Case: EEOC v. JONES APPAREL GROUP INC and NINE WEST FOOTWEAR CORP

7:04-cv-07781 | U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

Filed Date: Sept. 30, 2004

Closed Date: May 17, 2009

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Case Summary

In September 2004, the New York District Office of the EEOC filed this suit against Jones Apparel Group, Inc. and Nine West Footwear Corp. in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York alleging discrimination on the basis of sex and national origin in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Specifically, the defendant subjected the charging party, a female Hispanic employee, to sexual harassment consisting of solicitations for sex, offensive comments, and unwelcome touching. In addition, the defendant subjected the charging party to a hostile work environment on the basis of national origin as well, making offensive and demeaning comments that ridiculed her because she was Hispanic. The defendant also retaliated against the charging party after she complained of the harassment by threatening to fire her and further harassing her, resulting in her constructive discharge. After a few scheduling orders, the parties submitted a preliminary consent decree for approval in September 2005, but they did not reach a final agreement until May 2006 when the final consent decree was approved by the Court. The three-year decree, containing non-discrimination and non-retaliation clauses, required the defendant to: post a notice of resolution, maintain and distribute anti-discrimination policies and complaint procedures, provide annual EEO training for all employees, and report to the EEOC at specified intervals. In addition, the defendant agreed to pay $600,000 into a Claims Fund to be distributed to the victims of sexual harassment, national origin harassment or retaliation and to provide the charging party with a neutral reference. The docket sheet doesn't show any further enforcement took place; the case was presumably closed in 2009.

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Summary Authors

Michele Marxkors (6/15/2007)

Clearinghouse (6/11/2017)

People

Judge(s)

Brieant, Charles L. (New York)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Arenson, Steven (New York)

Dreiband, Eric S. (District of Columbia)

Grossman, Elizabeth (New York)

Attorney for Defendant

Fink, Robert Franklin (New York)

Judge(s)

Brieant, Charles L. (New York)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Arenson, Steven (New York)

Dreiband, Eric S. (District of Columbia)

Grossman, Elizabeth (New York)

Lee, James L. (District of Columbia)

Reams, Gwendolyn Young (District of Columbia)

Rose, Robert S. (New York)

Sirkin, Lisa (New York)

Attorney for Defendant

Fink, Robert Franklin (New York)

Harris, Barbara Jill (New York)

Israel, Sam Peter (New York)

Kee, Conrad Shawn (New York)

Robbins, Howard Zachary (New York)

Stein, Joshua Adam (New York)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

	Document
7:04-cv-07781	Docket (PACER) U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Jones Apparel Group, Inc.	May 17, 2006	May 17, 2006 Docket
1 7:04-cv-07781	Complaint U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Jones Apparel Group, Inc.	Sept. 30, 2004	Sept. 30, 2004 Complaint
6 7:04-cv-01671	Consent Decree U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Jones Apparel Group, Inc.	Sept. 21, 2005	Sept. 21, 2005 Order/Opinion
9 7:04-cv-07781	Consent Decree (Final) U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Jones Apparel Group, Inc.	May 17, 2006	May 17, 2006 Settlement Agreement
04-cv-07514	Nine West, Jones Apparel Group to Pay $600,000 to Settle National Origin and Sex Bias Suit U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Jones Apparel Group, Inc. No Court	May 22, 2006	May 22, 2006 Press Release

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Resources

Title	Description		External URL Date / External URL
Under the Radar: Visibility and the Effects of Discrimination Lawsuits in Small and Large Firms Carly Knight, Frank Dobbin, Alexandra Kalev	Research on how discrimination lawsuits affect corporate diversity has yielded mixed results. Qualitative studies highlight the limited efficacy of lawsuits in the typical workplace, finding that lit…	March 2022	April 1, 2022 https://cris.tau.ac.il/...

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Docket

Last updated March 24, 2025, 8:17 a.m.

ECF Number	Description	Date	Link Date / Link
1	COMPLAINT against Jones Apparel Group, Inc.. Document filed by U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.(jma, ) Additional attachment(s) added on 10/1/2004 (jma, ). (Entered: 10/01/2004)	Sept. 30, 2004	Sept. 30, 2004
	Magistrate Judge Lisa M. Smith is so designated. (jma, ) (Entered: 10/01/2004)	Sept. 30, 2004	Sept. 30, 2004
	Case Designated ECF. (jma, ) (Entered: 10/01/2004)	Sept. 30, 2004	Sept. 30, 2004
	SUMMONS ISSUED as to Jones Apparel Group, Inc.. (jma, ) (Entered: 10/01/2004)	Sept. 30, 2004	Sept. 30, 2004
2	ORDER RE SCHEDULING AND INITIAL PRETRIAL CONFERENCE:... If such a consent order is not filed within the time provided,... Initial Conference set for 11/19/2004 12:00 PM before Judge Colleen McMahon. (Signed by Judge Colleen McMahon on 10/08/04) (Attachments:, # 1 Blank Scheduling Order)(fk, ) (Entered: 10/12/2004)	Oct. 8, 2004	Oct. 8, 2004
4	NOTICE OF CASE REASSIGNMENT to Judge Stephen C. Robinson. Judge Colleen McMahon no longer assigned to the case. (fk, ) (Entered: 12/09/2004)	Nov. 30, 2004	Nov. 30, 2004
3	STIPULATION AND ORDER EXTENDING TIME TO ANSWER...So Ordered. (Signed by Judge Stephen C. Robinson on 12/2/04) (fk, ) (Entered: 12/06/2004)	Dec. 6, 2004	Dec. 6, 2004
	ENDORSED LETTER addressed to Judge Stephen C. Robinson from Howard Z. Robbins dated 2/22/05 re: All parties request an adjournment of the conference scheduled in both these actions no. 04 cv 7781; 04 cv 1671 ; Conference adjourned. New conference scheduled for 3/18/05 at 9:00 a.m. (Signed by Judge Stephen C. Robinson on 2/28/05) (Orig. doc. filed in case no. 04 cv 1671, as doc. #19)(ae, ) (Entered: 03/01/2005)	Feb. 28, 2005	Feb. 28, 2005
5	STIPULATION AND ORDER that the firm of Proskauer Rose LLP, shall be, and hereby is, substituted as counsel for defendant, named in this action as Nine West Footwear Corp. and Jones Apparel Group, Inc., in place and stead of Jackson Lewis LLP. (Signed by Judge Stephen C. Robinson on 2/28/05) (ae, ) (Entered: 03/02/2005)	Feb. 28, 2005	Feb. 28, 2005
	ENDORSED LETTER addressed to Judge Stephen C. Robinson from Howard Z. Robbins dated 3/17/05 re: Parties request an adjournment of the conference scheduled for 3/18/05 until 5/3 when they have the mediation session that's scheduled that day also; Conference adjourned. (Signed by Judge Stephen C. Robinson on 3/18/05) (Orig. doc. filed in case no. 04 cv 1671, as doc. #21) (ae, ) (Entered: 03/21/2005)	March 18, 2005	March 18, 2005
6	CONSENT DECREE; The Plaintiff EEOC and Defendants Nine West Footwear Corp., and Jones Apparel Group, Inc. have agreed to resolve this action by the terms of this Consent Decree as set forth in this Consent Decree. (Signed by Judge Stephen C. Robinson on 9/20/05) (ae, ) (Entered: 10/03/2005)	Sept. 21, 2005	Sept. 21, 2005
7	ENDORSED LETTER addressed to Juidge Stephen C. Robinson from Robert Rose dated 3/8/06 re:....to request an adjournment of the 4/4/06 fair hairing date...ENDORSEMENT: Appril 4, 2006 hearing is adjourned. So Ordered: (Signed by Judge Stephen C. Robinson on 3/14/06) Copies sent by Clerk's Office.(pf, ) (Entered: 03/17/2006)	March 14, 2006	March 14, 2006
8	MEMORANDUM DECISION & ORDER:... Ms. Romano and Ms. Delgado are eligible to participate as claimants in this case. The parties are directed to contact the Court to schedule the fairness hearing. So Ordered: (Signed by Judge Stephen C. Robinson on 4/28/06) Copies sent by Clerk's Office.(pf, ) (Entered: 05/02/2006)	May 1, 2006	May 1, 2006
9	CONSENT DECREE....So Ordered. (Signed by Judge Stephen C. Robinson on 5/16/06) (fk, ) (Entered: 05/18/2006)	May 17, 2006	May 17, 2006