A Victory for Victims of Race and National Origin Discrimination

Menken Simpson & Rozger LLP is pleased to announce a legal victory in Bautista v. Chanel, Inc., et al., 1:20-cv-04676-LGS (SDNY), a Title VII and New York City Human Rights Law case brought on behalf of a former makeup artist and sales associate at the flagship Saks Fifth Avenue Chanel boutique. In an opinion issued on February 8, 2022, Judge Lorna G. Schofield of the Southern District of New York ruled in favor of Plaintiff Miguel Bautista and denied Chanel’s motion for summary judgment, which sought to have the case dismissed in its entirety. The case will now proceed to a trial this summer.

Bautista worked at Chanel for nearly 8 years and made a name for himself as a talented makeup artist. With the arrival of a new supervisor in 2016, Bautista, who is Ecuadorian, suddenly found himself subject to a stream of hostility because of his race and national origin. His supervisor targeted him with bogus accusations of misconduct, insinuations that he was stealing from the company, and a de facto “No Spanish” policy that prohibited other sales associates from speaking to each other in their native language on the sales floor.

MSR’s victory stands out in a legal landscape where roughly 77% of employment discrimination cases are dismissed, in whole or in part, at the summary judgment stage. The case is being litigated by partner Scott Simpson and third-year associate Raya Saksouk. 

If you are experiencing discrimination in the workplace, contact the attorneys at MSR for a consultation.