Clauberg v. State

19 Misc. 3d 942, 856 N.Y.S.2d 827
CourtNew York Court of Claims
DecidedMarch 4, 2008
DocketClaim No. 112241
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 19 Misc. 3d 942 (Clauberg v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Clauberg v. State, 19 Misc. 3d 942, 856 N.Y.S.2d 827 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2008).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Francis T. Collins, J.

In this action for employment discrimination in violation of the New York State Human Rights Law (Executive Law § 296), the claimant moves to amend his claim to allege additional incidents of discrimination and retaliation which occurred both prior and subsequent to the filing of the claim. Both the claim and the proposed amended claim allege that the claimant’s employer, the Department of Correctional Services (DOCS), created a hostile work environment through its policy and practice of allowing and condoning discriminatory and retaliatory conduct. The defendant cross-moves to dismiss the claim as untimely pursuant to CPLR 3211 (a) (2), (5) and (8).

The claim, which was filed and served on April 21, 2006, alleges that during the course of the claimant’s employment as a correction officer he was the victim of discriminatory practice “because of Creed, National Origin, Race, Color, Retaliation and Hostile Work Environment” in violation of the New York State Human Rights Law. As set forth in the claim, claimant is an Irish-American male whose employment with DOCS commenced on January 6, 1997. On May 30, 2002 while the claimant was assigned to Sing Sing Correctional Facility (Sing Sing CF) he allegedly “opposed and complained” of racial and “insensitive” remarks by his supervisor at the time, Sergeant Larry Phipps (defendant’s exhibit A, claim ¶ 3). In June of 2002 the claimant allegedly filed a complaint with the Superintendent of Sing Sing CF, Brian Fischer, and the Office of Diversity Management. No corrective measures were taken against Phipps, however, who continued to make racially offensive remarks such as “Irish drunks get their strength from the bottle” and “the Micks are nothing but North Atlantic spies” (defendant’s exhibit A, claim ¶ 4). Phipps also allegedly referred to Black American correction officers as “niggers” and Latino officers as “spies” (id.). As alleged in the claim, Phipps occasionally referred to the claimant’s Latino wife as a “dumb spic” and to Pope John Paul II as a “money hungry old man” (defendant’s exhibit A, claim ¶¶ 5, 6). He also allegedly stated that “all priests are child molesters” and that the claimant “must have been molested” since he was [944]*944an altar boy in his youth (defendant’s exhibit A, claim ¶ 6). Claimant alleges that as a result of these hostile conditions, he requested and received a transfer to Sullivan Correctional Facility (Sullivan CF) in January of 2003.

Claimant alleges that upon his arrival at Sullivan CF word had already spread of his “whistle blowing” regarding the conduct of his supervisors at Sing Sing CF (defendant’s exhibit A, claim ¶ 9). As a result, he alleges that after his transfer to Sullivan CF he was threatened and harassed by his supervisor, Sergeant Maxwell, against whom he filed a complaint with Superintendent James Walsh in July 2003. On July 23, 2003 Superintendent Walsh responded in a memorandum in which he stated, in part: “[E]very institution has its own organizational culture, identify [sic] and history. It might not be what you are used to or what you would prefer it to be. I suggest you would be best served by understanding this concept” (defendant’s exhibit A, claim ¶ 12).

Claimant alleges that he also complained to Lieutenant Jeff Keenan at Sullivan CF about Maxwell’s “harassment and retaliation” (defendant’s exhibit A, claim ¶ 14). However, Keenan disregarded his complaints and condoned the conduct of Maxwell and others (defendant’s exhibit A, claim ¶¶ 14, 15). In fact, claimant alleges that Keenan himself made derogatory racial and sexual remarks to both inmates and staff at the facility (defendant’s exhibit A, claim ¶¶ 16, 17). Claimant alleges that he complained to Superintendent James Walsh about Lieutenant Keenan’s conduct but that no disciplinary action was taken. For reasons not detailed in the claim, Maxwell instituted disciplinary action against the claimant resulting in a meeting on September 22, 2004 in which Superintendent Walsh indicated that the charge against the claimant for insubordination could not be established (defendant’s exhibit A, claim ¶ 19). On November 8, 2004 claimant allegedly notified DOCS Deputy Commissioner Lucien Leclaire of the retaliation by Maxwell and Keenan. Claimant alleges that on November 19, 2005 a racist cartoon was posted in a public area of the prison and that on or about December 2, 2005 he was harassed and assaulted by another white correction officer as the result of his “whistle blowing” (defendant’s exhibit A, claim ¶ 25). Allegedly with the encouragement of DOCS supervisors, the other white officer filed a false charge of harassment in the second degree against the claimant, resulting in his suspension from employment. Following his complaints to Governor Pataki and a State Senator, [945]*945the claimant was reinstated to his position as a correction officer. Claimant also alleges that since the filing of his first complaint with his superiors in 2002, he has continuously been denied a promotion. Based on the foregoing, the claimant alleges that “DOCS has a policy and practice of allowing and condoning discriminatory and retaliatory conduct and allowing the existence of a hostile working environment to the detriment of the Complainant” (defendant’s exhibit A, claim ¶ 31).

In the proposed amended claim, the claimant seeks to supplement the claim with additional instances of allegedly offensive and discriminatory conduct occurring both before and after the date the claim was filed. With respect to the conduct occurring after the claim was filed, claimant seeks to amend the claim to add the following: The claimant received and signed an excellent employment evaluation in February of 2006, which was later “illegally” altered without his acknowledgment and received by him in June 2006 (claimant’s exhibit A, proposed amended claim ¶ 85). He alleges that he filed various complaints in 2006, including one with the “EEOC” on December 13, 2006 (claimant’s exhibit A, proposed amended claim ¶ 90).

On April 7, 2007 Lieutenant Wayne Jordan allegedly made reference to the claimant as a “rat bitch” during the course of discussing: a report the claimant had filed regarding a prior assault by Jordan (claimant’s exhibit A, proposed amended claim ¶ 92). Jordan allegedly threatened to suspend him from employment if his conduct continued.

In May of 2007 the claimant was transferred to Willard Drug Treatment Campus after having requested the transfer in February for reasons unrelated to the allegations in the claim. Claimant alleges in his proposed amended claim that immediately upon his arrival at Willard he was harassed and berated regarding the prior complaints he had filed. He alleges that on May 30, 2007 an incident occurred while the claimant was undergoing training in the arsenal. Not having been instructed otherwise, the claimant left the arsenal with the key, conduct for which he was allegedly berated and verbally abused by his superiors. The incident caused the claimant to cry uncontrollably. He was treated by a nurse in the medical department and later that same day by his psychiatrist who diagnosed him with an anxiety disorder and a major depressive disorder due to “ ‘work related issues’ ” (claimant’s exhibit A, proposed amended claim ¶ 113). The claimant was suspended without pay on June 6, 2007 “due to [claimant’s] leaving assigned post with [946]*946a secure key” (claimant’s exhibit A, proposed amended claim ¶ 16). Claimant was out of work on medical leave at the time of his suspension.

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Bluebook (online)
19 Misc. 3d 942, 856 N.Y.S.2d 827, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/clauberg-v-state-nyclaimsct-2008.