Vicarious Liability for Discrimination

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In Newson v Vivaldi Real Estate Ltd., No. 2024-00261, 2982, 452625/22, 2025 N.Y. Slip Op. 00052, 2025 WL 36856 (N.Y.A.D. 1 Dept., Jan. 07, 2025), the Appellate Division, First Department addressed the following issue of first impression: whether owners of housing accommodations can be held vicariously liable for the discriminatory conduct of their real estate…

Read More Landlords May Be Vicariously Liable For Their Brokers’ Discrimination Under the NYC Human Rights Law, First Department Holds
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In Pine v. Cnty. of Ocean, 2024 WL 2785516 (D.N.J. May 30, 2024), the court, inter alia, denied defendant’s motion to dismiss plaintiff’s sex discrimination claim asserted under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD). Here, the central issue was whether the alleged harasser was plaintiff’s supervisor. From the decision: The County cannot be vicariously…

Read More Sex Discrimination Claim Sufficiently Alleged Under NJ Law Against Discrimination; Alleged Harasser Was Sufficiently Alleged to be Plaintiff’s “Supervisor”
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In Leroy v. Delta Air Lines, Inc., 2022 WL 2069281 (2d Cir. June 9, 2022), the Second Circuit affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s retaliation claim asserted under the New York City Human Rights Law, N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 8-107(7). This case arose from an incident in which a passenger allegedly called plaintiff flight attendant a…

Read More Retaliation Claim, Based on Alleged Racial Comment by Airline Passenger, Properly Dismissed
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In Melendez v. New York City Transit Authority et al, No. 159390/2013, 2021 WL 2627513 (N.Y. Sup Ct, New York County June 24, 2021), the court, inter alia, denied defendants’ motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s claim of gender discrimination / sexual harassment. This decision is instructive as to the issue of whether and to…

Read More Gender Discrimination / Sexual Harassment Properly Imputed to NYC Transit Authority Under NYC Human Rights Law, Court Holds
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In Doe v. Bloomberg, L.P., et al., 2021 N.Y. Slip Op. 00898, 2021 WL 496608 (N.Y. Ct. App., Feb. 11, 2021), the New York Court of Appeals affirmed a First Department decision declining to impose vicarious liability on defendant Michael Bloomberg, under the New York City Human Rights Law, for the alleged harassment committed by…

Read More Court of Appeals Clarifies Standard for Individual Liability as “Employers” for Discrimination Under the New York City Human Rights Law
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In Bentley v. AutoZoners, LLC et al, No. 18-2441-cv, 2019 WL 3884248 (2d Cir. (Conn.) Aug. 19, 2019), the Second Circuit, inter alia, affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s sex-based hostile work environment claim. This decision provides a good overview of the law relating to when the conduct of an employee, amounting to a hostile work…

Read More 2d Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Hostile Work Environment Claim; Actions of Non-“Supervisor” Not Imputable to Employer
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In Martin v. New York State et al, 17-cv-9721, 2019 WL 2053992 (S.D.N.Y. May 9, 2019), the court, inter alia, dismissed plaintiff’s sexual harassment claim based on the conduct of a non “supervisor.” The court’s decision turned on that branch of the law providing that “[w]hen the harassment is perpetrated by a non-supervisory coworker, an…

Read More Court Dismisses Sexual Harassment Claim Based on Conduct By Non-Supervisor
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In Croci v. Town of Haverstraw, No. 2015-01366, 2017 WL 99235 (N.Y. App. Div. 2d Dept. Jan. 11, 2017), a New York appellate court upheld the dismissal of plaintiff’s sexual harassment case. This decision is instructive on when an employer will be vicariously liable for sexual harassment under the New York State Human Rights Law. Here…

Read More Town Not Vicariously Liable for Co-Worker’s Alleged Sexual Harassment; Summary Judgment Affirmed
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In Deberry v. Brookdale Univ. Hosp. & Med. Ctr., No. 12-CV-6251(SLT)(RLM), 2016 WL 3840673 (E.D.N.Y. July 12, 2016), the court dismissed plaintiff’s discrimination, harassment, and hostile work environment claims. Here I’ll focus on its discussion of plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim. This case is instructive on the issue of when the alleged harassment may be…

Read More Court Discusses the “Imputing Conduct” Element of a Hostile Work Environment Claim
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In Lekettey v. City of New York, No. 15-1169-CV, 2016 WL 482109 (2d Cir. Feb. 8, 2016), the court affirmed a lower court’s dismissal of plaintiff’s complaint alleging sexual harassment. There are generally two theories of sexual harassment recognized under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: (1) “quid pro quo” sexual harassment,…

Read More Sexual Harassment Allegations Insufficiently Alleged, Notwithstanding Assertion of “Fondling”
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