Mayor Bloomberg‘s financial news company notched a major legal win Monday against female employees who accused it of pregnancy-related discrimination.
Five of six plaintiffs named in the Bloomberg, L.P. lawsuit had their claims tossed out.
The women, current and former employees who first sued the company in 2007, said their careers were sidetracked when they were after they asked for maternity leave.
But Manhattan Federal Court Judge Loretta Preska found insufficient evidence that they were victims of bias.
In one instance, Preska determined that an action taken by Bloomberg L.P. affected male employees as well.
The judge also nixed claims brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of 29 additional, unnamed women.
“We are gratified by the court’s ruling today,” Bloomberg L.P. CEO Daniel Doctoroff said in a statement.
“Bloomberg is a great place to work and throughout our history we have been well-known for offering some of the most generous employee benefits and policies in corporate America.”
Only one plaintiff, Jill Patricot, remains and she had several claims dismissed Monday. Part of her case will move forward but no trial date has been set.
The mayor is not a defendant in the lawsuit but it put him on the hot seat in 2009 as he prepared to run for a third term. Hizzoner was grilled by lawyers for five hours about the allegations that women were harassed, demoted or fired.
Now the case has petered out.
The EEOC, which enforces federal laws on workplace discrimination, initially sought class-action status that could have covered hundreds of plaintiffs. But Preska denied that request in 2011 after finding no widespread pattern of discrimination.
In her decision Monday, the judge took the EEOC to task for failing to properly vet the women it represented and for rushing to court rather than reaching a settlement.
“The EEOC failed to satisfy its pre-litigation obligations,” Preska said.
Lawyers for the women did not immediately return requests for comment on the ruling.
