2006 New York Code - Unlawful Discriminatory Practices.



 
    §  8-107 Unlawful discriminatory practices. 1. Employment. It shall be
  an unlawful discriminatory practice:
    (a) For an employer or an employee or agent thereof,  because  of  the
  actual  or  perceived  age, race, creed, color, national origin, gender,
  disability, marital status, partnership status,  sexual  orientation  or
  alienage  or  citizenship  status  of  any  person, to refuse to hire or
  employ or to bar or to discharge  from  employment  such  person  or  to
  discriminate against such person in compensation or in terms, conditions
  or privileges of employment.
    (b)  For  an  employment  agency  or  an  employee or agent thereof to
  discriminate against any person  because  of  such  person's  actual  or
  perceived  age, race, creed, color, national origin, gender, disability,
  marital status, partnership status, sexual orientation  or  alienage  or
  citizenship  status  in  receiving,  classifying, disposing or otherwise
  acting upon applications for its services or in referring  an  applicant
  or applicants for its services to an employer or employers.
    (c)  For a labor organization or an employee or agent thereof, because
  of the actual or perceived age, race,  creed,  color,  national  origin,
  gender,   disability,   marital   status,   partnership  status,  sexual
  orientation or alienage or citizenship status of any person, to  exclude
  or  to  expel  from its membership such person or to discriminate in any
  way against any of its members or against any  employer  or  any  person
  employed by an employer.
    (d)  For  any  employer, labor organization or employment agency or an
  employee or agent thereof to declare, print or circulate or cause to  be
  declared,   printed   or  circulated  any  statement,  advertisement  or
  publication, or to use any form of application for employment or to make
  any inquiry in connection with prospective employment, which  expresses,
  directly  or indirectly, any limitation, specification or discrimination
  as to age, race, creed,  color,  national  origin,  gender,  disability,
  marital  status,  partnership  status, sexual orientation or alienage or
  citizenship  status,  or  any  intent  to  make  any  such   limitation,
  specification or discrimination.
    (e)  The  provisions  of  this subdivision and subdivision two of this
  section: (i) as they apply to  employee  benefit  plans,  shall  not  be
  construed  to  preclude an employer from observing the provisions of any
  plan covered by the federal employment retirement income security act of
  nineteen hundred seventy-four that  is  in  compliance  with  applicable
  federal  discrimination  laws where the application of the provisions of
  such subdivisions to such plan would be  preempted  by  such  act;  (ii)
  shall  not  preclude  the varying of insurance coverages according to an
  employee's age; (iii) shall not be construed to  affect  any  retirement
  policy  or system that is permitted pursuant to paragraph (e) and (f) of
  subdivision three-a of section two hundred ninety-six of  the  executive
  law;  (iv)  shall  not  be  construed to affect the retirement policy or
  system of an employer where such policy or system is not a subterfuge to
  evade the purposes of this chapter.
    (f) The provisions of this subdivision shall not govern the employment
  by an employer of his or  her  parents,  spouse,  domestic  partner,  or
  children;  provided,  however, that such family members shall be counted
  as persons employed by an employer for the purposes of subdivision  five
  of section 8-102 of this chapter.
    2.   Apprentice   training   programs.   It   shall   be  an  unlawful
  discriminatory practice for an employer, labor organization,  employment
  agency  or  any  joint labor-management committee controlling apprentice
  training programs or an employee or agent thereof:

(a) To select persons for an apprentice training program registered with the state of New York on any basis other than their qualifications, as determined by objective criteria which permit review. (b) To deny to or withhold from any person because of his or her actual or perceived race, creed, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, marital status, partnership status, sexual orientation or alienage or citizenship status the right to be admitted to or participate in a guidance program, an apprentice training program, on-the-job training program, or other occupational training or retraining program. (c) To discriminate against any person in his or her pursuit of such program or to discriminate against such a person in the terms, conditions or privileges of such program because of actual or perceived race, creed, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, marital status, partnership status, sexual orientation or alienage or citizenship status. (d) To declare, print or circulate or cause to be declared, printed or circulated any statement, advertisement or publication, or to use any form of application for such program or to make any inquiry in connection with such program which expresses, directly or indirectly, any limitation, specification or discrimination as to race, creed, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, marital status, partnership status, sexual orientation or alienage or citizenship status, or any intent to make any such limitation, specification or discrimination. 3. Employment; religious observance. (a) It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for an employer or an employee or agent thereof to impose upon a person as a condition of obtaining or retaining employment any terms or conditions, compliance with which would require such person to violate, or forego a practice of, his or her creed or religion, including but not limited to the observance of any particular day or days or any portion thereof as a sabbath or holy day or the observance of any religious custom or usage, and the employer shall make reasonable accommodation to the religious needs of such person. Without in any way limiting the foregoing, no person shall be required to remain at his or her place of employment during any day or days or portion thereof that, as a requirement of such person's religion, he or she observes as a sabbath or other holy day, including a reasonable time prior and subsequent thereto for travel between his or her place of employment and his or her home, provided, however, that any such absence from work shall, wherever practicable in the judgment of the employer, be made up by an equivalent amount of time at some other mutually convenient time. (b) "Reasonable accommodation", as used in this subdivision, shall mean such accommodation to an employee's or prospective employee's religious observance or practice as shall not cause undue hardship in the conduct of the employer's business. The employer shall have the burden of proof to show such hardship. 4. Public accommodations. a. It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for any person, being the owner, lessee, proprietor, manager, superintendent, agent or employee of any place or provider of public accommodation, because of the actual or perceived race, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, disability, marital status, partnership status, sexual orientation or alienage or citizenship status of any person, directly or indirectly, to refuse, withhold from or deny to such person any of the accommodations, advantages, facilities or privileges thereof, or, directly or indirectly, to make any declaration, publish, circulate, issue, display, post or mail any written or printed
communication, notice or advertisement, to the effect that any of the accommodations, advantages, facilities and privileges of any such place or provider shall be refused, withheld from or denied to any person on account of race, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, disability, marital status, partnership status, sexual orientation or alienage or citizenship status or that the patronage or custom of any person belonging to, purporting to be, or perceived to be, of any particular race, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, disability, marital status, partnership status, sexual orientation or alienage or citizenship status is unwelcome, objectionable or not acceptable, desired or solicited. b. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of this subdivision shall not apply, with respect to age or gender, to places or providers of public accommodation where the commission grants an exemption based on bona fide considerations of public policy. c. The provisions of this subdivision relating to discrimination on the basis of gender shall not prohibit any educational institution subject to this subdivision from making gender distinctions which would be permitted (i) for educational institutions which are subject to section thirty-two hundred one-a of the education law or any rules or regulations promulgated by the state commissioner of education relating to gender or (ii) under sections 86.32, 86.33 and 86.34 of title forty-five of the code of federal regulations for educational institutions covered thereunder. d. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to preclude an educational institution -- other than a publicly-operated educational institution -- which establishes or maintains a policy of educating persons of one gender exclusively from limiting admissions to students of that gender. e. The provisions of this subdivision relating to disparate impact shall not apply to the use of standardized tests as defined by section three hundred forty of the education law by an educational institution subject to this subdivision provided that such test is used in the manner and for the purpose prescribed by the test agency which designed the test. f. The provisions of this subdivision as they relate to unlawful discriminatory practices by educational institutions shall not apply to matters that are strictly educational or pedagogic in nature. 5. Housing accommodations, land, commercial space and lending practices. (a) Housing accommodations. It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for the owner, lessor, lessee, sublessee, assignee, or managing agent of, or other person having the right to sell, rent or lease or approve the sale, rental or lease of a housing accommodation, constructed or to be constructed, or an interest therein, or any agent or employee thereof: (1) To refuse to sell, rent, lease, approve the sale, rental or lease or otherwise deny to or withhold from any person or group of persons such a housing accommodation or an interest therein because of the actual or perceived race, creed, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, partnership status, or alienage or citizenship status of such person or persons, or because children are, may be or would be residing with such person or persons. (2) To discriminate against any person because of such person's actual or perceived race, creed, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, partnership status, or alienage or citizenship status, or because children are, may be or would be residing with such person, in the terms, conditions or privileges of the sale, rental or lease of any such housing accommodation or an
interest therein or in the furnishing of facilities or services in connection therewith. (3) To declare, print or circulate or cause to be declared, printed or circulated any statement, advertisement or publication, or to use any form of application for the purchase, rental or lease of such a housing accommodation or an interest therein or to make any record or inquiry in conjunction with the prospective purchase, rental or lease of such a housing accommodation or an interest therein which expresses, directly or indirectly, any limitation, specification or discrimination as to race, creed, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, partnership status, or alienage or citizenship status, or whether children are, may be, or would be residing with a person, or any intent to make such limitation, specification or discrimination. (4) The provisions of this paragraph (a) shall not apply: (1) to the rental of a housing accommodation, other than a publicly-assisted housing accommodation, in a building which contains housing accommodations for not more than two families living independently of each other, if the owner or members of the owner's family reside in one of such housing accommodations, and if the available housing accommodation has not been publicly advertised, listed, or otherwise offered to the general public; or (2) to the rental of a room or rooms in a housing accommodation, other than a publicly-assisted housing accommodation, if such rental is by the occupant of the housing accommodation or by the owner of the housing accommodation and the owner or members of the owner's family reside in such housing accommodation. (b) Land and commercial space. It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for the owner, lessor, lessee, sublessee, or managing agent of, or other person having the right of ownership or possession of or the right to sell, rent, or lease, or approve the sale, rental or lease of land or commercial space or an interest therein, or any agency or employee thereof: (1) To refuse to sell, rent, lease, approve the sale, rental or lease or otherwise deny or to withhold from any person or group of persons land or commercial space or an interest therein because of the actual or perceived race, creed, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, partnership status, or alienage or citizenship status of such person or persons, or because children are, may be or would be residing with such person or persons. (2) To discriminate against any person because of actual or perceived race, creed, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, partnership status, or alienage or citizenship status, or because children are, may be or would be residing with such person, in the terms, conditions or privileges of the sale, rental or lease of any such land or commercial space or an interest therein or in the furnishing of facilities or services in connection therewith. (3) To declare, print or circulate or cause to be declared, printed or circulated any statement, advertisement or publication, or to use any form of application for the purchase, rental or lease of such land or commercial space or an interest therein or to make any record or inquiry in connection with the prospective purchase, rental or lease of such land or commercial space or an interest therein which expresses, directly or indirectly, any limitation, specification or discrimination as to race, creed, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, partnership status, or alienage or citizenship status, or whether children are, may be or would be residing
with such person, or any intent to make any such limitation, specification or discrimination. (c) Real estate brokers. It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for any real estate broker, real estate salesperson or employee or agent thereof: (1) To refuse to sell, rent or lease any housing accommodation, land or commercial space or an interest therein to any person or group of persons or to refuse to negotiate for the sale, rental or lease, of any housing accommodation, land or commercial space or an interest therein to any person or group of persons because of the actual or perceived race, creed, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, partnership status, or alienage or citizenship status of such person or persons, or because children are, may be or would be residing with such person or persons, or to represent that any housing accommodation, land or commercial space or an interest therein is not available for inspection, sale, rental or lease when in fact it is so available, or otherwise to deny or withhold any housing accommodation, land or commercial space or an interest therein or any facilities of any housing accommodation, land or commercial space or an interest therein from any person or group of persons because of the actual or perceived race, creed, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, partnership status, or alienage or citizenship status of such person or persons, or because children are, may be or would be residing with such person or persons. (2) To declare, print or circulate or cause to be declared, printed or circulated any statement, advertisement or publication, or to use any form of application for the purchase, rental or lease of any housing accommodation, land or commercial space or an interest therein or to make any record or inquiry in connection with the prospective purchase, rental or lease of any housing accommodation, land or commercial space or an interest therein which expresses, directly or indirectly, any limitation, specification or discrimination as to race, creed, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, partnership status, or alienage or citizenship status, or to whether children are, may be or would be residing with a person, or any intent to make such limitation, specification or discrimination. (3) To induce or attempt to induce any person to sell or rent any housing accommodation, land or commercial space or an interest therein by representations, explicit or implicit, regarding the entry or prospective entry into the neighborhood or area of a person or persons of any race, creed, color, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, partnership status, national origin, alienage or citizenship status or a person or persons with whom children are, may be or would be residing. (d) Lending practices. It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for any person, bank, trust company, private banker, savings bank, industrial bank, savings and loan association, credit union, investment company, mortgage company, insurance company, or other financial institution or lender, doing business in the city and if incorporated regardless of whether incorporated under the laws of the state of New York, the United States or any other jurisdiction, or any officer, agent or employee thereof to whom application is made for a loan, mortgage or other form of financial assistance for the purchase, acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, repair or maintenance of any housing accommodation, land or commercial space or an interest therein: (1) To discriminate against such applicant or applicants because of the actual or perceived race, creed, color, national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, marital status, partnership status,
or alienage or citizenship status of such applicant or applicants or of any member, stockholder, director, officer or employee of such applicant or applicants, or of the occupants or tenants or prospective occupants or tenants of such housing accommodation, land or commercial space, or because children are, may be or would be residing with such applicant or other person, in the granting, withholding, extending or renewing, or in the fixing of rates, terms or conditions of any such financial assistance or in the appraisal of any housing accommodation, land or commercial space or an interest therein. (2) To use any form of application for a loan, mortgage, or other form of financial assistance, or to make any record or inquiry in connection with applications for such financial assistance, or in connection with the appraisal of any housing accommodation, land or commercial space or an interest therein, which expresses, directly or indirectly, any limitation, specification or discrimination as to race, creed, color, national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, marital status, partnership status, or alienage or citizenship status, or whether children are, may be, or would be residing with a person. (e) Real estate services. It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice to deny a person access to, or membership in or participation in, a multiple listing service, real estate brokers' organization, or other service because of the actual or perceived race, creed, color, national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, marital status, partnership status, or alienage or citizenship status of such person or because children are, may be or would be residing with such person. (f) Real estate related transactions. It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for any person whose business includes the appraisal of housing accommodations, land or commercial space or interest therein or an employee or agent thereof to discriminate in making available or in the terms or conditions of such appraisal on the basis of the actual or perceived race, creed, color, national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, marital status, partnership status, or alienage or citizenship status of any person or because children are, may be or would be residing with such person. (g) Applicability; persons under eighteen years of age. The provisions of this subdivision, as they relate to unlawful discriminatory practices in housing accommodations, land and commercial space or an interest therein and lending practices on the basis of age, shall not apply to unemancipated persons under the age of eighteen years. (h) Applicability; discrimination against persons with children. The provisions of this subdivision with respect to discrimination against persons with whom children are, may be or would be residing shall not apply to housing for older persons as defined in paragraphs two and three of subdivision (b) of section thirty-six hundred seven of title forty-two of the United States code and any regulations promulgated thereunder. (i) Applicability; senior citizen housing. The provisions of this subdivision with respect to discrimination on the basis of age shall not apply to the restriction of the sale, rental or lease of any housing accommodation, land or commercial space or an interest therein exclusively to persons fifty-five years of age or older. This paragraph shall not be construed to permit discrimination against such persons fifty-five years of age or older on the basis of whether children are, may be or would be residing in such housing accommodation or land or an interest therein unless such discrimination is otherwise permitted pursuant to paragraph (h) of this subdivision.
(j) Applicability; dormitory residence operated by educational institution. The provisions of this subdivision relating to discrimination on the basis of gender in housing accommodations shall not prohibit any educational institution from making gender distinctions in dormitory residences which would be permitted under sections 86.32 and 86.33 of title forty-five of the code of federal regulations for educational institutions covered thereunder. (k) Applicability; dormitory-type housing accommodations. The provisions of this subdivision which prohibit distinctions on the basis of gender and whether children are, may be or would be residing with a person shall not apply to dormitory-type housing accommodations including, but not limited to, shelters for the homeless where such distinctions are intended to recognize generally accepted values of personal modesty and privacy or to protect the health, safety or welfare of families with children. (l) Exemption for special needs of particular age group in publicly-assisted housing accommodations. Nothing in this subdivision shall restrict the consideration of age in the rental of publicly-assisted housing accommodations if the state division of human rights grants an exemption pursuant to section two hundred ninety-six of the executive law based on bona fide considerations of public policy for the purpose of providing for the special needs of a particular age group without the intent of prejudicing other age groups; provided however, that this paragraph shall not be construed to permit discrimination on the basis of whether children are, may be or would be residing in such housing accommodations unless such discrimination is otherwise permitted pursuant to paragraph (h) of this section. (m) Applicability; use of criteria or qualifications in publicly-assisted housing accommodations. The provisions of this subdivision shall not be construed to prohibit the use of criteria or qualifications of eligibility for the sale, rental, leasing or occupancy of publicly-assisted housing accommodations where such criteria or qualifications are required to comply with federal or state law, or are necessary to obtain the benefits of a federal or state program, or to prohibit the use of statements, advertisements, publications, applications or inquiries to the extent that they state such criteria or qualifications or request information necessary to determine or verify the eligibility of an applicant, tenant, purchaser, lessee or occupant. (n) Discrimination on the basis of occupation prohibited in housing accommodations. Where a housing accommodation or an interest therein is sought or occupied exclusively for residential purposes, the provisions of this subdivision shall be construed to prohibit discrimination in the sale, rental, or leasing of such housing accommodation or interest therein and in the terms, conditions and privileges of the sale, rental or leasing of such housing accommodation or interest therein and in the furnishing of facilities or services in connection therewith, on account of a person's occupation. 6. Aiding and abetting. It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for any person to aid, abet, incite, compel or coerce the doing of any of the acts forbidden under this chapter, or to attempt to do so. 7. Retaliation. It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for any person engaged in any activity to which this chapter applies to retaliate or discriminate in any manner against any person because such person has (i) opposed any practice forbidden under this chapter, (ii) filed a complaint, testified or assisted in any proceeding under this chapter, (iii) commenced a civil action alleging the commission of an act which would be an unlawful discriminatory practice under this chapter, (iv) assisted the commission or the corporation counsel in an
investigation commenced pursuant to this title, or (v) provided any information to the commission pursuant to the terms of a conciliation agreement made pursuant to section 8-115 of this chapter. The retaliation or discrimination complained of under this subdivision need not result in an ultimate action with respect to employment, housing or a public accommodation or in a materially adverse change in the terms and conditions of employment, housing, or a public accommodation, provided, however, that the retaliatory or discriminatory act or acts complained of must be reasonably likely to deter a person from engaging in protected activity. 8. Violation of conciliation agreement. It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for any party to a conciliation agreement made pursuant to section 8-115 of this chapter to violate the terms of such agreement. 9. Licenses and permits. It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice: (a) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (c), for an agency authorized to issue a license or permit or an employee thereof to discriminate against an applicant for a license or permit because of the actual or perceived race, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, marital status, partnership status, disability, sexual orientation or alienage or citizenship status of such applicant. (b) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (c), for an agency authorized to issue a license or permit or an employee thereof to declare, print or circulate or cause to be declared, printed or circulated any statement, advertisement or publication, or to use any form of application for a license or permit or to make any inquiry in connection with any such application, which expresses, directly or indirectly, any limitation, specification or discrimination as to race, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, marital status, partnership status, disability, sexual orientation or alienage or citizenship status, or any intent to make any such limitation, specification or discrimination. (c) Nothing contained in this subdivision shall be construed to bar an agency authorized to issue a license or permit from using age or disability as a criterion for determining eligibility for a license or permit when specifically required to do so by any other provision of law. 10. Criminal conviction. (a) It shall be unlawful discriminatory practice for any person to deny any license or permit or employment to any person by reason of his or her having been convicted of one or more criminal offenses, or by reason of a finding of a lack of "good moral character" which is based on his or her having been convicted of one or more criminal offenses, when such denial is in violation of the provisions of article twenty-three-a of the correction law. (b) Pursuant to section seven hundred fifty-five of the correction law, the provisions of this subdivision shall be enforceable against public agencies by a proceeding brought pursuant to article seventy-eight of the civil practice law and rules, and the provisions of this subdivision shall be enforceable against private employers by the commission through the administrative procedure provided for in this chapter or as provided in chapter five of this title. For purposes of this paragraph only, the terms "public agency" and "private employer" shall have the meaning given such terms in section seven hundred fifty of the correction law. 11. Arrest record. It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice, unless specifically required or permitted by any other law, for any person to make any inquiry about, whether in any form of application or
otherwise, or to act upon adversely to the person involved, any arrest or criminal accusation of such person not then pending against that person which was followed by a termination of that criminal action or proceeding in favor of such person, as defined in subdivision two of section 160.50 of the criminal procedure law, in connection with the licensing, employment or providing of credit to such person; provided, however, that the prohibition of such inquiries or adverse action shall not apply to licensing activities in relation to the regulation of guns, firearms and other deadly weapons or in relation to an application for employment as a police officer or peace officer as those terms are defined in subdivisions thirty-three and thirty-four of section 1.20 of the criminal procedure law. 12. Religious principles. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to bar any religious or denominational institution or organization or any organization operated for charitable or educational purposes, which is operated, supervised or controlled by or in connection with a religious organization, from limiting employment or sales or rental of housing accommodations or admission to or giving preference to persons of the same religion or denomination or from making such selection as is calculated by such organization to promote the religious principles for which it is established or maintained. 13. Employer liability for discriminatory conduct by employee, agent or independent contractor. a. An employer shall be liable for an unlawful discriminatory practice based upon the conduct of an employee or agent which is in violation of any provision of this section other than subdivisions one and two of this section. b. An employer shall be liable for an unlawful discriminatory practice based upon the conduct of an employee or agent which is in violation of subdivision one or two of this section only where: (1) the employee or agent exercised managerial or supervisory responsibility; or (2) the employer knew of the employee's or agent's discriminatory conduct, and acquiesced in such conduct or failed to take immediate and appropriate corrective action; an employer shall be deemed to have knowledge of an employee's or agent's discriminatory conduct where that conduct was known by another employee or agent who exercised managerial or supervisory responsibility; or (3) the employer should have known of the employee's or agent's discriminatory conduct and failed to exercise reasonable diligence to prevent such discriminatory conduct. c. An employer shall be liable for an unlawful discriminatory practice committed by a person employed as an independent contractor, other than an agent of such employer, to carry out work in furtherance of the employer's business enterprise only where such discriminatory conduct was committed in the course of such employment and the employer had actual knowledge of and acquiesced in such conduct. d. Where liability of an employer has been established pursuant to this section and is based solely on the conduct of an employee, agent, or independent contractor, the employer shall be permitted to plead and prove that prior to the discriminatory conduct for which it was found liable it had: (1) Established and complied with policies, programs and procedures for the prevention and detection of unlawful discriminatory practices by employees, agents and persons employed as independent contractors, including but not limited to: (i) A meaningful and responsive procedure for investigating complaints of discriminatory practices by employees, agents and persons employed as
independent contractors and for taking appropriate action against those persons who are found to have engaged in such practices; (ii) A firm policy against such practices which is effectively communicated to employees, agents and persons employed as independent contractors; (iii) A program to educate employees and agents about unlawful discriminatory practices under local, state and federal law; and (iv) Procedures for the supervision of employees and agents and for the oversight of persons employed as independent contractors specifically directed at the prevention and detection of such practices; and (2) A record of no, or relatively few, prior incidents of discriminatory conduct by such employee, agent or person employed as an independent contractor or other employees, agents or persons employed as independent contractors. e. The demonstration of any or all of the factors listed above in addition to any other relevant factors shall be considered in mitigation of the amount of civil penalties to be imposed by the commission pursuant to this chapter or in mitigation of civil penalties or punitive damages which may be imposed pursuant to chapter four or five of this title and shall be among the factors considered in determining an employer's liability under subparagraph three of paragraph b of this subdivision. f. The commission may establish by rule policies, programs and procedures which may be implemented by employers for the prevention and detection of unlawful discriminatory practices by employees, agents and persons employed as independent contractors. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, an employer found to be liable for an unlawful discriminatory practice based solely on the conduct of an employee, agent or person employed as an independent contractor who pleads and proves that such policies, programs and procedures had been implemented and complied with at the time of the unlawful conduct shall not be liable for any civil penalties which may be imposed pursuant to this chapter or any civil penalties or punitive damages which may be imposed pursuant to chapter four or five of this title for such unlawful discriminatory practices. 14. Applicability; alienage or citizenship status. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, it shall not be an unlawful discriminatory practice for any person to discriminate on the ground of alienage or citizenship status, or to make any inquiry as to a person's alienage or citizenship status, or to give preference to a person who is a citizen or national of the United States over an equally qualified person who is an alien, when such discrimination is required or when such preference is expressly permitted by any law or regulation of the United States, the state of New York or the city of New York, and when such law or regulation does not provide that state or local law may be more protective of aliens; provided, however, that this provision shall not prohibit inquiries or determinations based on alienage or citizenship status when such actions are necessary to obtain the benefits of a federal program. An applicant for a license or permit issued by the city of New York may be required to be authorized to work in the United States whenever by law or regulation there is a limit on the number of such licenses or permits which may be issued. 15. Applicability; persons with disabilities. (a) Requirement to make reasonable accommodation to the needs of persons with disabilities. Except as provided in paragraph (b), any person prohibited by the provisions of this section from discriminating on the basis of disability shall make reasonable accommodation to enable
a person with a disability to satisfy the essential requisites of a job or enjoy the right or rights in question provided that the disability is known or should have been known by the covered entity. (b) Affirmative defense in disability cases. In any case where the need for reasonable accommodation is placed in issue, it shall be an affirmative defense that the person aggrieved by the alleged discriminatory practice could not, with reasonable accommodation, satisfy the essential requisites of the job or enjoy the right or rights in question. (c) Use of drugs or alcohol. Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit a covered entity from (i) prohibiting the illegal use of drugs or the use of alcohol at the workplace or on duty impairment from the illegal use of drugs or the use of alcohol, or (ii) conducting drug testing which is otherwise lawful. 16. Applicability; sexual orientation. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to: a. Restrict an employer's right to insist that an employee meet bona fide job-related qualifications of employment; b. Authorize or require employers to establish affirmative action quotas based on sexual orientation or to make inquiries regarding the sexual orientation of current or prospective employees; c. Limit or override the present exemptions in the human rights law, including those relating to employment concerns employing fewer than four persons, as provided in subdivision five of section 8-102; owner-occupied dwellings, as provided in paragraph (a) of subdivision five of section 8-107; or any religious or denominational institution or organization, or any organization operated for charitable or educational purposes, which is operated, supervised or controlled by or in connection with a religious organization, as provided in subdivision twelve of section 8-107 of this chapter; d. Make lawful any act that violates the penal law of the state of New York; or e. Endorse any particular behavior or way of life. 17. Disparate impact. a. An unlawful discriminatory practice based upon disparate impact is established when: (1) the commission or a person who may bring an action under chapter four or five of this title demonstrates that a policy or practice of a covered entity or a group of policies or practices of a covered entity results in a disparate impact to the detriment of any group protected by the provisions of this chapter; and (2) the covered entity fails to plead and prove as an affirmative defense that each such policy or practice bears a significant relationship to a significant business objective of the covered entity or does not contribute to the disparate impact; provided, however, that if the commission or such person who may bring an action demonstrates that a group of policies or practices results in a disparate impact, the commission or such person shall not be required to demonstrate which specific policies or practices within the group results in such disparate impact; provided further, that a policy or practice or group of policies or practices demonstrated to result in a disparate impact shall be unlawful where the commission or such person who may bring an action produces substantial evidence that an alternative policy or practice with less disparate impact is available to the covered entity and the covered entity fails to prove that such alternative policy or practice would not serve the covered entity as well. "Significant business objective" shall include, but not be limited to, successful performance of the job.
b. The mere existence of a statistical imbalance between a covered entity's challenged demographic composition and the general population is not alone sufficient to establish a prima facie case of disparate impact violation unless the general population is shown to be the relevant pool for comparison, the imbalance is shown to be statistically significant and there is an identifiable policy or practice or group of policies or practices that allegedly causes the imbalance. c. Nothing contained in this subdivision shall be construed to mandate or endorse the use of quotas; provided, however, that nothing contained in this subdivision shall be construed to limit the scope of the commission's authority pursuant to sections 8-115 and 8-120 of this chapter or to affect court-ordered remedies or settlements that are otherwise in accordance with law. 18. Unlawful boycott or blacklist. It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice (i) for any person to discriminate against, boycott or blacklist or to refuse to buy from, sell to or trade with, any person, because of such person's actual or perceived race, creed, color, national origin, gender, disability, age, marital status, partnership status, sexual orientation or alienage or citizenship status or of such person's partners, members, stockholders, directors, officers, managers, superintendents, agents, employees, business associates, suppliers or customers, or (ii) for any person willfully to do any act or refrain from doing any act which enables any such person to take such action. This subdivision shall not apply to: (a) Boycotts connected with labor disputes; (b) Boycotts to protest unlawful discriminatory practices; or (c) Any form of expression that is protected by the First Amendment. 19. Interference with protected rights. It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for any person to coerce, intimidate, threaten or interfere with, or attempt to coerce, intimidate, threaten or interfere with, any person in the exercise or enjoyment of, or on account of his or her having aided or encouraged any other person in the exercise or enjoyment of, any right granted or protected pursuant to this section. 20. Relationship or association. The provisions of this section set forth as unlawful discriminatory practices shall be construed to prohibit such discrimination against a person because of the actual or perceived race, creed, color, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation or alienage or citizenship status of a person with whom such person has a known relationship or association.

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