States are considering legislation ranging from additional . The hospital, which had already agreed to implement extensive affirmative relief measures in another similar Commission case filed around the same time, agreed to pay the Complainant in this case $10,000 in emotional distress damages. 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. 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). LabCorp also posted the Commissions Notice of Rights posters at its Patient Service Centers in New York City and paid the Complainant $1,000 in emotional distress damages. 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. 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. 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. Disability Discrimination. The lawsuit underscores the fact that all employers, both public and private companies, are susceptible to these types of claims. Settlements 2021/2022; Settlements 2020/2021; Settlements 2019/2020; Settlements 2018/2019; Settlements 2017/2018; Settlements 2016/2017; Settlements 2015/2016; Settlements 2013/2014; Settlements 2012/2013; Settlements 2011/2012; Settlements 2010/2011; Settlements 2009/2010; Settlements 2008/2009; Settlements 2007/2008; Settlements 2006/2007 . Reduction in pay or hours. The Respondent agreed to pay the Complainant $10,000 in emotional distress damages, conduct training for staff on the Fair Chance Act, create new employment policies prohibiting criminal history discrimination, and post the Commission's Fair Chance Act and Notice of Rights poster in all locations. 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. 3-16466 (April 1, 2015), Activision Blizzard to Pay $35 Million for Failing to Maintain Disclosure Controls Related to Complaints of Workplace Misconduct and Violating Whistleblower Protection Rule (2/3/23), SEC Charges the Brink's Company with Violating Whistleblower Protection Rule (6/22/22), SEC Charges Co-Founder of Technology Company for Violating Whistleblower Protection Rule (4/12/22), SEC Charges Broker-Dealer for Violating Whistleblower Protection Rule (6/23/21), SEC Charges Investment Adviser and Others With Defrauding Over 17,000 Retail Investors (2/4/2021), SEC Charges Issuer and CEO with Violating Whistleblower Protection Laws to Silence Investor Complaints (11/4/2019), Connecticut Broker and Investment Adviser Convicted On 21 Counts of Fraud and Money Laundering (6/10/2019), Financial Company Charged with Improper Accounting and Impeding Whistleblowers (1/19/17), Blackrock Charged with Removing Whistleblower Incentives in Separation Agreements (1/17/17), Company Settles Charges in Whistleblower Retaliation Case (12/20/16), Company Violated Rule Aimed at Protecting Potential Whistleblowers (12/19/16), Risk Alert: Examining Whistleblower Rule Compliance (10/24/2016), SEC: Casino-Gaming Company Retaliated Against Whistleblower (9/29/16), SEC Charges Anheuser-Busch InBev With Violating FCPA and Whistleblower Protection Laws (9/28/16), Company Punished for Severance Agreements That Removed Financial Incentives for Whistleblowing (8/16/16), Company Paying Penalty for Violating Key Whistleblower Protection Rule (8/10/16), Merrill Lynch to Pay $415 Million for Misusing Customer Cash and Putting Customer Securities at Risk (6/23/16), SEC Announces Award to Whistleblower in First Retaliation Case (4/28/15), SEC: Companies Cannot Stifle Whistleblowers in Confidentiality Agreements (4/1/15), SEC Charges Hedge Fund Adviser With Conducting Conflicted Transactions and Retaliating Against Whistleblower (6/16/14), Statement on Court Filing by SEC to Protect Whistleblowers From Retaliation (2/20/14), STAY CONNECTED The SEC has brought a number of actions based on both retaliatory conduct as well as actions taken to impede reporting. The Commissions Law Enforcement Bureau issued a probable cause determination, and Respondents agreed to pay $55,000 in emotional distress damages to Complainant. No matter what type of case you are involved with, it is imperative to retain an attorney that is well-versed in the area of discrimination and retaliation. What exactly is meant by retribution in this situation? 639 Realty LLC and Affordable Housing Real Estate Corp. Settle Source of Income Discrimination Case for $5,000 in Emotional Distress Damages and Policy UpdatesA complainant alleging discrimination based on his attempt to use his HASA voucher filed a complaint against 639 Realty LLC and Affordable Housing Real Estate Corp. As part of the conciliation agreement, Respondents paid Complainant $5,000 in emotional distress damages; agreed to edit and update their policies; agreed to take training on the source of income provisions of the NYC Human Rights Law; and agreed to send information to all their agents about their updated policies and compliance with the NYC Human Rights Law, along with ongoing monitoring by the Commission. The Commission has the authority to assess fines and obtain monetary damages for those aggrieved by violations of the New York CityHuman Rights Law. CBHS revised its dress code and signed a stipulation and order agreeing to distribute the revised policy to its employees. After its investigation, the Law Enforcement Bureau credited Complainants allegation. 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 settlement came almost one year before the case was set for a jury trial in federal district court in Richland, WA. Landlord Agrees To Settle Emotional Support Animal, Disability Discrimination and Retaliation Case for $55,000, Training, Creation of a Reasonable Accommodation Policy, and PostingsLandlord EK 3 LLC, imposed a conditional lease rider containing unlawful terms when it approved Complainants reasonable accommodation request for an emotional support animal, and revoked their offer to extend Complainants lease for another term. The Commission, the Complainant and Respondent entered into an agreement for Respondent to pay the complainant $15,000 in emotional distress and a civil penalty of $10,000. 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. Trials and Settlements | Sheridan Law Firm The Respondent agreed to pay $6,000 to the Complainant in emotional distress damages and agreed to display the Commissions Notice of Rights poster and to training for the owner and manager on the NYC Human Rights Law. Additionally, MMPS of New York instituted new policies regarding pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions as well as lactation polices for new parents who have returned to work; they also agreed to attend training and display the Commissions Notice of Rights poster. Respondent LGP further agreed to provide the Commissions Law Enforcement Bureau with its draft employee handbook for review and provide the Commission with confirmation that it had completed annual sexual harassment prevention training that complies with the NYC Human Rights Law. pay inequity based on race. An investigation by the Law Enforcement Bureau confirmed that Respondent Crunch properly waited until making a conditional offer of employment to do background checks, but then failed to give Complainants individualized assessments of their criminal histories. The Respondent agreed to attend training on theNYC Human Rights Law and pay the Complainant $2,500 in emotional distress damages. The landlord and management, Moshe Piller, 8750 Bay Parkway, LLC, and MP Management, LLC, then constructed internal and external ramps, compliant with the American National Standards Institute code. EEOC RETALIATION LAWSUIT- $165,000 Settlement 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. Settlements 2020/2021 | Iowa Civil Rights Commission "Subjecting a law enforcement officer to egregious racial slurs and epithets, then retaliating against him and others who supported him for reporting . Shin Gallery Agrees to Settle Disability Discrimination Claim by Creating Reasonable Accommodation Policy and Undergoing TrainingComplainant alleged discrimination by Respondent Shin Gallery for refusing to grant Complainants request for a reasonable accommodation for his disabilities, i.e., CART services, in order for Complainant to attend a public event at the gallery. The Respondents agreed to pay $25,000 in civil penalties, attend an anti-discrimination training, create a reasonable accommodation policy for the New York City-based buildings in its portfolio, submit to monitoring for one year, and post the Commissions anti-discrimination notices throughout the buildings in its portfolio. The Law Enforcement Bureaus investigation established that the same manager engaged in similar harassing conduct towards other employees and issued a finding of probable cause. Tamosaitis agreed to a settlement of his federal retaliation lawsuit against Hanford contractor URS for $4.1 million dollars. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), 29 U.S.C. Key Food Supermarket Agrees to Training, Policy Creation, and Posting in Disability Discrimination MatterA patron filed a complaint against 42-15 Food Corp. d/b/a Key Food Supermarket (Key Food), alleging that she was denied services because of her service animal. 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. Complainant responded that he was engaged. 11 - 20: Visit: Top 20 Civil Rights Violation Settlements in the United States in 2020: 21: Amount: Attorneys: K. Chike Odiwe, John L. Burris, Ben Nisenbaum of Law Offices of John L. Burris; Mark E. Merin of Law Offices of Mark E. Merin Blue Ribbon Retaliation Intvn Cnter | Temecula, CA | Cause IQ 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. HFF Realty LLC and Manager Agree to Policy Changes, Training, and Postings After Refusing to Accommodate Emotional Support AnimalsTesting conducted by the Commission revealed that HFF Realty refused to reasonably accommodate emotional support animals for tenant applicants. 2023 All Rights Reserved, NYC is a trademark and service mark of the City of New York. 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. The co-op board members and Respondents staff members will also attend training on the NYC Human Rights Law. Following the incident, the patient filed a complaint against LabCorp for failing to accommodate his disability during his visit. 2020 Settlement Highlights - CCHR - New York City This generally means that employers may not discharge, demote, suspend, harass, or in any way discriminate against an employee in the terms and conditions of employment who has reported conduct to the Commission that the employee reasonably believed violated the federal securities laws. 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 If you have been asked to sign such an agreement, or have already signed such an agreement, and want to understand how the rules may apply to you, we encourage you to consult with an attorney. All Respondents will also post the Commissions notices, attend the Commissions training, and create policies to reflect their responsibilities under the New York City Human Rights Law. Through a subsequent Commission-initiated intervention, the Commission and Key Food entered into a stipulation and order in which Key Food agreed to have its owner and managers attend a training on the NYC Human Rights Law at the National Supermarket Association, whose members will also be invited to attend. RCI also investigates: pay inequity based on sex. 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. The employer had failed to properly apply the Article 23-A analysis pursuant to the Fair Chance Act. Learn more about what constitutes retaliation, why it happens, and how to prevent it. The release also indicated that the records searched would include a 7-year criminal check, driving record, national wants and warrants, and a national criminal file. 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. 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. PSF will also post the Commissions Notice of Rights, Single-Sex Facilities Notice, and Pink and Blue campaign posters at both Dolphin Fitness locations, and a member of PSFs management will attend training at the Commission. You may also send us a copy of your agreement, if you so choose, by submitting it as a tip either through our online portal or by mail or fax. However, none of the lawsuits filed in January were publicized. After this is decided, the lawsuit itself will follow. Dalton Management Company Settles Complaint Alleging Discrimination on the Basis of Source of Income for $7,000 in Damages to ComplainantComplainant, a prospective tenant, filed a complaint against Dalton Management Company, LLC, the management company of a building where Complainant had applied for an apartment, alleging that she was unlawfully denied housing because of her source of income. The property manager for the building also attended a training on the NYC Human Rights Law. 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. City of New York. The Rule states [n]o person may take action to impede an individual from communicating directly with the Commission staff about a possible securities law violation, including enforcing, or threatening to enforce, a confidentiality agreementwith respect to such communications.. Retaliation is the most frequently alleged basis of discrimination in the federal sector and the most common discrimination finding in federal sector cases. After completing the application, in which Complainant was required to share criminal history information, Respondent never followed up with her to refer her to any clients. XSport Fitness Agrees to Change Policies to Allow Transgender Patrons to Use Proper FacilitiesAfter receiving credible information that XSport Fitness, which runs a Bronx gym, said that transgender people could not use the facilities that accorded with their gender identities unless they had surgery, the Commission sent a cease and desist letter and ultimately came to an agreement with CF Management-NY, LLC (CFM), the gyms owner. Doctors Office Pays $47,500 in Damages and Penalties in National Origin, Citizenship Status, and Gender Discrimination CaseAn employee in a doctors office reported that her supervisor subjected her to a hostile work environment during her four-month employment by making discriminatory comments about her national origin, citizenship status, and gender. NYC Parks Pays $25,000, Holds Training, Changes Policies, and Agrees To Rehire Survivor of Domestic Violence Respondent NYC Parks and three individual managers at the Lyons Pool and Recreation Center(Lyons) in Staten Island have agreed to settle a case filed by a former employee whom they refused to accommodate despite being informed that she was a survivor of domestic violence. The YMCA of Greater New York Updates Health Care Plans to Include Gender-Affirming CareThe Commission launched an investigation into the YMCA of Greater New York (YNY) after receiving a tip that the organizations self-insured health care plans excluded gender-affirming care, possibly discriminating against transgender and gender non-conforming employees in violation of the NYC Human Right Law. 3-17312 (June 23, 2016), In the Matter of KBR, Inc., File No. Retaliation lawsuits are filed by people who believe they have been the victim of discrimination in the workplace. 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. Agreement reached over alleged violations of California's false claims, false advertising and unfair business practices laws. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. 1. Employer, 1199 SEIU Child Care Fund, Pays $31,500 in Damages and Civil Penalties To Resolve Gender-Based Harassment ClaimsComplainant, an employee of a labor union fund, filed a complaint alleging that her supervisor subjected her to a gender-based hostile work environment. 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.