Villar v. City of New York

135 F. Supp. 3d 105, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 131633, 2015 WL 5707125
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedSeptember 29, 2015
DocketNo. 09-CV-7400 (DAB)
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 135 F. Supp. 3d 105 (Villar v. City of New York) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Villar v. City of New York, 135 F. Supp. 3d 105, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 131633, 2015 WL 5707125 (S.D.N.Y. 2015).

Opinion

OPINION

DEBORAH A. BATTS, District Judge.

Plaintiff Maria Villar (“Plaintiff’ or “Vil-lar”), a Hispanic female, brings this employment discrimination action against the City of New York, Deputy Inspector Michael Yanosik, and Lieutenant John P. McGovern (collectively, “Defendants”) pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq., the New York State Human Rights Law (“NYSHRL”), the New York City Human Rights Law (“NYCHRL”), 42 U.S.C. § 1981, and 42 U.S.C. § 1983.1 Plaintiff maintains that Defendants discriminated [113]*113against her on the basis of her race and sex by subjecting her to improper discipline, terminating her, failing to promote her, denying her overtime, and subjecting her to a hostile work environment, and retaliated against her for hér complaints of discrimination. Defendants now move pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 56 for Summary Judgment on each of Plaintiffs claims.

For the reasons set forth herein, Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment is granted in part and denied in part.

I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

A. The Parties

Defendant the City of New York (the “City”) is a municipal corporation that operates the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”). Defendant Deputy Inspector Michael Yanosik (‘Yanosik”) was Commanding Officer of NYPD’s Building Maintenance Section (“BMS”) from at least November 2004 to August 2006 and from May 2008 to at least October 2008. (Defs.’ 56.1 Stmt. ¶¶ 49, 54; Pl.’s Resp. Defs.’ 56.1 Stmt. ¶ 49; PL’s 56.1 Stmt. ¶ 74.) Defendant Lieutenant John P. McGovern (“McGovern”) was a lieutenant in NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau (“LAB”) on July 9, 2004. (PL’s 56.1 Stmt. ¶.13; Avallone Decl. Ex. RRR.) Plaintiff Maria Villar was appointed a Police Officer in NYPD on January 30, 1995. (Defs.’ 56.1 Stmt. ¶4.) At all times relevant to this action prior to her termination, Plaintiff was employed by the City as a Lieutenant in the NYPD. (See Defs.’ 56.1 Stmt. ¶ 1.)

B. Arrests of Plaintiffs Brothers and Issuance of Charge

On or about July 5, 2004, Plaintiffs brother, Sergio De Los Santos (“Sergio”), was arrested on drug-related charges. (Defs.’ 56.1 Stmt. ¶ 16.) Late that night, Sergio called Plaintiff and informed her that he had been arrested but expected to be released the following morning. (Defs.’ 56.1 Stmt. ¶ 17; PL’s Resp. Defs.’ 56.1 Stmt. ¶ 17; Villar Dep. 39:5-40:l.)> On July 6, 2004, Plaintiff called , the Queens Central Booking Court Unit and asked if Sergio had been released. (Defs.’ 56.1 Stmt. ¶ 18; Villar Dep. 40:16-17.) According to Plaintiff, the Court Clerk at Queens Central Booking told Plaintiff that Sergio was not going to be released because there was a big investigation involving search warrants and wiretaps.. (Defs.’ 56.1 Stmt. ¶ 18; PL’s, Resp. Defs.’-56.1 Stmt. ¶ 18; Villar Dep. 41:7-9.) That same day,. Plaintiff called the Expedited Affidavit Program at the Queens Central Booking Intake Unit .and asked Police Officer Kelvin McKoy for the status of Sergio’s case. (Defs,’ 56.1 Stmt. ¶ 19; PL’s Resp. Defs.’ 56.1, Stmt. ¶ 19; Villar Dep. 44:20-25.) Plaintiff was friends with McKoy and had worked with him for two years at Queens Central Booking. (PL’s Resp. Defs.’ 56,1 Stmt. ¶ 19.) McKoy told Plaintiff that “the folder wasn’t ready yet,” which meant that Sergio was not going to be arraigned yet, and that his case involved a wiretap. (Defs.’ 56.1 Stmt. ¶20; Villar Dep. 71:19-72:8.)'

At some point on July 6/2004, Plaintiff called another of her brothers, Alberto Villar (“Alberto”) and told him that Sergio had not yet been released and that there was a big investigation involving tape recordings of Sergio and search warrants. (Defs.’ 56.1 Stmt. ¶21;. Villar Dep. 48:2-24.) Alberto was already aware that Sergio had been arrested. (Defs.’ 56.1 Stmt. ¶ 21.) It is not clear whether this conversation occurred before or-after Plaintiffs conversation with McKoy. (Compare Vil-lar Dep. 44:22-48:24, with Schowengerdt Decl. Ex. G, at DOA0047-DOA0048.) At some point after her conversation with McKoy, Plaintiff again called Alberto to [114]*114tell him that Sergio still had not, been arraigned. (Defs.’ 56.1 Stmt. ¶ 23.) .

Unbeknownst to Plaintiff and Alberto, the NYPD’s Narcotics Division was investigating Alberto and Sergio, had placed a wiretap on their telephones, and recorded the July 6, 2004 conversations between Alberto and Plaintiff. (Defs.’ 56.1 Stmt. ¶¶ 24-25.) According to Detective Joseph Fusco, who was involved in the investigation of Alberto and Sergio, after his investigation team learned that Plaintiff had told Alberto that wiretaps were involved in the investigation, they decided to arrest Alberto and to dismantle the case prematurely. (Schowengerdt Decl. Ex.'G, at DOA006-007.) At the time"Alberto1 was arrested, he was in possession of an NYPD duffel bag containing two kilograms of heroin. (Defs? 56.1 Stmt. ¶ 31.) He subsequently pled guilty to criminal ■ felony charges, and Sergio- pled guilty- to 'the sale of narcotics. (Defs.’ 56.1 Stmt. ¶¶ 38-39.)

The Queens Narcotics Division subsequently notified the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau (“IAB”) of Plaintiffs call to Alberto. (Defs.’ 56.1 Stmt. ¶ 40; Pl.’s Resp. Defs.’ 56.Í Stmt. ¶ 40.) On July 7, 2004, three supervisors came to Plaintiffs house, informed her that she was being suspended, and removed her firearms and shield. (Defs,’ 56.1 Stmt. ¶42.) When Plaintiff asked one of her supervisors, Captain Timothy Kerr, why she was being suspended, he told her, “as per Chief Cam-pisi, you are suspended for the good order of the department.” (Villar Dep. 203:1-4.) On July 15, 2004, a Charge was issued against Plaintiff by NYPD, stating that Plaintiff “did wrongfully and without authorization divulge or discuss official Department business with a. person, identity known to this Department.”. (Schowen-gerdt Decl. Ex. E, at DOA0150.) Plaintiff was served with the Charge when she returned from her suspension on August 9, 2004. (Defs.’ 56.1 Stmt. ¶45; Schowen-gerdt Decl. Ex. E, at DOA0151.) At this time, she was assigned to the Safety Division Borough and placed on modified duty; modified duty involves assignment only to non-enforcement duties pending a determination of fitness to perform police duties. (Defs.’ 56.1 Stmt. ¶¶ 45-46, 48.)

C. Assignment to NYPD Building Maintenance Section

In November 2004, Plaintiff was transferred to BMS, where she remained on modified duty. (Defs.’ 56.1 Stmt. ¶ 47; Villar Dep. 212:19-22, 223:17-18.) Plaintiffs supervisor at BMS, Yanosik, told Plaintiff that pursuant to orders he had received, she did not have supervisory status; Yanosik subsequently placed Plaintiff under the supervision of a Sergeant and assigned her to work with a Police Officer who was on full duty. (Defs.’ 56.1 Stmt. ¶¶ 49-50; PL’s Resp. Defs.’ 56.1 Stmt. ¶¶ 49-50; PL’s 56.1 Stmt. ¶ 36; Meyer Dep. 31:22-24; Villar Dep.

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135 F. Supp. 3d 105, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 131633, 2015 WL 5707125, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/villar-v-city-of-new-york-nysd-2015.