Articles Posted in discrimination

In its latest ruling under the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL), New York’s highest court clarified the standard for plaintiffs to obtain punitive damages. In a landmark ruling, the Court held that “the standard for determining punitive damages under the NYCHRL is whether the wrongdoer has engaged in discrimination with willful or wanton…

Aaron Nicodermus quoted Philip Gordon in an article in Bloomberg Law (Bloomberg) about the use of lie detector tests (also known as a polygraph test) in employment. Let us know if you would like a copy of the article. And, of course, if you are asked to take a lie detector test, give us a…

No surprise. Corporate sexual harassment trainings simply don’t work. A study form the University of Oregon found that, “Without a morally compelling legal core to animate the purpose of the training and provide coherence to the rules, harassment training becomes a hollow exercise in corporate compliance. The experience of attending a standard harassment training eventually…

The City of Brockton is facing a $45.6M potential punitive damage award as a result of post-trial motions brought by Gordon Law Group, LLP in connection with 38 minority applicants who suffered similar discrimination at the hands of the City. Now, Jimmy Pereira, a candidate running against the City’s current Mayor Carpenter said he would…

Eight individuals, including two current professors, have filed complaints against Dr. Florian Jaeger, who is now taking the semester off. Senior Lindsay Wrobel is among those who have complained about Dr. Florian, and she intends to continue on a hunger strike until the university removes Florian. “My individual education matters less in my opinion than…

Philip Gordon was quoted in Bloomberg Law today concerning Dell EMC’s $110,000 settlement of discrimination claims brought by a transgender intern who said she was subject to a hostile work environment, denied advancement and retaliated against. Call if you’re having trouble retrieving the article, and we can get you a copy. View Bloomberg Article

After a long battle, pregnant worker protection finally passes. Discrimination law has always protected pregnant workers, but that duty to accommodate pregnancy was narrow, leaving workers without ability to get breaks, to temporarily avoid hazardous positions or to get help with manual labor. Employers may still deny accommodations if the employer would suffer undue hardship,…

Medical marijuana has been legal for use by “qualified patients” in Massachusetts since 2012, and has been equivalent to using any other prescription medication since. For the first time, the Massachusetts courts have ruled that “qualified patients” under the Medical Marijuana Act (which does not provide specific disability discrimination rights itself) do indeed have affirmative…

We are proud to announce that the Superior Court rejected the City of Brockton plea to reduce the jury’s $4M verdict in its battle against our client, Russell Lopes. (View Article)

The Massachusetts House passed a bill today intended to protect pregnant workers. Now, we wait for the Senate. Pregnant workers face daunting challenges from their employers. Today, the Massachusetts House to a strong step to protect those individuals from discrimination and other problems. (View Article) If you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy and concerned about…