NYS Human Rights Law

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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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In Bonterre v. City of New York et al, 18 Civ. 745, 2021 WL 4060358 (SDNY Sept. 7, 2021), the court, inter alia, denied defendants’ motion – under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(c) – to dismiss plaintiff’s sexual harassment / hostile work environment claim. The court explained: In [the Second] Circuit, courts determining whether…

Read More Sexual Harassment Claim, Based on “Broomstick” Incident, Survives Dismissal
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In Lee v. Engel Burman Grande Care at Jericho, LLC, et al, 20-CV-3093, 2021 WL 3725986 (E.D.N.Y. Aug. 23, 2021), the court granted defendants’ motion to compel arbitration of plaintiff’s sexual harassment claims, and stayed the action pending the outcome of arbitration. Specifically, the court rejected plaintiff’s arguments seeking to avoid arbitration on the grounds…

Read More Sexual Harassment Claims Stayed Pending Arbitration
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In Ahmad v. Colin Day, et al, 20 Civ. 4507, 2021 WL 3700552 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 20, 2021), the court denied the defendants’ motion to compel arbitration of plaintiff’s claims of employment discrimination. In sum, plaintiff asserts that his former employer and two individual defendants discriminated against him because of his race, color, religion and national…

Read More Motion to Compel Arbitration of Employment Discrimination Claims Denied; Claims Did Not “Arise Out Of” Confidentiality Agreement
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From Cruz v. SEIU Local 32 BJ et al, 19-cv-11836, 2021 WL 3604661 (S.D.N.Y., 2021): The Complaint states a claim against the Union for discrimination pursuant to NYSHRL and NYCHRL based on allegations that the Union chose to arbitrate Borici’s workload grievance but not Plaintiff’s. The Complaint alleges that Plaintiff and Borici had workloads of…

Read More Race Discrimination Claims Survive Against Union, Based on Disparate Arbitration of Grievances
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In Jane Doe v. John Doe,[1]Ed. note: I have modified the name of Defendant to “John Doe” in light of (yet without acknowledging any obligation imposed by) the Court’s Order dated Nov. 5, 2021, NYSCEF Doc. No. 60. No. 155961/2020, 2021 WL 3290843 (N.Y. Sup Ct, New York County Aug. 02, 2021) – a sexual…

Read More Sexual Harassment Plaintiff Denied Opportunity to Amend Complaint to Add Claims to Assert Defamation Counterclaim Was Retaliatory
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In Byer v. Periodontal Health Specialists of Rochester, PLLC et al, 2021 WL 3276725 (2d Cir. August 2, 2021) (Summary Order), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, inter alia, affirmed the lower court’s order dismissing her claim of constructive discharge. (The court did, however, vacate the dismissal of plaintiff’s hostile work environment…

Read More Citing Praise of Boss and Voluntary Extension of Employment, Court Affirms Dismissal of Constructive Discharge Claim
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In Byer v. Periodontal Health Specialists of Rochester, PLLC et al, 2021 WL 3276725 (2d Cir. August 2, 2021) (Summary Order), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, inter alia, vacated a district court’s order granting summary judgment to defendant on plaintiff’s racial harassment case asserted under the New York State Human Rights…

Read More Race-Based Hostile Work Environment Claim Survives Summary Judgment
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In November 2020, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law an update to New York’s anti-SLAPP law that expands the rights and protections of defendants in lawsuits based on their right to free speech. “SLAPP” is an acronym for “Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation.” While New York had an anti-SLAPP law on the books for…

Read More Court Applies NY’s Recently-Enhanced Anti-SLAPP Law to Dismiss Defamation Claim Asserted By Queens Doctor
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In Bonaffini v. City University of New York and Anne Lopes, 2021 WL 2895688 (E.D.N.Y. July 9, 2021), the court addressed an interesting issue, namely: whether an individual defendant may be liable for discrimination under the New York State and City Human Rights Laws, notwithstanding that their government employer is entitled to sovereign immunity. The…

Read More NYS and NYC Human Rights Law Discrimination Claims May Proceed Against Individual Provost, Notwithstanding CUNY’s Sovereign Immunity
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