Brady v. Dammer

573 F. Supp. 2d 712, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 62625, 2008 WL 3478622
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. New York
DecidedAugust 13, 2008
Docket04-CV-1126 (LEK/DRH)
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 573 F. Supp. 2d 712 (Brady v. Dammer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brady v. Dammer, 573 F. Supp. 2d 712, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 62625, 2008 WL 3478622 (N.D.N.Y. 2008).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM-DECISION AND ORDER 1

LAWRENCE-E. KAHN, District-Judge.

Before the Court is a Motion for summary judgment, pursuant to Rule 56, filed by Defendants Deborah Dammer, Deborah Dominski, Matthew Guinane, Ann Fiorello, William Myers, Marilyn Kaltenborn, Michael Parada, Carla Adsit-Vassari, Robin Gray, Thomas Heinz, and Andrew Eristoff. (collectively, “Defendants”). Defs.’ Mot. for Summ. J. (Dkt. No. 57) .(hereinafter “MSJ”); Fed.R.Civ.P. 56. The action arises out of Plaintiff Sandra Brady’s (“Plaintiff’ or “Brady”) employment with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance (“Department”), and includes events occurring between 2001 and 2004. See Am. Compl. (Dkt. No. 20). Each Defendant is a current or former employee of the Department. Plaintiffs Amended Complaint alleges thirteen separate causes of action under the federal constitution, state constitution, and federal and state statutes. Id. at 18-21.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Procedural History

Plaintiff Sandra Brady initiated this action against Defendants on September 27, 2004. Dkt. No. 1. Defendants filed a Motion to dismiss the Complaint. Defs.’ Mot. to Dismiss (Dkt. No. 3). In a Memorandum-Decision and Order on August 3, 2005 (“2005 Order”), the Court dismissed several of Plaintiffs claims with prejudice, dismissed other claims without prejudice, and, because “Plaintiffs pleading is a lengthy, over-inclusive Complaint that asserts every cause of action that counsel could dream up,” sua sponte struck the remaining portions of the Complaint for failure to comply with Rule 8.2005 Order at 23-25 (Dkt. No. 19). Plaintiff filed an Amended Complaint on August 17, 2005. Am. Compl. Defendants filed an Answer, interposing an array of'defenses that aré discussed at length below, on October 4, 2005. Answer at 8-9 (Dkt. No. 31). Lengthy discovery proceedings before the Honorable David R. Homer, U.S. Magistrate Judge, ensued. Defendants filed the instant Motion for summary judgment on June 15, 2007. Defs.’ MSJ. The Motion is now ripe for consideration by the Court.

B. Factual Background

Plaintiff Sandra Brady was employed as a Sales Tax Technician in the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance throughout the period in which the following events occurred, and continuously until her retirement in 2006. Brady Dep. (Dkt. No. 57, Attachs. 6-8). Plaintiff claims she was wrongfully denied a promotion in June 2001. 2

Plaintiff claims that in October 2001, Defendant Ann Fiorello “began treating plaintiff differently than other employees” in retaliation for a complaint against one of Fiorello’s supervisors that Plaintiff had filed with the Affirmative Action Administrator, Ellen Mindel. Am. Compl. ¶ 10. Plaintiff subsequently filed a similar complaint against Fiorello. Then, on December 19, 2001, Plaintiff left work without personally notifying or seeking permission from her direct supervisor, Defendant Ann *717 Fiorello. Plaintiff had informed a coworker that she was leaving, who relayed the information to Fiorello. At Plaintiffs request, the coworker also told Fiorello that Plaintiff told him that she had left a note to that effect, but Fiorello did not find a note. Fiorello contacted the Department’s Labor Relations Bureau for advice with regard to the imposition of discipline on Plaintiff for the absence. At the suggestion of the Labor Relations Bureau staff, Fiorello met with Plaintiff on December 26, 2001. Plaintiff agreed to the need to notify management prior to leaving work, No formal disciplinary action was taken against Plaintiff as a result of this absence.

On December 27, 2001, Plaintiff left work after informing Fiorello that she was ill. Plaintiff also provided to Fiorello a note from an on-site nurse, who had recommended that she leave work. Plaintiff told Fiorello that she might need to be absent until the middle of the following week. On December 28, 2001, Fiorello informed Plaintiff that she needed to bring medical documentation for the absence with her when returning the following week, or by the following Friday if she did not return during that week. Plaintiff did not return to work and subsequently, on January 8, 2002, submitted a reasonable accommodation request under the Americans With Disabilities Act to the Department’s Affirmative Action Office. In this request, Plaintiff asked for a transfer away from the Technical Services Department in order to obtain a supervisor other than Fiorello, who she claimed was aggravating her anxiety disorder. Plaintiff provided supporting documentation from her treating psychologist and physician, who opined that Plaintiffs ongoing conditions of depression and anxiety were being exacerbated by her work environment, and that this environment was causing Plaintiff to experience symptoms of labile hypertension.

In a letter dated January 16, 2002, signed by Defendant Dammer in her capacity as Director of Human Resources Management, Plaintiff was notified that the documentation was sufficient and that she was authorized for up to threé months of sick leave. The letter stated further that Defendant Dammer had received Pláintiffs reasonable accommodations request and that, in accordance with section 72 of the New York Civil Service Law, Plaintiff would need to undergo an examination with the Department of Civil Service’s Employee Health Service to determine her fitness to return to work and the reasonableness of the requested relocation away from the Technical Services Department. Brady Dep. Exh. 7 (Dkt. No. 57, Attach. 8). 3 Defendant Guinane, Assistant Director of Labor Relations, sent a form to the Employee Health Services requesting the exam. On January 30, 2002, Plaintiff was examined by a physician and a psychiatrist. Under section 72, if the examining doctor determines an employee is unable to perform her position, the doctor may recommend that the employee is placed on “Involuntary Leave.” N.Y. Civ. Serv. § 72. Here, the examining medical officers recommended that Plaintiff could return to work but recommended transferring her to a different supervisor.

On February 13, 2002, the Department granted Plaintiffs ADA request, giving her a choice of two offices. Plaintiff chose the Sales Tax Desk Audit. She returned *718 to work on February 14, under the supervision of Michael Bond, who was supervised by Defendant Adsit-Vassari. It is undisputed that Plaintiff was able to perform all of her duties during the time that she worked under Adsit-Vassari, and received positive work evaluations during that time. Plaintiff filed another reasonable accommodation request asking that she be required to do only limited traveling due to her anxiety. This request was granted.

Around this time, Plaintiff claims Defendant Adsit-Vassari prohibited her union representative, Lawrence Gorski, from visiting her at her work station in retaliation for the reasonable accommodation request.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Rivas v. New York Lottery
N.D. New York, 2023
Levy v. N.Y.S. Dep't of Envtl. Conservation
297 F. Supp. 3d 297 (N.D. New York, 2018)
Missick v. City of New York
707 F. Supp. 2d 336 (E.D. New York, 2010)
Rutherford v. Katonah-Lewisboro School District
670 F. Supp. 2d 230 (S.D. New York, 2009)
Flynn v. New York State Division of Parole
620 F. Supp. 2d 463 (S.D. New York, 2009)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
573 F. Supp. 2d 712, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 62625, 2008 WL 3478622, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brady-v-dammer-nynd-2008.