Basis. Area. 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. Justice Department Announces $1.2 Million Dollar Settlement of Title Instead, they used the same generic reasoning that improperly weighed the relevant factors, in violation of the Fair Chance Act. Despite Complainants explanation that the shorter time was insufficient for her to fulfill her religious obligations, and her repeated requests for reconsideration, Respondents denied her request without explanation. The Federal Savings Bank Pays $320,000 To Resolve Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Claims and Agrees to Affirmative Relief and Ongoing MonitoringA former employee filed gender-based harassment and retaliation claims against her employer, The Federal Savings Bank (FSB), and FSBs former CEO Stephen Calk, alleging claims of sexual harassment and retaliation by terminating her employment after she complained. Landlord Agrees To Settle Commission-Initiated Disability Discrimination Case for Civil Penalties, Installation of Ramps, Affirmative ReliefThe Law Enforcement Bureau initiated an investigation after it received multiple complaints from building residents of 8750 Bay Parkway, Brooklyn, about the need for external and internal ramps, and agents of the landlord refused to construct those ramps. HSBC and Geneva Consulting Firm Agree to Pay $99,500 in Damages and Penalties in Race Discrimination and Retaliation CaseComplainant, a white man married to a Black woman, alleged that Respondents subjected him to a hostile work environment when Respondents failed to address his complaint about his co-workers racist comments against Black people, and retaliated against him by terminating his employment the day following his complaint. Swatch Pays Damages, Civil Penalties, and Undertakes Affirmative Relief in Stop Credit Discrimination in Employment Act Case Complainant alleged that he visited a Swatch Group (US) Inc. store location to apply for a retail position, where he was presented with a paper application requesting that he authorize the employer to check his credit report, in violation of the New York City Human Rights Law's Stop Credit Discrimination in Employment Act protections. Hubbell later sued FedEx in court for terminating her employment in retaliation for filing those EEOC charges. After this is decided, the lawsuit itself will follow. 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. The Commission has the authority to assess fines and obtain monetary damages for those aggrieved by violations of the New York CityHuman Rights Law. 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. Securitas Security Services Settles Disability Discrimination Case by Paying $15,000 in Backpay, Damages, and Penalties; Agrees to Training, Policy Revisions, and PostingsComplainant filed a disability discrimination complaint against Securitas Security Services alleging a failure to accommodate her disability, constructively terminating her employment, and retaliating against her based on her disability. Respondent LaGuardia Gateway Partners (LGP), which manages the Terminal B area, agreed to pay $4,000 in emotional distress damages to Complainant for this incident. The Commission filed a complaint and issued a determination of probable cause. The parties agreed to settle the matter using the Commissions pre-complaint intervention process. Only the SEC, however, may file an enforcement action for a violation of Rule 21F-17(a). California woman awarded over $167 million in employer retaliation case Touro agreed to pay $45,000.00 in emotional distress damages, $20,000.00 in civil penalties, and $4,914.00 in back pay. Touro refused to grant the accommodation and terminated Complainant. Ultimately, Complainant alleged that he attempted to report hostile work environment, but that no steps were taken by the owners to address the unlawful conduct. Despite the fact that Complainant provided doctors notes in support of her request, she was told that her position could not be held open and she was terminated instead of engaging in a cooperative dialogue, as is mandated by the NYC Human Rights Law. Virgin Atlantic Airways Pays $18,000 in Damages For Failing to Provide a Reasonable Accommodation to an EmployeeComplainant, who has a disability that was being aggravated by her job tasks, requested leave from her job with Virgin Atlantic as a reasonable accommodation for her disability. Respondent Agrees To Settle Discriminatory Harassment Claim Brought by Neighbor for $1,000 in Civil Penalties, Training and Withdrawal of a State Court ActionIn a discriminatory harassment case involving two neighbors, Complainant alleged that Respondent continued to harass Complainant and his minor son due to the sons disability. 3-17786 (January 17, 2017), In the Matter of NeuStar, Inc., File No. 3-17801 (January 19, 2017), In the Matter of Blackrock, Inc., File No. CFM signed a stipulation and order agreeing to revise its policies to apply equally to all genders and to allow people to use the sex-segregated facilities that accord with their gender identities. "Subjecting a law enforcement officer to egregious racial slurs and epithets, then retaliating against him and others who supported him for reporting . COVID-19 Retaliation ClaimsA 2020 Trend in Employment Litigation? 3-20370 (June 23, 2021), SEC v. Leon Vaccarelli, et al., 17-cv-01471 (D. Conn., filed Aug. 31, 2017), SEC v. Collector's Coffee, Inc. (d/b/a Collectors Cafe), and Mykalai Kontilai, 19-cv-04355 (November 4, 2019), SEC v.Kenneth W. Crumbley,16-cv-00172(N.D. Dodd-Frank also created a private right of action that gives whistleblowers the right to file a retaliation complaint in federal court. Respondent then informed Complainant that Complainant not been chosen for the unit. 1 Twitter 2 Facebook 3RSS 4YouTube Divorce Lawyer: Understanding Their Role in Your Divorce Case, Charged with a Felony? To understand if the anti-retaliation protections may apply to you, we encourage you to consult with an attorney. Retaliation Lawsuits Settlements - OU Legal You can find information about your rights and protections under SOX on the Department of Labors whistleblower website. Many times, individuals who file such lawsuits simply do not have the financial means to pursue such cases. As part of the settlement agreement, Chipotle paid the employee $11,220 in back pay, $15,000 in emotional distress damages, $10,000 in attorney fees, and $10,000 in civil penalties. Under section 1102.5 of the California Code, an employer may not retaliate against an employee for actions taken by the employee such as: Disclosing a violation of law to a government or law enforcement office information Reporting a violation of law to his or her employer Refusing to participate in activity that would violate a law NYC Department of Correction Agrees To Pay $6,000 and Put Up Postings to Settle Former Employees Race and Marital Status Discrimination ClaimComplainant, an investigator for the NYC Department of Corrections, alleged that during an interview for a specialized unit a supervisor asked about his marital status and stated that members of Complainants race never made it on to Respondents team. Such an agreement may violate the federal securities laws. The Commissions Law Enforcement Bureau conducted an investigation and concluded that there was probable cause to credit the complainants allegations that Respondents unlawfully inquired into his criminal history prior to a conditional offer of employment. The lawsuit underscores the fact that all employers, both public and private companies, are susceptible to these types of claims. After receiving the Complaint, Respondent conducted an internal investigation and took appropriate disciplinary action against the involved employees. Learn more about what constitutes retaliation, why it happens, and how to prevent it. 3-20820 (April 12, 2022), In the Matter of Guggenheim Securities, LLC, File No. The property manager for the building also attended a training on the NYC Human Rights Law. Regardless of whether the anti-retaliation protections extend to you, you may remain eligible for an award under our whistleblower award program. American Museum of Natural History Settles Gender and Pregnancy Discrimination Case for $30,000 in Emotional Distress Damages, Agrees to Implement Affirmative ReliefComplainant filed a claim against her former employer, the American Museum of Natural History, alleging that her supervisor subjected her to a hostile work environment on the basis of her gender and pregnancy. New York City Fire Department Pays $17,500 in Damages for Gender-Based Harassment Claim; Posts and Distributes Notices of Rights; and Conducts TrainingAn employee of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) filed a complaint against FDNY and her superiors after a male supervisor continuously referred to her as baby, honey, and other demeaning terms. The Respondents were cooperative with the Commissions process and were required to pay $7,500 in civil penalties, make changes to ensure their policies were compliant with the source of income provisions of the NYC Human Rights Law, attend training on the NYC Human Rights Law, send notices about the source of income protections under the NYC Human Rights Law to Respondents brokers and agents, and post notices of rights in their building. 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. The conciliation agreement requires Respondents to pay: $55,000 in emotional distress damages and $24,000 in attorneys fees to the Complainant: and $15,000 in civil penalties to the City of New York. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).. A retaliation claim consists of three elements: (1) a protected activity; (2) materially-adverse employment action; and (3) a nexus between them.An employee engages in "protected activity" when s/he complains of . In addition to protecting whistleblowers who have reported possible securities law violations from retaliation, Commission Rule 21F-17 (a) prohibits any person from taking any action to prevent you from contacting the SEC directly to report a possible securities law violation. 3-17739 (December 20, 2016), In the Matter of International Game Technology, File No.