Krishna Dass was the former athletic director at Eugenio Maria De Hostos Community College (“Hostos”), in Bronx, NY, and part of the CUNY university system.
Ms. Dass sued Hostos, CUNY and certain of their administrators for sex discrimination in connection with their refusal to promote her and pay her comparably to her fellow male athletic directors in the CUNY system.
She also sued for sex discrimination based on the hostile work environment and sexual harassment to which she was subjected.
In a “Decision of Interest” reported in December 12, 2024 New York Law Journal, the federal court recently ruled that Ms. Dass can amend her complaint in two respects. First, it held that Ms. Dass may proceed with the claim under the Equal Pay Act:
The Proposed Second Amended Complaint catalogues several similarities between Dass’s position and that of male athletic directors. For example, Dass alleges that she and her comparators were both responsible for (i) “direct[ing] and coordinat[ing] the development and administration of all athletic programs, including intercollegiate, intramural, and recreational, which were comparable in quantity and type,” (ii) “coordinat[ing], prepar[ing], implement[ing] and manag[ing] their respective athletic department budgets, the amounts of which were comparable,” and (iii) “oversee[ing] and maintain[ing] athletic facilities of approximately the same size and type.”(Doc. 128, Ex. A (“Proposed SAC”) ¶ 27.) These allegations suffice to plausibly allege that Dass’s male colleagues performed equal work in jobs requiring equal skill, effort, and responsibility.
Second, the court permitted Ms. Dass to sue the former President of Hostos, David Gomez, and its Executive Counsel, Eugene Sohn, for commencing a “sham investigation” against her with the New York State Inspector General and the New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics. Ms. Dass alleged that Hostos’ President Gomez and in-house attorney Sohn retaliated against her because she had complained to CUNY about their discriminatory behavior toward her.
The court’s decision marks a tremendous victory for women who are discriminated against in the work place, especially where the employer’s most senior executive leadership is implicated.
If you are a victim of discrimination in employment under Title VII, or in education under Titles VI or IX, contact the Law Office of Todd J. Krouner, P.C. We have a proven track record of helping victims of discrimination obtain justice, and recover substantial monetary damages. To determine if you have a strong case, please contact us for a free consultation at (914) 238-5800.