Sexual Harassment

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In Volpe v. Paniccioli, 2017 NY Slip Op 51554(U) (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Sup. Cty. Nov. 15, 2017), a case involving allegations of (inter alia) sexual harassment, the court denied the plaintiff’s motion to dismiss defendant’s counterclaims for, e.g., defamation. By her motion, plaintiff “contends that the statements she has made are absolutely privileged as they were made…

Read More Court in Sexual Harassment Case Holds That Providing Information to Press Was Not “Absolutely Privileged”; Denies Motion to Dismiss Defamation Counterclaim
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The New York State and City Human Rights Laws explicitly protect interns against discrimination, including sexual harassment. For example, the NYS Human Rights Law provides, inter alia: It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for an employer to … refuse to hire or employ or to bar or to discharge from internship an intern or…

Read More Interns Are Protected Against Discrimination and Sexual Harassment
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In Kenney v. State of New York, Office of Children and Family Services, 16-cv-4522, 2017 WL 5633166 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 20, 2017), the court dismissed plaintiff’s “quid pro quo” sexual harassment claim.[1]In the same opinion, the court denied defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s “hostile work environment” claim; I discussed that aspect of the decision…

Read More Court Dismisses “Quid Pro Quo” Sexual Harassment Claim; Tangible Employment Action Missing
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In Kenney v. State of New York, Office of Children and Family Services, 16-cv-4522, 2017 WL 5633166 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 20, 2017), the court granted in part and denied in part defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s sexual harassment claims. In sum, plaintiff asserted claims of “hostile work environment” and “quid pro quo” sexual harassment…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Claim, Arising From Conduct of Non-Supervisor Co-Worker, Survives Summary Judgment
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In Matter of Lai v. St. John’s Univ., 2017 NY Slip Op 07601 (App. Div. 2d Dept. Nov. 1, 2017), the court affirmed a lower court’s decision dismissing the Article 78 petition brought by a professor following his termination due to alleged sexual harassment of a student. The court explained: The employment of the petitioner, a tenured…

Read More Dismissal of Tenured Professor, Following Sexual Harassment Allegations by Student, Upheld
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On November 18, 2017, a plaintiff filed a lawsuit (captioned Cater v. State of New York et al (SDNY 17-cv-9032 Nov. 18, 2017)) against the State of New York, the Empire State Development Corporation, Governor Andrew Cuomo, and William Ballard Hoyt a/k/a Samuel B. Hoyt, III. In it, plaintiff alleges, inter alia, that “Defendant Hoyt engaged in…

Read More Sexual Harassment, Discrimination, Retaliation Lawsuit Against New York State, Governor Cuomo, William Hoyt, et al
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In Kassapian v. City of New York, 2017 NY Slip Op 07985, 2017 WL 5474008 (N.Y.A.D. 2 Dept. Nov. 15, 2017), the Second Department held that plaintiff sufficiently alleged claims of sexual harassment, age discrimination, and retaliation under the NYC Human Rights Law. As to plaintiff’s sexual harassment claim, the court explained: The allegation that…

Read More Sexual Harassment, Age Discrimination, and Retaliation Claims Survive Dismissal; Evidence Included Sex Toy at Work
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In Patrizia Pelgrift, et al., Plaintiffs, v. 335 W. 41st Tavern Inc., et al., Defendants. Additional Party Names: David Sheeran, Iryna Lutsenko, Valeriya Kolisnyk, 2017 WL 4712482, at *10 (S.D.N.Y., 2017), the court held, inter alia, that a default judgment on plaintiff’s sexual harassment claims was warranted. The court summarized the law as follows: Under…

Read More Sexual Harassment Default Judgment Warranted Under “Quid Pro Quo” and “Hostile Work Environment” Theories/Paradigms
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In Holcomb v. State University of New York at Fredonia, 2017 WL 4511381 (2d Cir. Oct. 10, 2017) (Summary Order), the Second Circuit affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s retaliation claims. In sum, the court held that plaintiff failed to prove that she suffered an adverse action as a result of her sexual harassment complaint. From…

Read More Sexual Harassment Complaint Was Not a “Motivating Factor” for Adverse Actions; Retaliation Claims Properly Dismissed
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In Corrado v. New York State Unified Court System, 2017 WL 4534772 (2d Cir. Oct. 11, 2017), the court held that the district court properly dismissed plaintiff’s sexual harassment and retaliation claims with, as opposed to without, prejudice. After the district court dismissed several of plaintiff’s claims against the individual defendants as time-barred, plaintiff filed a…

Read More Sexual Harassment Case Properly Dismissed With, as Opposed to Without, Prejudice, Second Circuit Holds
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