Crunch Fitness Pays $60,000 in Damages and Penalties and Changes National Hiring Policy To Settle Two Fair Chance Act CasesCrunch LLC (Crunch), the company that runs the national gym chain Crunch Fitness, has agreed to settle two cases filed by personal trainers who were rejected because of their criminal histories. After an investigation by the Commissions NYC Law Enforcement Bureau, the parties agreed to enter into a conciliation agreement in which Respondent Dalton agreed to pay Complainant $7,000 in emotional distress damages. Touro also agreed to modify its employee policies to comply with the NYC Human Rights Law as well as train its managers and supervisors on the NYC Human Rights Law. During her employment, Complainants supervisors questioned her gender, asked her invasive questions about her body, and assigned her impossible tasks. The Justice Department also announced the settlement of related retaliation claims filed against Pocomoke City, Maryland that were resolved on Dec. 4, 2019. Pays $46,220 in Damages and Civil Penalties for Failure to Provide a Reasonable Accommodation for PregnancyA pregnant Chipotle employee alerted her supervisors that due to medical restrictions related to her pregnancy she was unable to lift heavy boxes. Race and National Origin Discrimination. After issuing a probable cause finding, the parties entered into a conciliation agreement in which Respondent agreed to pay Complainant $15,000 in emotional distress damages; waive over $14,000 in rent arrears and other fees; train employees with job duties related to reviewing or evaluating rental applications on the NYC Human Rights Law and source of income discrimination; revise their tenant screening policies, and display the Commissions Fair Housing, Its the Law poster at any and all of the buildings in their portfolio. When a person feels they have been negatively affected by another persons actions, this is taken to be retroactively punished through lawsuit. After a long negotiation process, the parties agreed that Respondent would pay $1,000 as a civil penalty to the City of New York, discontinue a pending action in state court against the Complainant and attend the Commissions anti-discrimination training. The Commission and the parties entered into a conciliation agreement requiring H+H to pay the Complainant $140,000 in emotional distress damages, post the Commissions Notice of Rights and distribute the Stop Sexual Harassment Act factsheet, and establish an additional avenue for Equal Employment Opportunity staff to report allegations of harassment and discrimination. LaGuardia Gateway Partners Pays $4,000 in Emotional Distress Damages to Settle Discrimination Case, Agrees to Affirmative Relief. It is important to note that lawsuits like the one above are not only common, but can happen without warning. After a tumultuous 2017, federal, state, and local governments have spent the start of 2018 reconsidering their approach toward sexual harassment in the workplace. Name Title Compensation Date of data; Mario Munoz: Vice President: $0: 2021-12-31: Leslie Mariscal: President: $0: 2021-04-22: Financials for Blue Ribbon Retaliation Intvn Cnter. Tex. $100,000 - CEPA Retaliation $125,000 - CEPA Retaliation $125,000 - Sexual Harassment $100,000 - Disability Discrimination $200,000 - Race Discrimination 2020 $352,000 - Disability Discrimination $300,000 - Marital Status Discrimination $225,000 - Sexual Harassment $110,000 - National Origin Discrimination $247,000 - Sexual Harassment In this instance, they may turn to civil litigation, which will not require a trial. 3-17736 (December 19, 2016), In the Matter of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, File No. These FAQs provide short general summaries of certain key features of the SEC Whistleblower Program and do not purport to be a complete or comprehensive discussion of all of its provisions. Co-op With a No Dog Policy Pays $27,000, Agrees To Create a Reasonable Accommodation Policy, Display Postings and TrainingsComplainant was denied her emotional support animal by her co-op board for more than a year despite presenting them with supporting medical documentation. Instead, they used the same generic reasoning that improperly weighed the relevant factors, in violation of the Fair Chance Act. The Law Enforcement Bureau issued a finding of probable cause against the Respondent restaurant and its owners, and thereafter Complainant and Respondents entered into a private settlement agreement resolving the case for $30,000 in damages to Complainant. Prior to the conciliation, Respondents attended an anti-discrimination training, created a new reasonable accommodation policy for emotional support animals and service animals, and posted the Commissions anti-discrimination notices at all residential buildings in its portfolio. Respondents will attend NYC Human Rights Law training, create employment policies in compliance with the NYC Human Rights Law, and post the Commissions Stop Sexual Harassment in NYC Act Notice, Notice of Rights poster, and Pregnancy Discrimination in Employment Notice. The patron ultimately decided not to pursue the matter. 3-15930 (June 16, 2014), Enforcement Actions Based on Actions Taken to Impede Reporting, In the Matter of Activision Blizzard, Inc., File No. RSH submitted its policy for review and signed a stipulation and order agreeing to post the Commissions Notice of Rights and Protections Based on Immigration Status and National Origin posters at Zengo and its co-located bar, La Biblioteca de Tequila. The parties entered into a conciliation agreement in which Respondents paid Complainant $59,500 in full back pay and $10,000 in emotional distress damages; Respondent HSBC paid $30,000 in civil penalties to the City of New York; updated their discrimination policies to comply with the NYC Human Rights Law; posted the Commissions Notice of Rights, Stop Sexual Harassment Act Notice, and Pregnancy Discrimination Notice; and trained all supervisory/managerial employees with hiring responsibilities on NYC Human Rights Law. FY 2016 - FY 2020: As a percentage of total charge receipts, receipts that included a claim for retaliation increased. InDinero, Inc. agreed to pay $11,666.67 in back pay, $18,333.33 in attorneys fees, $25,000 in emotional distress damages, and $10,000 in civil penalties, and to revise their hiring policies and practices. MSKCC paid $65,000 in emotional distress damages to Complainant, $35,000 in civil penalties to the City of New York, and agreed to train its human resources personnel and managers on the NYC Human Rights Law. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), 29 U.S.C. The co-op board members and Respondents staff members will also attend training on the NYC Human Rights Law. Blog. It is important to note, however, that not all cases involving discrimination will result in monetary compensation. The Respondents also agreed to place two voucher holders in immediate need of housing in set aside units as part of the agreement. Divorce Lawyer: Understanding Their Role in Your Divorce Case, Charged with a Felony? 8 examples of employee retaliation claims that courts reject. Colonial Road Associates LLC and Rosario Parlanti Agrees to Pay $10,000 in Civil Penalties and to Set Aside Units for Voucher HoldersIn a Commission-initiated case, Respondents, who are landlords, were found to have refused a Section 8 voucher holder in violation of the New York City Human Rights Law. Among the Commission's 2020 Settlements, fashion retailer Zara agreed to pay $30,000 in emotional distress damages and work to create employment opportunities for transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary New Yorkers (March). Exit Realty Central, Landlords, and Broker Agree To Pay $10,000, Attend Training, Create Policies, and Post Notices to Settle Presence of Children CaseRespondent Exit Realty Central (Exit Central), an individual broker, and three individual landlords have agreed to settle a case filed by an applicant, a single mother, who they refused a showing at the landlords unit after the individual broker said she had too many kids. An investigation by the Commissions Law Enforcement Bureau confirmed that the individual broker sent the text message while working for Exit Central. Despite the sign, Complainant alleged that an employee of Respondent C-Town told Complainant that there were no positions available. 3-20820 (April 12, 2022), In the Matter of Guggenheim Securities, LLC, File No. After investigation by the Commissions Law Enforcement Bureau, Respondent agreed to enter into a stipulation and order to accommodate Complainants disability by installing a railing on the main entrance steps of the building. Newsbar Caf Settles Disability, Service Animal Case for $5,000, 40 Hours of Community Service A patron filed a complaint against EK of New York, Inc., d/b/a Newsbar Caf, alleging that she was denied services because of her service animal. Services for the Underserved, Inc. Settles Complaint Alleging Discrimination on the Basis of Criminal Conviction History for $35,500 in Damages and PenaltiesComplainant, a prospective employee, filed a complaint against Services for the Underserved, Inc., a nonprofit agency providing services to individuals with disabilities, alleging that her job offer had been unlawfully rescinded after a required background check. The Commission and the parties entered into a conciliation agreement requiring Respondents to pay Complainant $15,000 in emotional distress damages, pay $1,500 in civil penalties to the City of New York, train its employees on the NYC Human Rights Law protections in housing, create an anti-discrimination policy, post the Commissions Fair Housing poster, distribute the Commissions Fair Housing brochure, and submit to monitoring for a period of two years. This can include instances where a person feels they were fired unfairly or that they have experienced a negative influence on the way they have been treated. Specifically, the charge numbers show the following categories of discrimination, in descending order of frequency: Respondents also agreed to one year of monitoring by the Commission. Complainant, who saw the help wanted sign again a few months later, alleged that Respondent C Town denied him employment because of his age, race, and color. 2020 Settlement Highlights - CCHR - New York City Landlord and Property Manager of a Queens Building Agree To Settle Disability Discrimination Matter in Pre-Complaint InterventionComplainant alleged that his landlord and property manager failed to accommodate him and other tenants with disabilities by refusing to install a wheelchair-accessible ramp at the main entrance of the building he resides in, preventing him from entering or exiting the building and accessing the buildings elevator. City of New York. Software People, Inc. Settles EEOC Retaliation Lawsuit U.S. 2601, et seq ., is an important law that allows employees in need to . EEOC RETALIATION LAWSUIT- $165,000 Settlement ICE detainees allege retaliation after speaking out about medical Chipotle will also post the Commissions Notice of Rights in English and Spanish, the Pregnancy Discrimination Notice, and Stop Sexual Harassment Notice, at all its New York City locations. The Club signed a stipulation and order agreeing to create a new anti-discrimination policy that set the same standards for all genders. Heres Why You Need an Attorney. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Commissions Law Enforcement Bureau entered into an agreement with the landlord for the actions of his agent. Commission-Initiated Case Settles Against Landlord-Respondent Who Denied Voucher Holder for $7,500 and Set-Aside ApartmentsAfter testing revealed discrimination based on an applicants use of a rental assistance voucher, the Commission initiated and settled a case with 220 72nd Street Realty Corp. MSKCC terminated Complainant, claiming that allowing her to continue working part-time would be an undue hardship. In order to fight back against those who have perpetrated the wrong, it is essential that you have a strong defense. Receipts that included a claim for retaliation decreased by 10.4%. The Commission, the Complainant and Respondent entered into an agreement for Respondent to pay Complainant $5,000 in emotional distress and a civil penalty of $7,500. Retaliation | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - US EEOC Enforcement Actions Based on Retaliatory Conduct, SEC v. GPB Capital Holdings, LLC, et al.,21-cv-00583 (E.D.N.Y., filed February 4, 2021), In the Matter of SandRidge Energy, Inc., File No. Key Food also agreed to create and implement anti-discrimination policies under the NYC Human Rights Law and display a service animal poster in all of its places of business. Recent jury awards and out-of-court settlements illustrate the potential risk in retaliation lawsuits. Complainant, Respondent, and the Law Enforcement Bureau entered into a conciliation agreement requiring the payment of $17,750 in damages to complainant, including attorneys' fees, a $17,250 civil penalty, and affirmative relief including conducting training for all personnel involved in hiring and posting of the Commission's materials on the use of criminal conviction history and credit reporting in hiring. Unlike the anti-retaliation protections, the protections against actions taken to impede reporting possible securities law violations are not limited to the employee-employer context. LEB found that the authorization form used by Yodle in their employment applications was in violation of the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL). Pending Cases Currently Under Investigation at Elementary - ed The Commission sent a cease and desist letter and the parties signed a Stipulation and Order, with the Respondent agreeing to revise its polices, inform all employees of the revised policy, attend training, and post the Commissions Notice of Rights. The Retaliation Complaint Investigation Unit (RCI) investigates workplace retaliation complaints. The lawsuit against Trader Joe's provides a rough outline of a whistleblower retaliation claim arising from COVID-19 and what an employer should not do (assuming for the moment, the core allegations are accurate). Complainant had taken the same leave for three years in a row, but in her fourth year, her new manager stated Complainant would only be approved for a portion of the time she requested. With the passage of Dodd-Frank, Congress amended the Exchange Act to add Section 21F, which established a series of new incentives and protections for individuals to report possible violations of the federal securities laws, including enhanced employment retaliation protections. The monkey figurine from the collection evoked images of Sambo, a caricature that, over generations, has been used to mock and dehumanize Black people. The Respondents settled with the Commission by agreeing to pay the Complainant $5,000 in emotional distress damages, and the broker agreed to take a training on the source of income provisions of the NYC Human Rights Law. 2023 All Rights Reserved, NYC is a trademark and service mark of the City of New York. Additionally, MSKCC agreed to modify its employment policies, including its reasonable accommodation policy, to reflect the NYC Human Rights Law. She also stated that she was fired after she reported her supervisor to management. This is why it is important to consult with a lawyer before signing any type of contract with anyone. Total receipts decreased by 26.3%. As a result, Complainant resigned from her job so she could comply with the obligations of her faith.