Supreme Court granted the New York City Department of Education's [DOE] motion for summary judgment dismissing the Plaintiffs' action alleging DOE had unlawfully discriminate against them, finding that Plaintiffs had failed to file a timely "notice of claim" with DOE as required by §3813(1) of the Education Law.
Plaintiffs appealed the Supreme Court's ruling. The Appellate Division, however, sustained the lower court's decision, explaining:
1. Plaintiffs' argument relying on Margerum v City of Buffalo, 24 NY3d 721, and its progeny, was "raised improperly for the first time in [Plaintiffs'] reply brief on appeal;"
2. Were Margerum properly before the court, Plaintiffs' reliance on Margerum for the proposition that no notice of claim is required where the complaint alleges violations of the State and City Human Rights Laws is misplaced "where a notice of claim is required pursuant to Education Law §3813(1)"; and
3. The fact that the individually named defendants were not DOE officers is irrelevant with respect to the issue of whether DOE is within the ambit of §3813(1) notice of claim requirement.
Click HERE to access the Appellate Division's decision.