NYC Human Rights Law

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The court’s decision in Garrigan v. Ruby Tuesday, 14-cv-155 (S.D.N.Y. May 22, 2014) illustrates the important distinctions between pleading employment discrimination claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the much broader New York City Human Rights Law. Plaintiff claimed that she was harassed in the workplace because she would not…

Read More Plaintiff Successfully Pleads Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Under NYC Human Rights Law
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Below is the complaint filed on May 12, 2014 in the Southern District of New York by television writer/producer and professor Mollie Fermaglich against New York University and others. The lawsuit is captioned Mollie Fermaglich v. New York University et al., 1:14-cv-03434, and has been assigned to Judge Engelmayer. Ms. Fermaglich, who is Jewish, asserts (among other things)…

Read More NYU Professor and TV Writer/Producer Mollie Fermaglich’s Federal Discrimination Suit Against NYU
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The Appellate Division, First Department held, in Walzer v. Metropolitan Transportation Authority (decided May 13, 2014), that plaintiff’s gender discrimination claims should not have been dismissed: Applying the liberal pleading standards applicable to employment discrimination claims under the State and City Human Rights Law, plaintiff has stated causes of action for violations of the Human…

Read More First Department Reinstates Gender Discrimination Claims
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In Kaplan v. NYC Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene (NY Sup. Ct. Kings Cty. Index No. 506658-2013), the court dismissed plaintiff’s sexual harassment and retaliation claims – asserted under the NYC Human Rights Law – arising from a male boss’s masturbating in front of his female subordinate. Plaintiff alleged that, at the beginning of a training…

Read More Male Boss Masturbating in Front of Female Subordinate Was Merely a “Trivial Inconvenience”, and Hence Not Sexual Harassment, Court Rules
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In Hernandez v. Edison Properties, 2013 NY Slip Op 33620(U) (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Index # 103762/12 March 31, 2013), the court dismissed a complaint under the “election of remedies” doctrine codified in the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL), Executive Law 297(9). In this case, plaintiff asserted a discrimination complaint in the New York State Division of…

Read More “No Probable Cause” Finding by State Division of Human Rights Bars Subsequent Claims Under the “Election of Remedies” Doctrine
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Generally speaking, sexual harassment[1]This discussion is confined to the employment context. is a form of sex-based discrimination typically characterized by unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical sexual conduct. The cause of action for sexual harassment is statutory, and is prohibited (in New York City) by Title VII of the…

Read More What is Sexual Harassment?
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In Brown v. Crowdtwist, the Southern District of New York (Judge Baer) recently denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s age discrimination claim under the New York City Human Rights Law. The court held that the plaintiff, a 43-year old male, presented sufficient evidence that he was terminated by internet startup technology company Crowdtwist…

Read More Age Discrimination Claim Against Internet Startup Crowdtwist Survives Summary Judgment
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In McGuinness v Concentric Health Care LLC, the Appellate Division, First Department permitted plaintiff’s New York City Human Rights Law-based age discrimination and retaliation claims to continue. As to plaintiff’s discrimination claim: Defendants failed to demonstrate that they did not discriminate against plaintiff on the basis of her age. Plaintiff, who was 49 when she was…

Read More Age Discrimination and Retaliation Claims Continue Against Pharmaceutical Advertising Agency
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Below is the federal court complaint, captioned Natasha Velez v. Chipotle Mexican Grill et al., 1:14-cv-02625, filed yesterday by plaintiff Natasha Velez against her former employer Chipotle. Plaintiff alleges that she was fired after disclosing that she was a victim of domestic violence and showing her manager a recently-obtained order of protection against her assailant. She…

Read More Lawsuit: Domestic Violence Victim Status Discrimination Case Against Chipotle
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In Jacobsen v. New York City Health and Hospitals Corp., 2014 N.Y. Slip Op 2098, the New York Court of Appeals recently held that summary judgment should not have been granted on plaintiff’s disability discrimination claims under the New York State and City Human Rights Laws. The court held that “both statutes generally preclude summary judgment…

Read More NY Court of Appeals Holds That Issues of Fact as to “Reasonable Accommodation” Preclude Summary Judgment on Disability Discrimination Claims
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