Last month, the New York State Senate gave the formal go-ahead to Senate Bill S6577, legislation that aims to expand harassment and discrimination laws, and once signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo, one that will have sweeping implications for employers in New York state. In addition to eliminating certain defenses for employers, such as the Faragher-Ellerth defense, which gives employers the opportunity to remedy claims of discrimination or harassment by requiring employees to follow internal complaint procedures, and expanding the remedies available for parties that have been subjected to discrimination and/or harassment claims to include punitive damages and attorney fees, one of the most striking elements of the bill is its treatment of mandatory arbitration provisions.

http://www.thefashionlaw.com/home/new-york-state-senate-has-passed-a-bill-that-wipes-out-mandatory-arbitration-in-harassment-discrimination-cases