Wigdor LLP

A bill proposed by New York lawmakers aims to make prosecuting sexual assault cases easier by adding a legal definition of the word "consent" to the state's entire criminal code, writes Douglas Wigdor for Forbes. Bill A6540 enables New York State to prosecute sexual offense consistently, providing equal protection to all and making sexual assault crimes easier to prosecute and report, said Dawn Dunning, who testified against Harvey Weinstein at his criminal trial in New York last year. If passed, consent would be defined as freely given, knowledgeable and informed agreement for all crimes in New York. #FGKIA #A6540

On the front page of today's New York Law Journal, employment lawyer Douglas Wigdor explains why Naomi Osaka's refusal to participate in media interviews due to depression may be protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Wigdor pointed to the 2001 Supreme Court ruling in PGA Tour v. Martin, which found that pro golfer Casey Martin could use a golf cart during tournaments because walking was not an integral part of the sport. "I don’t see any credible argument that ...could be made that giving an interview, which isn’t even part of the game that’s actually being played, could be an integral part of the game of tennis." #NaomiOsaka #FrenchOpen #Tennis

Justice can't wait. We're calling on the New York State Assembly to stand with victims of sexual abuse and pass the #AdultSurvivorsAct before the legislative session ends on June 10. The bill creates a one-year window for adult survivors whose claims are time-barred by a statute of limitations to hold their abusers accountable in civil court. #PassTheASA

The #AdultSurvivorsAct, which passed unopposed in the New York Senate last week, might finally allow adult victims of sex crimes to seek justice. Advocates, survivors, sponsors and supporters alike urge the New York Assembly to grant a one-year civil window for time-barred individuals who were sexually assaulted as adults. This legislation, like the Child Victims Act, is not about guaranteeing outcomes, it’s about providing survivors with the chance to seek justice, said sponsor Sen. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan) before casting his vote.

Naomi Osaka was fined $15,000 for her decision to not participate in press conferences at the French Open. In his latest piece for Forbes, Douglas Wigdor argues that disability discrimination laws in the US would have protected her right to reasonable accommodations for her mental disability, especially given that press conferences are not an integral part of tennis. "It is the same as claiming to be above the law, at least when the law requires you to accommodate disabilities." #NaomiOsaka #FrenchOpen #RolandGarros #EmpLaw

In a recent court filing, a talent agent for #NY1 anchor Pat Kiernan was accused of making highly disturbing comments about five veteran anchorwomen in an effort to get them to drop their age & gender discrimination claims against Charter Communications. "It is unfortunate that Mr. Kiernan’s agent would display such blatant hostility and animus towards Ms. Torre and her co-plaintiffs. Sadly it is consistent with the way they have been treated by NY1 and some colleagues in the newsroom," said the women's attorney David Gottlieb. #Ageism #EqualPay #Media #Journalism #TimesUp

Charter Communications continues to drag its feet on producing key documents in an age/gender bias lawsuit that we believe will show a clear pattern of discriminatory decision-making toward older women in the NY1 newsroom. #UnseenOnTV #EndAgeism #BroadcastWomen #Journalism #NY1

Wigdor LLP represents accomplished radiologist Dr. Richard Heiden in a lawsuit against NYC Health + Hospitals alleging he was unlawfully fired during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic because he requested a reasonable accommodation to manage his autoimmune disorder. The lawsuit alleges that Dr. Heiden's supervisor never considered his reasonable request, and instead presented him with a sham performance evaluation before demanding that he either "resign" or be fired for "ca...use." Defendants’ alleged actions in this case demonstrate a flagrant disregard for the rights of their immunocompromised employees who are entitled to reasonable accommodations to protect themselves from this deadly coronavirus, said Dr. Heiden's attorney Valdi Licul. #NYC #Covid19 #DisabilityRights #EmploymentLaw

Goldman Sachs hired the chair of the TIME'S UP Legal Defense Fund to defend the bank in a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit. Now both TIME'S UP and the National Women's Law Center are trying to distance themselves from Roberta Kaplan's decision to represent Goldman in statements made to the New York Post. Ms. Kaplan is currently leading the legal efforts to try and force Marla Crawford’s case behind closed doors in mandatory arbitration a tool that has been widely c...riticized by women's rights groups for perpetuating sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the workplace. Ms. Kaplan’s decision to help Goldman Sachs force Ms. Crawford’s claims into a secretive, confidential arbitration forum is the antithesis of what the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund stands for, said Ms. Crawford’s attorney David Gottlieb. Read more: https://bit.ly/3oxpxAo #GoldmanSachs #TimesUp #MeToo #WallStreet #GenderEquality

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a criminal case to determine whether a federal anti-hacking law applies to employees who use their work computers for unauthorized purposes. Employment lawyer Douglas Wigdor wrote for Forbes about the potentially severe impact the ruling could have on workers' rights. "A legal landscape in which an employee is unable to access documents related to her discrimination claims could impair her ability to hold her employer ...accountable, and even chill her decision to report the inappropriate behavior in the first place." #SupremeCourt #SCOTUS #CFAA #EmploymentLaw