Protected Activity

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In Ahmed v. Christine Wormuth, Secretary, Department of the Army, 2023 WL 2309776 (N.D.Cal., 2023), the court, inter alia, granted defendant’s motion to dismiss plaintiff’s retaliation claim asserted under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This case illustrates the importance of clearly articulating, in one’s complaint, the “protected activity” at issue: The…

Read More Title VII Retaliation Claim Dismissed; Allegation That Plaintiff “Voiced Concerns,” Without More Detail, Held Insufficient
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In Estevez et al v. Berkeley College et al, 2022 WL 17177971 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 23, 2022), the court denied defendant’s motion for Rule 11 sanctions, but chastised plaintiff’s counsel for what it perceived as an attempt to mislead the court. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11 provides, in part, that an attorney presenting a pleading,…

Read More Court Admonishes Lawyer for Perceived Misrepresentations in Connection With Retaliation Claim
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In Alkins v. Sheriff of Gwinnett County, No. 21-13746, 2022 WL 3582128 (11th Cir. Aug. 22, 2022), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit reversed a lower court’s order granting summary judgment to defendant on plaintiff’s claim of retaliation asserted under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Here, the plaintiff,…

Read More Report of Unwanted Kiss Was “Protected Activity,” Warranting Reversal of Summary Judgment on Retaliation Claim
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In Eckhart v. Fox News Network, LLC and Ed Henry, 20-CV-5593, 2021 WL 4124616 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 9, 2021), the court, in part, held that plaintiff’s retaliation claim survived dismissal. In her complaint, plaintiff alleges various forms of retaliation: (1) terminating her employment; (2) issuing a press release about alleged harasser Ed Henry’s termination; (3) filing a…

Read More Jennifer Eckhart’s Retaliation Claims Survive Against Fox News, Ed Henry
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In Gibbs v. Megan J. Brennan, Postmaster General of the Unites States Postal Service, 2021 WL 3661277 (D.N.J. Aug. 18, 2021), the court denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s retaliation claim asserted under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This decision is instructive as to the interpretation and application of…

Read More Title VII Retaliation Claim Survives Summary Judgment; Threat (and Settlement) of Sexual Harassment Claim May Qualify as Protected “Opposition”
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While I typically write about new developments in the law, every so often I come across a court decision that, while older, is interesting enough to warrant discussion here. One such case is Iannone v. Frederic R. Harris, Inc., 941 F.Supp. 403 (S.D.N.Y. 1996). In sum, the plaintiff here was terminated, she alleges, in retaliation…

Read More Retaliation Claim, Arising From Expressed Concerns About “Racy” Photo, Survives Dismissal
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In Lent v. The City of New York, No. 150403/2020, 2021 WL 2165646,  2021 N.Y. Slip Op. 31805(U), 6 (N.Y. Sup Ct, New York County May 19, 2021), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s retaliation claims asserted under the New York State and City Human Rights Laws. Generally, in order to make out a retaliation…

Read More NYPD Employee’s Retaliation Claims Dismissed; No “Protected Activity” Where Underlying Complaint Did Not Sufficiently Identify Harassment Based on Age
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In Leslie v. New York University, No. 156583/2018, 2020 WL 5819730, 2020 N.Y. Slip Op. 33203(U) (N.Y. Sup Ct, New York County Sep. 29, 2020), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s retaliation claim asserted under the New York State and City Human Rights Laws. The court summarized the law as follows: To make a prima…

Read More Retaliation Claim Dismissed; “Passing Reference” to “Discrimination” Did Not Qualify as “Protected Activity”
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In Peddy v. L’Oreal USA, Inc., 18-cv-7499, 2020 WL 4003587 (S.D.N.Y. July 15, 2020), the court, inter alia, dismissed (on summary judgment) plaintiff’s claim of retaliation asserted under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. While the court ultimately based its decision on the fact that plaintiff failed to establish the element of “causation” as part…

Read More Retaliation Claim Dismissed; Court Discusses What Constitutes “Protected Activity”
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In Pouncy v. Advanced Focus LLC, 2017 WL 428094 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 25, 2017), the court (inter alia) granted defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s retaliation claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. 1981, and the New York City Human Rights Law.[1]I wrote about the court’s dismissal of plaintiff’s…

Read More Retaliation Claims Dismissed Due to Absence of “Protected Activity”; Plaintiff’s Complaints Were Unrelated to a Legally Protected Characteristic
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