No Discrimination Against Porter Fired for Threatening Coworkers

Building porter sued landlord, Co-op City, for discrimination. He claimed that he was fired due to his Dominican national origin. Landlord claimed that porter was fired due to his repeated violent and threatening behavior toward coworkers and supervisors. The court ruled for landlord and dismissed the case. Landlord showed that in March 2000, porter was suspended for two days for threatening an Hispanic coworker. Porter was fired but later reinstated after the coworker claimed that porter further threatened him. In 2001, porter was suspended for drinking on the job and threatening a coworker. In 2004, porter was disciplined for threatening a supervisor. In 2005, another supervisor complained that porter threatened to hit him after he was given instructions. There was no proof of any discrimination against porter.

Valenzuela v. River Bay Corp.: NYLJ, 9/6/07, p. 30, col. 1 (S.D.N.Y.; Cote, J)