-letter law as follows: Title VII prohibits requiring people to work in…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Claim Dismissed; Allegations of Cursing, Mocking Accent and Hair Held Insufficient
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In Kinwing (Ricky) Kwong v. The City of New York et al., No. 152932/13, 15574, 2021-00645, 2022 N.Y. Slip Op. 02342, 2022 WL 1038073 (N.Y.A.D. 1 Dept., Apr. 07, 2022), the court, inter alia, affirmed the lower court’s denial of defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s hostile work environment claims. From the decision: The…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Claims, Based on Mocking of Accent, May Proceed
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In Boncoeur v. Haverstrap-Stony Point Central School District et al, 20-CV-10923, 2022 WL 845770 (S.D.N.Y. March 22, 2022), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim(s). This case is yet another example of how a work environment that is “hostile” in the dictionary sense is not necessarily a “hostile work environment” under the…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Claims Dismissed; Allegations of Mocking Accent, “Micro-Aggressions”, and Push Out of Office Insufficient
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In Bautista v. Chanel, Inc., 20 Civ. 4676, 2022 WL 374496 (SDNY Feb. 8, 2022), the court, inter alia, denied defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s claims of race and national origin discrimination asserted under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the New York City Human Rights Law. The court…

Read More Race, National Origin Discrimination Claims Against Chanel Survive Summary Judgment; Evidence Included Derogatory Comments About Speaking Spanish
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In Zheng-Smith v. Nassau Health Care Corporation, 2021 WL 4097316 (2d Cir. Sept. 9, 2021), the court, inter alia, affirmed summary judgment in favor of defendant on plaintiff’s race and national origin based hostile work environment claim. The court summarized the applicable black-letter law as follows: Hostile work environment claims under both Title VII and…

Read More Mocking of Accent, While Evidence of “Insult or Ridicule”, Insufficient to Support Hostile Work Environment Claim
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