St. Juste v. YAI

Background

Athena St. Juste brought a self-represented lawsuit against YAI under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. She alleged that her employer discriminated against her because of her religion. The court understood the complaint to also assert claims under the New York City Human Rights Law and the New York State Human Rights Law.

The court had previously allowed St. Juste to proceed without paying filing fees in advance. In such a case, the court explained, the plaintiff may rely on the court and the U.S. Marshals Service to complete service of the summons and complaint.

Order

The court directed the Clerk of Court to complete the U.S. Marshals Service process forms for YAI, issue a summons, and deliver the necessary paperwork to the Marshals Service so it could serve YAI. The court extended the time for service to 90 days after the summons is issued because St. Juste could not have served the papers before the court reviewed the complaint and ordered issuance of the summons.

If service is not completed within that 90-day period, the order states that St. Juste should request an extension of time. The court also directed her to notify the court in writing if her address changes and stated that the action could be dismissed if she fails to do so. The Clerk was directed to mail St. Juste an information package.

Effect of the Order

This was an order about starting the service process. It did not decide the merits of St. Juste’s discrimination allegations or determine whether YAI violated any law.