Slur: The N-Word

In Achee v. Incorporated Village of Valley Stream et al, No. 20-cv-5294, 2023 WL 7130717 (E.D.N.Y. Oct. 30, 2023), the court, inter alia, denied motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s hostile work environment claims asserted under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 1981, and the New York State Human Rights…

Read More Race, Religion-Based Hostile Work Environment Claims Survive Summary Judgment; Evidence Included Threat to “Hang” Plaintiff
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In Spencer v. Global Innovative Group, LLC, 17 Civ. 7604 (PGG) (BCM), 2023 WL 6633860 (S.D.N.Y. Oct. 12, 2023), the court declined to adopt a Magistrate Judge’s Report & Recommendation that plaintiff’s race-based hostile work environment claim be dismissed. This decision – and in particular, its thorough evaluation and analysis of pertinent case law (both within…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Claim, Based on Single Use of the “N-Word”, Survives Dismissal
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In Mack v. J.M. Smuckers Co., No. 22-3195, 2023 WL 5217705 (10th Cir. August 15, 2023), the court, inter alia, affirmed the summary judgment dismissal of plaintiff’s race-based hostile work environment claim. Disturbingly, this case involves the alleged use of a vile racial slur. However, this case illustrates that the mere use of the “n-word”…

Read More N-Word Utterance Insufficient to Give Rise to Hostile Work Environment Claim, 10th Circuit Holds
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In Holmes v. American Home Patient/Lincare, et al, No. 4:21-CV-01683, 2023 WL 4315545 (M.D.Pa. July 3, 2023), the court, inter alia, denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s race-based hostile work environment claim asserted under 42 U.S.C. § 1981. During her time employed at defendant, plaintiff was the only African American employed at the…

Read More Race-Based Hostile Work Environment Claim Survives Summary Judgment; Evidence Included Racial Slurs
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In Deshazer v. L&W Supply Corporation d/b/a Building Specialties et al, 2023 WL 2977733 (W.D.Okla. April 17, 2023), the court, inter alia, granted defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s race-based hostile work environment claim under title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 42 U.S.C. § 1981. From the decision: Here, the single use…

Read More Single Use of “N” Word By Coworker Insufficient to Make Out Hostile Work Environment Claim, Court Holds
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In Chapman v. Oakland Living Center, Inc., No. 20-2361, 2022 WL 3954456 (4th Cir. Aug. 30, 2022), the  U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, inter alia, vacated a lower court’s award of summary judgment to defendant on plaintiff’s race-based hostile work environment claims asserted under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Claim, Based on Racial Slur by Child Who Was Supervisor’s 6-Year-Old Son (and Owner’s Grandson), Survives Summary Judgment
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In Webb v. City of Venice, No. 8:19-cv-3045-TPB-TGW 2022 WL 2967291 (M.D.Fla. July 27, 2022), the court, inter alia, denied defendant’s motion for judgment as a matter of law on plaintiff’s claim of race-based hostile work environment claim. As to the issue of the existence of a hostile work environment, the court explained: This is…

Read More Race-Based Hostile Work Environment Jury Verdict Upheld; Evidence Included Use of “N-Word”
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In Durand v. Shull, 2022 WL 1184041 (10th Cir. April 21, 2022), the Tenth Circuit affirmed the lower court’s application of qualified immunity to grant defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s race-based hostile work environment claim. In sum, plaintiff – a Black female who worked as a Youth Services Specialist at a juvenile detention…

Read More Tenth Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Race-Based Hostile Work Environment Claim; Cites Relevance of Prison Context
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In Paschall v. Tube Processing Corporation, 2022 WL 775413 (7th Cir. March 15, 2022), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, inter alia, affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s sexual harassment claim asserted under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Among other things, plaintiff alleged that a male co-worker made sexual/obscene…

Read More Sexual Harassment (Hostile Work Environment) Claim Dismissal Affirmed; Co-Worker’s Harassment Not Imputable to Employer
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Ordinarily I write about decisions issued by New York state courts, federal district courts located in New York, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, and, of course, the U.S. Supreme Court. Here, however, I’ll make an exception and stray from these jurisdictional/geographic limits, in order to discuss a decision issued by the…

Read More “N-Word” Did Not Give Rise to Hostile Work Environment: SCOTUS-Nominee Amy Coney Barrett
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