Religion-Based Discrimination

It is an unfortunate reality that many employment discrimination cases are dismissed. These cases are often difficult to prove, and success requires navigating a path riddled with hurdles, ranging from statutes of limitation, to proper pleading, to dismissal on summary judgment following the completion of discovery. A recent example is Edwards v. N.Y. State Office of…

Read More Court Dismisses Born Again Christian’s Employment Discrimination, Hostile Work Environment, and Retaliation Claims
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In Jacobs v. Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse & Hirschrit, 15-cv-10100, 2017 WL 432803 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 30, 2017), the court dismissed plaintiff’s employment discrimination action. Plaintiff, a 72 year-old Episcopalian contract law partner, alleged that he was treated unfairly (i.e. subject to unlawful discrimination) based on his religion (under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of…

Read More Court Dismisses Contract Law Firm Partner’s Religious & Age Discrimination Claims
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In Yeger v. Inst. of Culinary Educ., Inc., No. 14CV8202-LTS, 2017 WL 377936 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 25, 2017), the court granted defendants’ motion for summary judgment as to various discrimination claims (including based on plaintiff’s gender, age, and religion), but denied it in part with respect to her FMLA retaliation claim. Here I’ll focus on the court’s…

Read More FMLA Retaliation Claim Survives Summary Judgment (In Part)
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In Bell v. McRoberts Protective Agency, Inc., No. 15-CV-0963 (JPO), 2016 WL 7192083 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 12, 2016), the court dismissed plaintiff’s federal, state, and city claims of religious, race, and sex discrimination under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). (This decision, which follows a prior dismissal of plaintiff’s claims, focuses on plaintiff’s amended complaint.) Initially,…

Read More Religious, Race, Sex Discrimination Claims Dismissed on Non-Exhaustion and Substantive Grounds
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In Al-Kaysey v. Engility Corp., No. 11-cv-6318, 2016 WL 5349751 (E.D.N.Y. Sept. 23, 2016), the court held that plaintiff – a U.S. Citizen of Iraqi descent and practicing Muslim who was employed as a linguist – plausibly alleged (in a proposed amended complaint) a claim of hostile work environment against defendants, including the Army. (This…

Read More “Sand Nigger” and Other Comments Support Iraqi Muslim’s Hostile Work Environment Claim Against Army
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In Pothen v. Stony Brook Univ., No. 13-cv-6170, 2016 WL 5716842 (E.D.N.Y. Sept. 30, 2016), the court granted in part and denied in part defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s discrimination and hostile work environment claims. As to plaintiff’s discrimination claims (based on adverse actions short of termination), the court explained: With respect to plaintiff’s claims…

Read More Plaintiff’s National Origin and Religion (Non-Termination) and Hostile Work Environment Claims Plausibly 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 White v. Andy Frain Servs., Inc., No. 14-3332-CV, 2015 WL 6684485 (2d Cir. Nov. 3, 2015), the Second Circuit affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s (a black Jewish man) employment discrimination claims. Plaintiff “assert[ed] that Andy Frain discriminated against him by failing to give him a raise, providing unequal terms and conditions of employment, retaliating…

Read More Court Explains Dismissal of Religious Discrimination (Including Failure to Accommodate) Claims
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In a recent Manhattan federal lawsuit, captioned Jose Alcantara v. Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. and Kellie Marsalli, SDNY 15-cv-08770 (filed 11/6/15), plaintiff (a Muslim cancer survivor) alleges that he was subjected to a hostile work environment, retaliated against, denied a raise and promotion, and terminated based upon his religion. Plaintiff alleges, among other things, that defendant(s)…

Read More Muslim’s Religious Discrimination Lawsuit Against Bed Bath & Beyond
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The Southern District of New York recently held, in Khan v. Hilton Worldwide, Inc., No. 14 CIV. 1011 ALC, 2015 WL 738108 (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 20, 2015), that a failure to rehire an employee qualifies as an “adverse employment action” and that plaintiff’s retaliation claims under Title VII and the NYC Human Rights Law survived defendants’…

Read More Court: “Failure to Rehire” is an “Adverse Employment Action”
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