News
Transgender Patient Sues Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for Years of Discriminatory Treatment
Wardenski P.C. and Correia & Puth, PLLC have filed a civil rights lawsuit in New York state court against Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in New York City on behalf of Jennifer Capasso, a transgender woman who has experienced years of hostile and discriminatory treatment at MSK during cancer treatments.
Court Denies Multi-State Housing Provider’s Motions to Dismiss Disability Rights Suit
On March 18, 2025, a federal judge in Delaware allowed fair housing disability rights claims brought by three fair housing organizations and the United States of America against AION Management, a multi-state rental housing provider, to proceed. The court denied AION’s motions to dismiss claims that its properties refuse to consider assigned parking spaces as a reasonable accommodation for tenants with mobility-related disabilities.
Federal Court Blocks Discriminatory Transgender Military Ban
On March 18, U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes issued a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking the Trump Administration from enforcing its discriminatory ban on military service by transgender people, holding that the plaintiffs, transgender active-duty service members and enlistees, will likely prove that the ban is unconstitutional.
Wardenski P.C. Joins NCLR and GLAD in Challenging Trump’s Transgender Military Ban
On January 28, 2025, Wardenski P.C. joined the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) in filing a lawsuit challenging Donald Trump’s ban on military service by transgender people.
Wardenski P.C. and Public Justice Sue South Carolina to Block Anti-Trans ‘Bathroom Law’
Wardenski P.C., together with Public Justice, has filed a class action lawsuit against the State of South Carolina and other defendants challenging a discriminatory state law that prohibits transgender students from using restrooms corresponding to their gender identities in public K-12 schools.
Wardenski P.C. Files Class Action Against Aetna for Denying Gender-Affirming Facial Surgeries
On September 10, 2024, Wardenski P.C., Advocates for Trans Equality, and Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, filed a class action civil rights lawsuit against Aetna challenging the health insurer's discriminatory exclusion on facial gender-affirming surgeries for transgender policyholders.
Federal Court Bars Wisconsin School District from Denying Transgender Student Access to Girls’ Restrooms
On August 1, 2024, a Wisconsin federal judge granted a preliminary injunction to our client, a 13-year-old transgender girl, ordering the Elkhorn Area School District to provide our client access to girls’ restrooms at her middle school.
Wardenski P.C. Welcomes José Vallejo-Jimenez as Summer Associate
Wardenski P.C. welcomes José Vallejo-Jimenez (Northeastern Law ‘25) as the firm’s 2024 Summer Associate.
Transgender Middle School Student Files Sues Wisconsin School District for Denying Her Access to Girls’ Restrooms
On March 21, 2024, a transgender middle school student sued the Elkhorn Area School District in Wisconsin for denying her access to girls’ restrooms at school, violating her rights under Title IX and the Fourteenth Amendment.
NYC Bar Association Features Joe Wardenski on “This Lawyer’s Life” Podcast
The NYC Bar Association featured Wardenski P.C. founder Joe Wardenski on its February 16, 2024, episode of “This Lawyer’s Life.” In the podcast, Joe discusses his civil rights career, his advocacy for LGBTQ+ students, and the challenges of launching his own law firm.
Fair Housing Groups Join Disability Discrimination Lawsuit Against Major Rental Apartment Provider
Three fair housing organizations have joined a federal fair housing lawsuit against AION Management, a major apartment rental provider in the mid-Atlantic and Midwest, alleging the company discriminates against persons with disabilities by refusing to grant reasonable accommodation requests for assigned parking spaces.
Allie Vance Rejoins Firm as Inaugural Nigel Shelby Civil Rights Litigation Fellow
Wardenski P.C. is delighted to announce that Alexandra (Allie) Vance has rejoined the firm as our inaugural Nigel Shelby Civil Rights Litigation Fellow. Allie will support the firm’s civil rights litigation work, with a particular focus on our work advocating for students’ rights and LGBTQ+ equality.
Virginia Family Settles Fair Housing Lawsuit Against Former Landlords
Wardenski P.C. clients Claire Payton and Jonathan Katz have reached a settlement of their federal fair housing lawsuit against their former landlords for refusing to renew their apartment lease after learning they were expecting their first child. The settlement requires the landlords to pay Payton and Katz $137,500, and to take a course on fair housing protections for families with children.
Wardenski P.C. Welcomes Summer 2023 Law Clerks
Wardenski P.C. welcomes Leora Johnson, a law student at the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law, and Aaron Pinkett, a law student at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, as the firm’s Summer 2023 law clerks.
Camika Shelby Remembers Her Son Nigel, Describes Her Fight for Other LGBTQ+ Students
Our client, Camika Shelby, writes in HuffPost about her son Nigel and how his tragic loss has driven her to advocate for the rights of other LGBTQ+ students facing discrimination and harassment at school.
Alabama School District to Bolster LGBTQ+ Protections as Part of Settlement with Family of Nigel Shelby
An Alabama school district and the family of Nigel Shelby, a ninth-grade student who died by suicide in 2019 after experiencing severe anti-gay harassment at school, have reached a settlement that requires the district to strengthen its protections for LGBTQ+ students.
Wardenski P.C. Welcomes Spring 2023 Law Clerks
Wardenski P.C. welcomes Ashley Toruno, a second-year law student at the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law, and Allie Vance, a third-year law student at New York University School of Law, as the firm’s Spring 2023 law clerks.
Wardenski P.C. Files Amicus Brief for Fair Housing Groups in Disability Rights Case
On December 20, 2022, Wardenski P.C. filed a proposed amicus brief on behalf of the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) and five New York fair housing organizations, urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to affirm a major disability rights victory against a Connecticut town.
Comprehensive Agreement Reached to Settle South Dakota Tribes’ “Motor-Voter” Lawsuit
A federal court has approved a settlement agreement in Rosebud Sioux Tribe v. Barnett, resolving a lawsuit challenging the State of South Dakota’s numerous violations of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). The agreement will expand voter registration opportunities for all South Dakota residents, particularly in Native American communities.
Virginia Couple Forced Out of Apartment for Having a Baby Sues Former Landlords
On July 27, Wardenski P.C. filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of a Charlottesville, Virginia couple against their former landlords for refusing to renew their lease after learning that they were expecting their first child. The lawsuit alleges that the landlords violated federal and state fair housing laws and forced them to move out with a weeks-old newborn during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.