Anthony Cesareo v. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey et al.

CourtDistrict Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedDecember 31, 2025
Docket2:25-cv-00632
StatusUnknown

This text of Anthony Cesareo v. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey et al. (Anthony Cesareo v. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey et al.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Anthony Cesareo v. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey et al., (D.N.J. 2025).

Opinion

NOT FOR PUBLICATION

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY

ANTHONY CESAREO,

Plaintiff, Civil Action No. 25-632

v.

PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK OPINION AND NEW JERSEY et al.,

Defendants. December 31, 2025 SEMPER, District Judge. THIS MATTER comes before the Court on pro se Plaintiff Anthony Cesareo’s Motion for Declaratory Judgment (ECF 47, “MDJ”), Motion for Protective Order to Bar Involvement or Interference by Non-Party John Drew (ECF 52, “Motion for Protective Order” or “MPO”), and Emergency Motion to Stay Arbitration (ECF 53, “Motion to Stay Arbitration” or “MSA”). These Motions were all filed before Defendants received service of process, so they are all unopposed. The Court has decided the motions without oral argument pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 78 and Local Civil Rule 78.1. For the reasons set forth below, Plaintiff’s Motions are DENIED. I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY This case arises from Plaintiff’s allegations that his employer, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (“Port Authority”), and the individual managers Luis Pulido, Samuel Harris, and Pasquale Buzzelli, violated several laws by failing to accommodate his disability, denying him overtime opportunities, creating a hostile work environment, retaliating against him for filing complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”), and discriminating against him on the basis of his race. (ECF 14-1 at 1, “First Amended Complaint” or “FAC.”) Plaintiff also asserts retaliation claims against union entities Local 806, District Council 9 New York (“DC 9 NY”), and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, and John Drew and Robert White, individuals employed by or otherwise affiliated with the unions. (Id.) Specifically,

Plaintiff alleges that “Defendant Port Authority failed to accommodate Plaintiff’s disability following neck surgeries in 2020 and 2022.” (Id. at 2.) Plaintiff also alleges he was “denied overtime opportunities from March 2021 to September 2021 due to disability.” (Id.) Plaintiff alleges that he was “verbally harassed and had his vehicle wrongfully taken by Samuel Harris, contributing to a hostile work environment.” (Id.) Plaintiff further alleges that “[a]fter filing an EEOC complaint in May 2022, Plaintiff was retaliated against, including pressure to sign a ‘Last Chance Agreement.’” (Id.) Plaintiff also alleges that “Robert White discussed confidential grievances with others and filed charges against Plaintiff in retaliation for protected activities.” (Id.) Plaintiff asserts that “Defendants Local 806, DC 9 NY, and John Drew continued with a union disciplinary hearing despite being informed of Plaintiff’s no-work medical status.” (Id.) In

Plaintiff’s view, “[t]he union hearing, scheduled for April 23, 2025, is retaliatory and inflicts irreparable harm.” (Id.) Plaintiff states that he “has been subjected to unequal employment conditions and targeted union retaliation based on his disability and race. Plaintiff filed the Complaint in this case on January 21, 2025 (ECF 1-1), and he filed the First Amended Complaint on April 10, 2025 (FAC). In the FAC, Plaintiff asserts eight causes of action, as follows: (1) failure to accommodate disability against the Port Authority and Defendants Pulido and Buzzelli; (2) unequal terms and conditions of employment against the Port Authority and Defendant Harris; (3) hostile work environment against the Port Authority and Defendant Harris; (4) retaliation against all Defendants; (5) racial discrimination against the Port Authority and Defendant Harris; (6) civil conspiracy against Defendant White, Local 806, DC 9 NY, and Defendant Drew; (7) abuse of process against Defendant White, DC 9 NY, and Defendant Drew; and (8) defamation against Defendant White. (Id. at 2-3.) Plaintiff seeks relief in the form of $100,000 in compensatory damages; $250,000 in punitive damages, an injunction “ordering

defendants to cease retaliation, cancel union charges, and implement anti-discrimination policy and ADA training[;]” and “[r]easonable costs and any other relief deemed just by the Court. (Id. at 3.) Since filing the original Complaint, Plaintiff has filed many motions: six motions for preliminary injunctions and/or temporary restraining orders (ECF 5; ECF 16; ECF 19; ECF 22; ECF 28; ECF 41); four motions to amend or supplement the Complaint (ECF 13; ECF 14; ECF 44; ECF 46); three motions to conduct early discovery (ECF 25; ECF 42; ECF 43); three motions requesting judicial notice of certain facts and information (ECF 36; ECF 38; ECF 54); two motions for reconsideration (ECF 26; ECF 35); two motions for protective orders (ECF 39; ECF 52); two motions for declaratory judgments (ECF 37; ECF 47); one motion to compel a hearing (ECF 48);

one motion to appoint pro bono counsel (ECF 49); and one motion to stay arbitration proceedings (ECF 53). The Court has addressed several of these motions in Opinions and Orders. (ECF 18; ECF 21; ECF 23; ECF 24; ECF 27; ECF 33; ECF 34; ECF 51.) Plaintiff filed all these motions before Defendants the Port Authority, Pulido, Buzzelli, and Harris received service of process on June 23, 2025. (ECF 56.) Plaintiff has not yet completed service of process on Defendants Local 806, DC 9 NY, the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, Drew, and White. On July 15, 2025, Defendants the Port Authority, Pulido, Buzzelli, and Harris filed an Answer denying all of the substantive allegations in the FAC, and asserting ten defenses, to wit: (1) that the Complaint fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted; (2) that Plaintiff may be precluded from suit because he may have failed to comply with the statutory prerequisites to suit; (3) that Plaintiff may be precluded from suit because he may have failed to exhaust necessary administrative remedies before filing this action; (4) that Plaintiff, by his own actions, contributed to any damages he allegedly sustained; (5) that Plaintiff unreasonably failed to properly take

advantage of anti-discrimination policies provided by the Port Authority; (6) that any actions undertaken by the Port Authority concerning Plaintiff were legitimate, non-discriminatory, and non-retaliatory; (7) that Defendants’ alleged action were not a proximate cause of any alleged injury suffered by Plaintiff; (8) that Plaintiff has not suffered any economic damages and he has failed to properly mitigate; (9) that Plaintiff’s claims for punitive damages are barred by applicable law; and (10) that Plaintiff’s claims against the Port Authority for liability and damages under the principle of respondeat superior lack sufficient factual and legal bases. (See generally ECF 57.) Defendants request a judgment dismissing the FAC in its entirety and granting them attorney’s fees and costs. (Id. at 4.) Now pending before the Court are the Plaintiff’s Motion for Declaratory Judgment, Motion

for Protective Order, and Emergency Motion to Stay Arbitration. First, Plaintiff seeks a declaratory judgment, pursuant to the Declaratory Judgment Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2201(a), that “[t]he Port Authority of New York and New Jersey violated Plaintiff Anthony Cesareo’s constitutional rights under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments by suspending him from employment without formal charges or a Loudermill hearing, and by excluding him from a public board meeting based on undisclosed accusations. (MDJ at 4.) Second, Plaintiff seeks a protective order pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure

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Anthony Cesareo v. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey et al., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/anthony-cesareo-v-port-authority-of-new-york-and-new-jersey-et-al-njd-2025.