Aisha Johnson

Correspondent

Aisha Johnson

Federal courthouse correspondent, covers civil rights, employment discrimination, housing rights, and Second Amendment disputes.

Civil Rights & Constitutional

Decisions covered by Aisha Johnson

1,700 decisions
Nov 13 2024
2nd Cir. 23-700 Panel Decision

Peterson v. Bank Markazi

The Second Circuit affirmed in part and vacated in part, holding that the district court lacked subject matter jurisdiction over the turnover claim against Bank Markazi but possessed personal jurisdiction over Clearstream. The court further ruled that while Section 8772 is constitutional, the district court erred in granting summary judgment without first determining asset ownership under state law.

Bankruptcy Civil Summary Judgment
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Nov 13 2024
2nd Cir. 23-614 Panel Decision

Peterson v. Bank Markazi

The Second Circuit affirmed the district court's exercise of personal jurisdiction over Clearstream and the constitutionality of 22 U.S.C. § 8772, but vacated the summary judgment against Bank Markazi. The court held that the district court lacked subject matter jurisdiction over the turnover claim against Bank Markazi and erred by failing to apply state law to determine ownership interests in the assets.

Bankruptcy Civil Summary Judgment
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Nov 13 2024
2nd Cir. 22-1801 Per Curiam

New Yorkers for Religious Liberty, Inc. v. City of New York

The Second Circuit affirmed the dismissal of facial challenges to New York City's COVID-19 vaccination mandate for public school employees, ruling the policy neutral and generally applicable. However, the court vacated and remanded the dismissal of as-applied religious exemption claims for two plaintiffs, requiring the district court to evaluate whether their denials improperly judged the nature of their beliefs.

Civil Civil Rights - Employment
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Nov 13 2024
2nd Cir. 22-1876 Per Curiam

New Yorkers for Religious Liberty, Inc. v. City of New York

The Second Circuit affirmed the dismissal of facial challenges to New York City's COVID-19 vaccination mandate for school employees, applying rational basis review. However, the court vacated and remanded the dismissal of as-applied claims for two plaintiffs, finding the district court erred by not applying strict scrutiny to the denial of their religious exemptions.

Civil Civil Rights - Employment
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Nov 6 2024
2nd Cir. 22-2650 Panel Decision

Flynn v. McGraw Hill LLC

The Second Circuit vacated the dismissal of a breach-of-contract claim against McGraw Hill, ruling that the publisher's 'own expense' clause was ambiguous regarding digital distribution costs. While affirming the dismissal of claims related to 'net receipts' definitions, the court remanded the case to allow authors to proceed with allegations that the publisher shifted publishing expenses to them.

Civil Insurance
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Nov 4 2024
2nd Cir. 22-2327 Panel Decision

CARRÉ SUTTON v. TRUDI TAPSCOTT GÉRALD MARIE

The Second Circuit reversed the dismissal of a Child Victims Act claim, clarifying that New York law revives claims for out-of-state abuse if the victim was a New York resident when the cause of action accrued. The court also vacated a dismissal for lack of personal jurisdiction, ruling that the district court erred by raising the defense sua sponte without providing the plaintiff notice or an opportunity to plead facts.

Civil Civil Rights - ADA / Other
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Nov 1 2024
2nd Cir. 23-1080 Panel Decision

Schiebel v. Schoharie Central School District

The Second Circuit reversed the dismissal of a Title IX claim, holding that a school district's investigation into a male educator could plausibly constitute sex discrimination. The court found the complaint sufficiently detailed to support allegations of a sham investigation and sex-based bias by the Title IX coordinator.

Civil Civil Rights - Employment
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Oct 17 2024
9th Cir. 21-304 2-1

Claudia Elena Montejo-Gonzalez; Dany Juan Francisco Montejo; Maria Natalia Francisco Montejo v. Merrick B. Garland, Attorney General

The Ninth Circuit held that the Immigration Judge and Board of Immigration Appeals abused their discretion by failing to consider the totality of circumstances regarding exceptional circumstances to reopen in absentia removal orders. The court reasoned that uncontrollable car accidents and a lack of evasion motive, combined with the unconscionable results for minor children eligible for derivative citizenship, warranted reopening the proceedings.

Civil Immigration (Civil)
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Oct 17 2024
9th Cir. 24-6326 Unpublished

Vazquez-Mendez v. Blanche

The Ninth Circuit denied a petition for review of a Board of Immigration Appeals order denying a motion to reopen. The court found the petitioner failed to demonstrate due diligence in discovering his counsel's error over a nearly six-year period.

Civil Immigration (Civil)
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