New Years day brought several attacks on Islamic gathering places around New York City. The entrance to the Imam Al-Khoei Foundation was struck by two Molotov cocktails. In addition, two private houses and a corner store were targeted in the hate crimes. The Imam Al-Khoei Foundation is among the foremost Muslim institutions in New York, centering its practice on promoting work in development, human rights and minority rights as a general consultant to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. New York police have identified a suspect that has implicated himself in the attacks and had several personal grievances with each targeted location. Full article.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex in the workplace. It is unlawful to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of his/her race or color in regard to hiring, termination, promotion, compensation, job training, or any other term, condition, or privilege of employment. Please visit the EEOC’s website for more information: EEOC.

The attorneys at Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC believe that discrimination at work, or anywhere else, has no place in a free and democratic society. Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC has won precedent-setting decisions involving employment discrimination for clients represented on Long Island and throughout the New York City area. For a free consultation, please contact Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC at 1-800-585-4658. at One Old Country Road - Suite 347, Carle Place, NY, 11514-1851

There is no denying the population is aging. Recent studies show that many gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender seniors fear discrimination, disrespect or worse by health care workers and residents of elder housing facilities. This year 77 million baby boomers will turn 65 years old. According to SAGE, the New York-based group Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders, at least 1.5 million seniors are gay, a number expected to double by 2030. To answer demands, developers in Philadelphia have secured a site and initial funding for what will be a GLBT-friendly affordable housing facilities. Although anti-discrimination laws prohibit gay-only housing, but projects can be made GLBT-friendly through marketing and location. And while private retirement facilities targeted at the gay community exist, such residences are often out of reach for all but the wealthiest seniors. The U.S. Census figures estimate about 49% of Americans over 65 could be considered poor or low-income. The affordable housing project in Philadelphia is following a national trend, with the first affordable housing complex for gay elders in the United States in Los Angeles, California. Full article.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) does not enforce the protections that prohibit discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation. To date, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex. However, there has been a lot of buzz in the federal courts surrounding gay rights. Specifically, a recent repeal of the military’s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy and two laws restricting gay rights — the federal Defense of Marriage Act and the California ban on same-sex marriage - have been declared unconstitutional by federal judges in recent months. These three recent decisions on gay rights issues suggest that federal judges are increasingly willing to strike down what they see as anti-gay bias embodied in legislation.

The attorneys at Leeds Morelli & Brown, P.C., dedicate a large amount of their practice to employment discrimination claims. For any questions, contact an attorney at the Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. law firm for a free consultation at 1-800-585-4658. Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C.’s website is located at www.lmblaw.com.

In Ohio, landlord Jamie Hein was found to have violated the Ohio Civil Rights Act for discriminating against a black girl when she put up a sign stating “White Only” at a public swimming pool. As a result, parents of the girl filed a discrimination charge with the Civil Rights commission and then moved out of the apartment complex in order to avoid future embarrassing treatment. Several people reported that the landlord did in fact post the sign. The landlord was also reported to have posted the sign because the hair chemicals in the girl’s hair would make the pool “cloudy”. As a result, the landlord could face penalties such as a cease and desist order as well as punitive damages. Read Full Article

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex. The law forbids discrimination when it comes to any aspect of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits, and any other term or condition of employment. This law is enforced by the Civil Rights Center.

The lawyers at Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC, located in Nassau County, New York, have been successful in litigating against discrimination claims. If you have been a victim of discrimination because of your age, gender, race, or sexual orientation, please contact Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC at 1-888-585-4658, One Old Country Road, Suite 347, Carle Place, NY, 11514-1851.

In Ohio, a former employee of the Child Support Enforcement Agency named Shari Hutchinson has been fired based on her sexual orientation. The former employee brought a lawsuit on behalf of herself, as well as lesbian, gay and transgender communities. Hutchinson had worked at the agency since 2003 and asserts in her lawsuit that she kept getting rejected for a promotion until she realized it was due to her sexual orientation. Ultimately, Hutchinson reached a settlement with Cuyahoga County, but since there is no legal protection for sexual orientation Hutchinson’s case has the potential to set a precedent on this issue. Read Full Article

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex. It is unlawful to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of his/her race or color in regard to hiring, termination, promotion, compensation, job training, or any other term, condition, or privilege of employment. Please visit the EEOC’s website for more information.  According to the Supreme Court, the anti-retaliation provision in Title VII is “worded broadly”.

Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC handles many cases dealing with discrimination law throughout Long Island and the New York City area. For more information, contact Leeds, Morelli and Brown, PC at 1-800-585-4658 for a free consultation.

Wal-Mart has recently announced that planned to sell $20 billion in products from women owned businesses in the United States over the next five years. In addition, the company has stated that it would support training women in factories and farms that are Wal-Mart suppliers. It will further donate $100 million to causes that supporting women’s economic development. Finally, it plans to ask its vendors and advertising agencies to increase gender as well as minority representation on its accounts. While the US Supreme Court recently threw out a class-action based claim by women against the corporation, Wal-Mart is presently gearing up for some of the plaintiffs who will to sue the company through individual claims. See: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/14/business/wal-mart-to-announce-women-friendly-plans.html?_r=1&ref=discrimination

When faced with a sex discrimination claim, the plaintiff can rely on the law for recourse. The United States Department of Labor created Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits discrimination in hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, fringe benefits, job training, classification, referral, and other aspects of employment, on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. This law is enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In addition, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance. See: http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/discrimination/ethnicdisc.htm

Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. in New York works to obtain the best judgments and settlements for its aggrieved clients. If you or someone you know has been affected by discrimination or a violation of their civil rights please feel free to contact Leeds, Morelli & Brown, PC at 1-800-585-4658 for a free consultation or view their web page at www.lmblaw.com.

Grays Harbor Community Hospital in Aberdeen, Washington, will pay $125,000 and provide training and other relief to settle a federal lawsuit alleging sexual harassment. According to the lawsuit filed by the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, the hospital failed to take appropriate action despite repeated complaints to upper level management that a supervising pharmacist was sexually harassing at least four pharmacy technicians. Included in the allegations, the EEOC charged that the supervisor “made offensive sexual comments, inflicted details of his sex life and masturbation habits on the technicians, and showed explicit material from the internet to the women.” In addition to paying the women $125,000, Grays Harbor Community Hospital agreed to a three-year consent decree, under which it must implement training on anti-discrimination laws and post a notice at the hospital concerning the settlement.

Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment when submission to or rejection of this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment. When investigating allegations of sexual harassment, EEOC looks at the whole record: the circumstances, such as the nature of the sexual advances, and the context in which the alleged incidents occurred. A determination on the allegations is made from the facts on a case-by-case basis. For more information: EEOC Website.

Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC, dedicates a large area of practice to employment law. Our firm has had considerable success in matters of employment discrimination throughout Long Island and the New York City area. For more information, contact Leeds, Morelli and Brown, PC at 1-800-585-4658 for a free consultation.

Leisha Hailey, the musician and “The L Word” actress, was kicked off a Southwest flight after kissing her girlfriend. The actress claims she and her girlfriend were escorted off the plain for getting upset about the issue. Hailey took to Twitter to publicize the issue, which has since become a public relations nightmare for the Airline. The Airline has come under much criticism after Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day was escorted off the plane for wearing baggy pants. Full article.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) does not enforce the protections that prohibit discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation. To date, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex. However, there has been a lot of buzz in the federal courts surrounding gay rights. Specifically, a recent repeal of the military’s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy and two laws restricting gay rights — the federal Defense of Marriage Act and the California ban on same-sex marriage - have been declared unconstitutional by federal judges in recent months. These three recent decisions on gay rights issues suggest that federal judges are increasingly willing to strike down what they see as anti - gay bias embodied in legislation.

The attorneys at Leeds Morelli & Brown, P.C., dedicate a large amount of their practice to employment discrimination claims. For any questions, contact an attorney at the Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. law firm for a free consultation at 1-800-585-4658. Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C.’s website is located at www.lmblaw.com.

American Apparel recently ran a contest to search for plus sized models for their new advertising campaign. The “Next BIG Thing” contest was, according to the company, a search for :booty-ful” models who need “a little extra wiggle room.” Nancy Upton, a size 12 Texas student, entered herself into the contest as a spoof and satire, as she felt the contest was executed in a condescending manner. Despite mocking the contest, Upton eventually went onto winning by popular vote. Upton submitted pictures of herself eating an entire chicken and bathing in ranch dressing, among other food-based poses. Even though voters chose her as their ideal plus sized woman, the company rejected her bid claiming they found her entry insulting. After receiving much criticism, the company invited Upton to Los Angeles for a tour of the company’s facilities. Full article.

The concerns over obesity continue to grow in the United States. Weight based discrimination continues to receive increasing attention, especially in the legal area. Unfortunately, because weight discrimination is not protected under New York law, there are few legal options available for individuals who suffer weight discrimination. To date, there are no federal laws that exist to prohibit discrimination based on weight. Michigan is the only state that has weight discrimination law on the books. The vast majority of people who experience weight discrimination in the U.S. must pursue legal recourse through other indirect avenues. Obese individuals have depended on the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (RA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Most cases filed under these categories pertain to weight-based discrimination in employment settings, and only a few cases have been successful. In addition, whether it is appropriate for obesity to be considered a “disability” under the ADA is questionable. If you are discriminated against based on your weight, it is important to contact an experienced employment attorney.

The attorneys at Leeds Morelli & Brown, P.C., represent students and their families in Nassau and Suffolk counties, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, and Staten Island. For any questions, contact an attorney at the Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. law firm for a free consultation at 1-800-585-4658. Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C.’s website is located at www.lmblaw.com

An Outback Steakhouse restaurant in Phoenix Arizona fired an employee on because he needed a reasonable accommodation. The EEOC has filed a lawsuit against the company, OSI Restaurant Partners, LLC d/b/a Outback Steakhouse and OS Restaurant Services, Inc. The lawsuit alleges that server John Woods, who suffers from traumatic brain injury, worked as a server from November, 2009 until approximately January, 2010, when he was fired. The EEOC charged that Outback terminated Woods’ employment because of his disability and/or because he needed a reasonable accommodation. The lawsuit seeks back pay, compensatory and punitive damages for Woods, as well as appropriate injunctive relief to prevent any further discriminatory practices. Full article.

Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as amended by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), prohibits private employers from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities in hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment. The law requires an employer to provide reasonable accommodation to an employee or job applicant with a disability, unless doing so would cause significant difficulty or expense for the employer. A reasonable accommodation is any change in the work environment, or in the way things are usually done, to help a person with a disability apply for a job, perform the duties of a job, or enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment. EEOC Website.

Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC centers its practice around the area of employment law. Our firm has had considerable success in matters of employment discrimination throughout Long Island and the New York City area. For more information, contact Leeds, Morelli and Brown, PC at 1-800-585-4658 for a free consultation.

Huntersville Seafood, Inc. doing business as Captain’s Galley Restaurant is a North Carolina restaurant which must pay $86,000 to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit by the EEOC. The lawsuit centered around former male employees who were subjected to abuse by a male co - worker from 2007-2008 by being touched on the buttocks, nipples, and testicles as well as subjected to daily sexual gestures and comments. Allegedly, harassment continued after employees complained and he was then discharged as a result. In addition to monetary damages, sexual harassment training for managers and employees is required. Read more: http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/8-26-11.cfm

Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In addition, state-level sexual harassment statutes prohibit sexual harassment and provide victims with a means to pursue justice. Sexual harassment can occur in one of two ways: Quid Pro Quo Harassment or Hostile Work Environment. Employers that foster or allow these conditions to continue can be found liable for the conduct of the offending employees. For more information, see: http://www.lmblaw.com/new-york/sexual-harassment.php

The lawyers at Leeds Morelli and Brown strive to successful judgments for their clients, including any former employees or recently fired workers who have been sexually harassed in the workplace. If you or someone you know has been faced with sexual discrimination or sexual harassment, please contact our office Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC, 1-888-5-JOBLAW, One Old Country Road, Suite 347, Carle Place, NY, 11514-1851.