New York's top court ruled on Thursday that laws banning workplace discrimination cover people who are applying for jobs in New York but live elsewhere.
The New York Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that New York City and New York State Human Rights Laws protect nonresidents who are not yet employed in the city or state but have actively sought a job there.
A lawsuit by Nafeesa Syeed, a South Asian-American woman and former Bloomberg reporter based in Washington, D.C., claimed she was denied a job in New York because it was not a “diversity slot.”
The judges said that by denying individuals the chance to work in New York, the city and state miss out on their financial and civic contributions.
Syeed started working for Bloomberg in 2014. After deciding she couldn't further her career in Washington, she applied for jobs at the New York bureau.
According to the ruling, Syeed showed interest multiple times in a position as a United Nations reporter. The job was given to a man who was said to have less experience and education than her.
“After her boss in Washington, D.C. told her that the company didn't want to make the U.N. job a ‘diversity slot,’ she realized she would only be considered for specific promotions,” the judges said.
She took legal action in New York State court, claiming the company broke State and City Human Rights Laws by treating her unfairly based on her gender and race by not promoting her.
The Hill has asked Bloomberg for a comment.
