“Stray Remarks” Doctrine in Employment Discrimination Law

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In Downey and Bonner v. Adloox, Inc., 18‐3521‐cv (2d Cir. Oct. 24, 2019) (Summary Order), the Second Circuit affirmed the dismissal of plaintiffs’ age discrimination claims. This case aptly illustrates how the “stray remarks” doctrine operates in the age discrimination context. In sum, the court found that – notwithstanding two arguably age-related comments – plaintiffs…

Read More Age Discrimination Dismissal Affirmed; Termination Was Due to Poor Performance; “Old Timer” and “Young Sharks” Comments Were “Stray Remarks”
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In Tsismentzoglou v. Milos Estiatorio Inc., 18-cv-9664, 2019 WL 2287902 (SDNY May 29, 2019), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s employment discrimination claim under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA). From the decision: Plaintiff has not shown circumstances giving rise to even a minimal inference of discrimination, however, Tsismentzoglou does not provide…

Read More Age Discrimination Claim Dismissed; Court Finds “Young Man’s Game” Comment To Be a “Stray Remark”
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In Emengo v. Stark, 2019 WL 2206250 (2d Cir. May 22, 2019) (Summary Order), the court, inter alia, affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s failure-to-promote race/national origin discrimination claim. After summarizing the law, the court explained: While Defendants sufficiently established non-discriminatory reasons for the failure to promote Emengo, he has failed to present sufficient evidence that…

Read More Citing “Stray Remarks” Doctrine, 2d Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Plaintiff’s Discrimination Claim
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From Lawtone-Bowles v. City of New York, 2019 WL 652593 (S.D.N.Y. 2019): [Plaintiff] alleges little more than a few stray remarks. “Big Daddy” and “cabbage patch baby” bear no facial connection to any protected characteristic. Rubin v. Abbott Labs., 2015 WL 5679644, at *8 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 23, 2015). A single excited utterance of the pejorative…

Read More “Big Daddy” and Other Remarks Were Insufficient to Plausibly Allege a Hostile Work Environment
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In Martin v. City University of New York, 2018 WL 6510805 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 11, 2018), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s age and race discrimination claims. In doing so, the court cited and applied the so-called “stray remarks” doctrine. In support of the “inference of discrimination” element of plaintiff’s prima facie case, plaintiff advanced the following four remarks…

Read More Citing the “Stray Remarks” Doctrine, Court Dismisses Plaintiff’s Age and Race Discrimination Claims
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From Gebrial Rasmy, Plaintiff, v. Marriott International, Inc., d/b/a JW Marriott Essex House Hotel, et al., Defendants., 2018 WL 4682231 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 28, 2018): Plaintiff writes in his opposition brief that Efstratiou would tell Plaintiff, who he knew to be a devout Christian, that “God is garbage” and “Religions [are] for the stupid people,” but…

Read More Court Dismisses Christian’s “Anti-Religion” Discrimination/Hostile Work Environment Claim; Comments Not Made Directly to Plaintiff Deemed “Stray Remarks”
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In Fields v. New York City Health and Hospital Corporation, 17-cv-6042, 2018 WL 3518506 (E.D.N.Y. July 20, 2018), the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s claims of race and national origin discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the New York City Human…

Read More Discrimination, Hostile Work Environment, Retaliation Claims Dismissed Against NYC Health & Hospital Corporation
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In Lowe v. Mount Sinai Health System, Inc., 16-cv-6074, 2018 WL 2089345 (S.D.N.Y. 2018), the court dismissed plaintiff’s claims of race discrimination (termination), hostile work environment, and retaliation. Plaintiff testified at her deposition that, e.g., her supervisor (Lopiano) made racial comments, such as “why don’t you go back to Haiti” and “you can’t even speak…

Read More Citing “Stray Remarks” Doctrine and Plaintiff’s Mistakes, Court Dismisses Discrimination, Hostile Work Environment, and Retaliation Claims
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