Zev Yourman v. Columbia NY Presbyterian Hospital, et al.

CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJanuary 16, 2026
Docket1:24-cv-06286
StatusUnknown

This text of Zev Yourman v. Columbia NY Presbyterian Hospital, et al. (Zev Yourman v. Columbia NY Presbyterian Hospital, et al.) 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
Zev Yourman v. Columbia NY Presbyterian Hospital, et al., (S.D.N.Y. 2026).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK ZEV YOURMAN, REPORT & RECOMMENDATION Plaintiff, ON MOTIONS TO DISMISS -against- 24-CV-6286 (JPC) (KHP) COLUMBIA NY PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL, et al.,

Defendants.

TO: HON. JOHN P. CRONAN, United States District Judge FROM: KATHARINE H. PARKER, United States Magistrate Judge

Pro se plaintiff Zev Yourman brings this action against New York Presbyterian Hospital (“NYPH”), Columbia University (“Columbia”), Julio Pujolis, and Paul Freeman,1 alleging he was 0F discriminated against because he was Jewish and practicing his religion, in violation of Title VI, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d, and the First and Fourteenth Amendments as enforced under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, in connection with his visit to NYPH’s Allen Hospital on or around December 8, 2023. NYPH, with Pujolis and Freeman (together, the “Hospital Defendants”), move to dismiss the Second Amended Complaint (“SAC”) in full. Columbia separately moves for the same relief. For the reasons that follow, I respectfully recommend the motion be granted, and the SAC dismissed in full with prejudice as to the Section 1983 claims against all Defendants and as to the Title VI claims against Pujolis and Freeman. I recommend that the SAC be dismissed without prejudice as to the Title VI claims against Columbia and NYPH.

1 Plaintiff also names “Columbia NY Presbyterian Hospital,” with the same address listed in the Second Amended Complaint as NYPH, Pujolis, and Freeman. (ECF No. 11 ¶ 5.) However, no such entity is known to exist. The Court construes “Columbia New York Presbyterian Hospital” solely to refer to NYPH. BACKGROUND The essential facts are derived from the face of the SAC and assumed to be true for the purposes of this motion. Plaintiff alleges he “was invited to” Allen Hospital, located at 5141

Broadway, New York, N.Y., for a medical appointment. (ECF No. 11, SAC ¶ 8.) After completing his appointment, Plaintiff, who is Jewish and observant, “was peacefully and quietly engaged in Jewish religious observance in a room designated by the hospital for Jewish religious accommodation.” (Id.) Plaintiff alleges the room for Jewish religious observance at Allen Hospital “was established by an agreement between the Jewish Community and the Hospital.” (Id. ¶ 9.) He says it “is maintained by volunteers from the Square Hasidic organization.” (Id.) He

did not need permission to be in the room. (Id.) As Plaintiff engaged in religious observance, he was “interrupted and harassed by loud and frantic banging on the door.” (Id. ¶ 8) When Plaintiff opened the door, two security guards—Defendants Pujolis and Freeman—entered the room and told him to “put away [his] prayer book,” and to leave campus immediately. (Id.) Pujolis and Freeman are employed by

NYPH. (Id. ¶ 15.) Freeman allegedly told Plaintiff to “take [his] Jewish stuff off campus” and escorted Plaintiff to “the main road.” (Id. ¶ 8) Plaintiff said they gave no reasons for these actions. (Id.) Plaintiff also notes that he “observed anti-semitic handbills at Allen Hospital, and the previous day at the main hospital campus on 168[th ]street.” (Id.) His complaint cites as background “the ongoing anti-Jewish activity on the part of Columbia University and related

institutions, which is well publicized[.]” (Id.) Plaintiff alleges Columbia and NYPH “are affiliated with each other and intertwined due to agreements, contracts, and permissions.” (Id. ¶ 11.) He asserts each institution “receive[s] federal funding through contracts” and “grants” for public benefits. (Id. ¶¶ 12, 13.) Plaintiff

notes that “Allen Hospital has a large sign on the building [which says] ‘New York Presbyterian’, and [his] medical bills state Columbia University.” (Id. ¶ 17.) Plaintiff cites news reports that “the federal government is considering withholding tens of millions of dollars in federal grants to Columbia University and its affiliates due to the epidemic of anti-semitism on its campuses.” (Id. ¶ 21.)

Plaintiff alleges injuries including emotional distress, high blood pressure, and violation of his civil rights. (Id. ¶ 23.) He requests compensatory and punitive damages of at least $20 million. (Id. ¶ 24.) Plaintiff filed this action on April 22, 2024, in the Eastern District of New York. (ECF No. 1.) The Complaint was subsequently transferred to this District on April 30, 2024. (ECF No. 4.) Plaintiff filed a First Amended Complaint (“FAC”) on January 7, 2025, and Judge Swain ordered

him to further amend the complaint within 60 days. (ECF No. 10.) Assuming that “Allen Hospital [wa]s operated by Columbia University” and “Columbia University receives federal funding,” Judge Swain sua sponte dismissed the FAC and granted leave to file an amended complaint. (Id. at 3.) In particular, Judge Swain noted that Plaintiff’s relationship with Allen Hospital was unclear from the face of the FAC, and that “Title VI applies only to entities that receive federal funding,” and not to individuals. (Id. at 3-4 (citing Goonewardena v. New York,

475 F. Supp. 2d 310, 328 (S.D.N.Y. 2007)). Thereafter, Plaintiff filed the SAC on March 12, 2025. (ECF No. 11.) LEGAL STANDARDS To survive a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim under Rule 12(b)(6), the complaint must “state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly,

550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007). A claim achieves “facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009). When considering a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6), “a court must accept as true all of the [factual] allegations contained in [the] complaint.” Id. However, the court should not accept legal

conclusions as true: “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Id. The Court affords special solicitude to Plaintiff, as a pro se litigant, and construes his pleadings and opposition to the instant motion liberally to present the best arguments possible in opposition to the motion. Tracy v. Freshwater, 623 F.3d 90, 101 (2d Cir. 2010). DISCUSSION

Plaintiff raises claims under Section 1983 and Title VI. The Court addresses each in turn. I. Section 1983 Plaintiff’s claim under Section 1983 is based on his belief that Defendants interfered with his First Amendment right to freely exercise his religion and discriminated against him for being Jewish. To state a claim under Section 1983, “[t]he conduct at issue ‘must have been committed by a person acting under color of state law’ and ‘must have deprived a person of

rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States.’” Cornejo v. Bell, 592 F.3d 121, 127 (2d Cir. 2010). “The traditional definition of acting under color of state law requires that the defendant in a § 1983 action ha[s] exercised power possessed by virtue of state law and made possible only because the wrongdoer is clothed with the authority of state law.” Carlose v. Santos, 123 F.3d 61, 65 (2d Cir. 1997) (cleaned up).

Private entities sometimes qualify as state actors when they “exercise[] ‘powers traditionally reserved to the State.’” Manhattan Cmty. Access Corp.

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Zev Yourman v. Columbia NY Presbyterian Hospital, et al., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/zev-yourman-v-columbia-ny-presbyterian-hospital-et-al-nysd-2026.