Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

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In Mazzeo v. Mnuchin, 17-cv-2686, 2018 WL 4492847 (2d Cir. Sept. 19, 2018) (Summary Order), the court, inter alia, affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s retaliation claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and the Rehabilitation Act. The court summarized the law: In order to…

Read More Retaliation Claim Properly Dismissed Against IRS; Disciplinary Threat Was Not an “Adverse Employment Action”
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In Russell v. Aid to Developmentally Disabled, Inc., 17-3417 (2d Cir. Oct. 18, 2018) (Summary Order), the court affirmed the lower court’s dismissal of plaintiff’s gender discrimination claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Under that statute, “a plaintiff must first make out a prima facie case of discrimination by showing that…

Read More Citing Lack of Comparator Evidence, 2d Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Title VII Gender Discrimination Case
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A recent case, decided by the Eastern District of New York on October 17, 2018, illustrates what does – and, as relevant here, does not – qualify as a “hostile work environment.” The decision is Thompson v. MTA New York City Transit et al, 17-cv-5857, 2018 WL 5045762 (E.D.N.Y. Oct. 17, 2018). The court outlines…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Claim Dismissed; While “Tasteless and Offensive”, Messages Were Not Related to a Protected Class
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In Yaghi v. Pioneer Bank, 16-cv-663, 2018 WL 4903226 (N.D.N.Y. Oct. 9, 2018), the court dismissed plaintiff’s claims of discrimination, retaliation, and hostile work environment. As to the plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim, the court explained: Even construing Plaintiff’s Amended Complaint and his arguments in opposition to summary judgment broadly, there are only two events…

Read More Title VII Hostile Work Environment Claim Dismissed; “Be Careful of Those Arabs” Comment Insufficient
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In Jain v. Tokio Marine Management Inc., 2018 WL 4636842, (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 27, 2018), the court, inter alia, denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s claims of discrimination (promotion denial and termination). In sum, plaintiff – of Indian descent – asserted claims of discriminatory failure to promote, discriminatory termination, retaliatory failure to promote, and retaliatory…

Read More Race/National Origin Discrimination Case Survives Summary Judgment
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In Menaker v. Hofstra University, 17-cv-5562, 2018 WL 4636818 (E.D.N.Y. Sept. 26, 2018), the court granted defendant’s motion, under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), to dismiss plaintiff’s gender discrimination complaint against Hofstra University. In sum, defendant fired plaintiff (defendant’s Director of Tennis and Head Coach of men’s and women’s varsity tennis teams) for “unprofessional conduct”…

Read More Court Dismisses Hofstra Tennis Director’s Gender Discrimination Complaint Dismissed; Misconduct Allegations, Not Gender, Were Reason for Termination
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In a recently-filed lawsuit, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission asserts that a well-known restaurant, Christini’s, created, permitted, and encouraged a sex-based hostile work environment for a female bartender – including that the owner propositioned her for dates, subjected to sexual innuendo, and told to dress “sexy” and “date ready” – and then terminated her…

Read More EEOC Sues Christini’s Ristorante Italiano for Gender Discrimination
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In Alexander v. Possible Productions, Inc., 17-cv-5532, 2018 WL 4804638 (S.D.N.Y. Oct. 4, 2018), the court denied defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s claims of retaliation and sex-based discrimination/sexual harassment. In sum, plaintiff – who was employed by Showtime as a body double for the character Alison on the TV show “The Affair” – alleges that…

Read More Body Double’s Sexual Harassment Claims Survive Dismissal, Not Subject to Arbitration
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In Gilani v. Hewlett-Packard Company, 15-CV-5609, 2018 WL 4374002 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 12, 2018), the court addressed the issue of whether Hewlett-Packard was plaintiff’s “employer” for purposes of Title VII and the ADEA. Plaintiff was, pursuant to employment contract, “formally” employed by a company called Insight Global and worked at an HP location. Because of the…

Read More “Temporary” Employee May Pursue Discrimination Claims Against HP
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In Berrie v. Board of Education of Port Chester-Rye Union Free School District, 2018 WL 4462587 (2d Cir. Sept. 18, 2018) (Summary Order), the Second Circuit affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s race discrimination/hostile work environment claims. This case illustrates how courts apply the “severe or pervasive” standard when evaluating hostile work environment claims. Here, unfortunately,…

Read More Hostile Work Environment Claims Dismissed; Eleven Incidents Over Five Years Insufficient
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