JOANNA SEYBERT, District Judge.
Plaintiff Samantha Lambui ("Plaintiff") commenced this action on September 5, 2014, alleging,
Presently before the Court are motions to dismiss pursuant to Federal Rule 12(b)(1) for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction and Federal Rule 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim by both the UBSFS Defendants (Docket Entry 31) and Collins (Docket Entry 33). For the following reasons, Defendants' motions are GRANTED.
Plaintiff, a female residing in Suffolk County, New York, met defendant Collins in the Fall of 2012 at a bar named Katie Mc's where Plaintiff was a bartender. (Comp. ¶¶ 5, 22-23.) Collins informed Plaintiff that he worked as a Financial Advisor ("FA") at the Melville, Long Island branch of UBSFS and that she should apply for a job. (Compl. ¶ 24.). In December 2012, at Collins' suggestion, Plaintiff applied for a position as a paid intern with UBSFS. (Compl. ¶¶ 24-25.) The intern position for which Plaintiff applied was unique in that it was one that was "broker-paid" or "FA-paid," meaning that the position is dependent on a FA's independent agreement to financially support the position. (Compl. ¶¶ 39, 86, 150-51, 153.) If the FA terminates his or her UBSFS employment, the position loses its financial basis, and absent any other financial support, is eliminated. (Compl. ¶¶ 39, 86, 150-51, 153.)
On February 25, 2013, Plaintiff started her first day as a "broker-paid" intern. (Compl. ¶ 39.) As a "broker-paid" intern, Plaintiff was paid $10 per hour and was expected to work with Collins on a limited hour basis, approximately 20 hours per week. (Compl. ¶ 39.) Plaintiff alleges that even prior to employment at UBSFS, Collins engaged in inappropriate behavior towards her, including attempting to kiss her following a lunch they had together on January 4, 2013, as well as "sexist, degrading, [and] insulting comments in the texts" exchanged between them. (Compl. ¶¶ 28-29, 32.)
Plaintiff alleges that Collins' sexual advances and unprofessional conduct continued after her hiring at UBSFS. In March 2013, Collins asked Plaintiff to meet him at a hotel and have sex with him in exchange for a "bonus" in the form of designer shoes. (Compl. ¶ 43.) On April 4, 2013, Collins invited Plaintiff to his Long Island home to "get drunk and have sex while his wife and children were in New York City." (Comp. ¶ 45.) Plaintiff ignored the invitation. (Compl. ¶ 45.) On April 5, 2013, Collins apologized and asked Plaintiff to join him on his upcoming trip to Florida. (Compl. ¶ 48.) Plaintiff did not go. (Compl. ¶ 48.) Shortly after the invitations, Plaintiff had a face-to-face meeting with Collins where she "informed him yet again that his behavior was extremely inappropriate, made her feel uncomfortable. . . . ." (Compl. ¶ 49.) Collins indicated that he understood Plaintiff's complaints and "that he would start a Human Resources file on [the] matter in accordance with UBSFS policy, and that he [ ] promise[d] not to speak to her in that manner going forward. (Compl. ¶ 49.)
In May 2013, Collins offered to drive with Plaintiff and purchase her a designer bag as a bonus for her superior work. (Compl. ¶ 50.) On the drive back to the office, Collins demanded a sexual favor in return for the purchase of the bag, which Plaintiff refused. (Compl. ¶ 51.) Collins ignored Plaintiff's demands to be driven back to the office and drove to a park near the office. (Compl. ¶ 52.) Plaintiff alleges that Collins forced himself upon her and kissed her while she "screamed, cried, curled up in the fetal position, while begging for Mr. Collins to take her back to the office." (Compl. ¶ 52.) As a result of this incident, Plaintiff "missed scheduled work due to emotional distress." (Compl. ¶ 53.)
On June 17, 2013, Plaintiff received an email from UBSFS informing her that her internship would be ending on June 28, 2013. (Compl. ¶ 56.) Plaintiff spoke to Collins to discuss her continued employment. (Compl. ¶ 56.) During that conversation, Collins told Plaintiff that she would receive a promotion and be hired part-time. (Compl. ¶ 56.) On June 21, 2013, Plaintiff accepted a position with UBSFS as a part-time Client Services Associate ("CSA") working with Collins. (Compl. ¶¶ 56-57.)
Plaintiff alleges that on June 21, 2013, just hours after Plaintiff signed her offer of employment, Collins contacted her to meet him at a marina near his Long Island home. (Compl. ¶ 58.) Plaintiff responded "stop thinking about me" and thereafter ignored Collins' repeated attempts to communicate with her throughout the remainder of that day. (Compl. ¶¶ 58-64.) The next day Collins again propositioned Plaintiff for sex and when he was ignored, gave Plaintiff an "ultimatum that she needed to go to his marina [sic] at 12:30AM to perform sexual acts with [him], and that she would lose her job (which she had just accepted) if she did not." (Compl. ¶ 66.) Plaintiff ultimately responded and told Collins ". . . I quit." (Compl. ¶ 68.)
Collins finally responded to Plaintiff two days later on June 24, 2013, when he asked to meet Plaintiff somewhere other than at the office to discuss Plaintiff's statement that she was quitting. (Compl. ¶ 70.) That same day, Plaintiff contacted Defendant Davitt, the Assistant Branch Manager for the Melville office, and informed her that she wished to file a complaint against Collins. (Compl. ¶¶ 9, 71.)
The following day Plaintiff met with Davitt and Defendant Limmer, Branch Manager of Melville office, and informed them that she was being sexually harassed by Collins. (Compl. ¶¶ 8, 72-73.) Davitt and Limmer advised Plaintiff that she was terminated, and because she was terminated, ". . . there was no purpose in making any further complaints." (Compl. ¶¶ 72-73.) Subsequent to Plaintiff's meeting with Davitt and Limmer, UBSFS initiated an investigation of her complaint and Plaintiff met with Defendant Weir, Director of Human Resources, in Weir's Manhattan office on June 26, 2013. (Compl. ¶¶ 10, 74.)
On August 7, 2013, a telephone conference was held in which Weir informed Plaintiff that UBSFS's internal investigation had corroborated her information and had concluded that Collins' conduct towards Plaintiff had been unprofessional and had violated UBSFS's internal policies. (Compl. ¶ 76.) In light of the findings, UBSFS terminated Collins' employment for violation of UBSFS's internal policies. (Compl. ¶ 76.)
Following Collins' termination, Plaintiff's position no longer existed because Plaintiff's position was contingent upon the employment of Collins. (Compl. ¶ 160.) Thus, subsequent to Collins' termination, UBSF terminated Plaintiff. (Comp. ¶ 76.)
Plaintiff alleges that she endured employment-related discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, sexual battery, civil battery, civil assault, wrongful imprisonment, negligent hiring, wrongful termination, and illegal employment practices in violation of the NYSHRL, the NYCHRL, and 42 U.S.C. § 1981. (Compl. ¶¶ 92-141, 146-175.) In addition, Plaintiff claims that the Individual Defendants aided and abetted the alleged discrimination under the NYSHRL and NYCHRL (Compl. ¶¶ 142-145), and are also liable under a theory of respondeat superior. (Compl. ¶¶ 176-178.)
Defendants argue Plaintiff's claims under the NYCHRL fail because the statute only affords protections for residents or those employed within New York City and because Plaintiff is neither a resident of New York City nor worked at a New York City UBSFS location. (UBSFS Defs.' Br., Docket Entry 31-1, at 9-13) (Collins' Br., Docket Entry 33-1, at 5-8.) Thus, Defendants move for dismissal of the claims asserted under the NYCHRL for Sexual Harassment and Gender and/or Age Discrimination (Counts V or XI) and Retaliation (Counts VI and XII), as well as the portion of Count XIII asserting a claim for Aiding and Abetting Discrimination pursuant to the NYCHRL, and the portion of Count XV asserting a claim for a
Before addressing the merits of Defendants' motions, the Court will discuss the applicable legal standards.
"A case is properly dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction under Rule 12(b)(1) when the district court lacks the statutory or constitutional power to adjudicate it."
In deciding a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, the Court applies a "plausibility standard," which is guided by "[t]wo working principles."
In deciding a motion to dismiss, the Court is confined to "the allegations contained within the four corners of [the] complaint."
Plaintiff has set forth six claims pursuant, at least in part, to the NYCHRL, claiming that the alleged discriminatory conduct had an impact within New York City's boundaries. (
To state a claim under the NYCHRL, "a plaintiff must allege that he was discriminated against by the defendant within New York City."
Where the discriminatory conduct occurs outside the geographical bounds of New York City, courts have found that the impact requirement is satisfied if the plaintiff alleges that the conduct has affected the terms and conditions of plaintiff's employment within the city.
Plaintiff has clearly pled that she is a "citizen of Suffolk County, New York" (Compl. ¶ 5), and that she was employed as a "broker-paid" intern at UBSFS's Melville, Long Island branch. (Compl. ¶¶ 24, 39, 86, 150-51, 153.) Further, most of Collins' sexually harassing and discriminatory conduct occurred on Long Island. While Plaintiff does allege a January 2013 New York City trip in which Collins made sexual advances (Compl. ¶ 28), and a March 2013 work assignment in New York City (Compl. ¶¶ 42-43), the rest of the Complaint details a number of incidents involving Collins' sexual advances all occurring on Long Island. It is abundantly clear that the vast majority of Collins' discriminatory and harassing conduct occurred on Long Island. Thus, Plaintiff has failed to show that Collins' alleged conduct affected the terms and conditions of her employment within New York City, as Plaintiff has failed to adequately allege that she was employed within New York City.
Plaintiff's only touchstone to New York City are her meetings with Weir, at Weir's Manhattan office, which occurred after Plaintiff had lodged her complaints against Collins. (Compl. ¶¶ 74-75.) These meetings led to Plaintiff's ultimate termination. (Compl. ¶ 76.) While New York City may be the location of Plaintiff's termination, it is of no consequence here because, it is the impact of the adverse action, and not the location where acts leading to the discrimination occur that gives rise to a claim under the NYCHRL.
Here, Plaintiff was employed by the UBSFS Melville, Long Island branch, and her injuries, including her termination, all arose out of her employment at the Melville location.
For the foregoing reasons, Defendants' motions to dismiss (Docket Entries 31 and 33) are GRANTED. Plaintiff's claims asserted under the NYCHRL for: (1) Sexual Harassment (Count V), (2) Retaliation (Counts VI, XII), and (3) Gender and/or Age Discrimination and Harassment (Count XI), as well as the portion of Count XIII asserting a claim for Aiding and Abetting Discrimination pursuant to the NYCHRL, and the portion of Count XV asserting a claim for a
SO ORDERED.