Series II: Legal Files, 1979-1993, inclusive
Language of Materials
Extent
Scope and Content Note
The series consists of legal documents and subject files from court cases brought by Brenda Berkman against the City of New York and the New York City Fire Department between 1977 and 1993, and from an unsuccessful appeal by the City of New York to Judge Charles Sifton's 1982 ruling that the City had discriminated against women through its physical exam. The series includes materials from the following cases: Brenda Berkman et al. v. City of New York et al. (Case No. 79, C 1813) Class Action Suit (also known as "Berkman v. City of New York"), 1977-1990; Brenda Berkman et al. v. City of New York et al. (Case no. 82-7654) Appeal, 1982 (also known as "Berkman v. City of New York, Appeal"); and Brenda Berkman v. New York City Fire Department, Carlos Rivera, and Selig Ginsberg (Case no. E-92-0575), 1991-1993 (also known as "Berkman v. NYCFD").
Arrangement
This series is divided into three subseries by legal case. Subseries A: Brenda Berkman et al. v. City of New York et al. (Case No. 79, C 1813)--Class Action Suit Legal Documents and Subseries B: Brenda Berkman et al. v. City of New York et al. (Case No. 79, C 1813)--Class Action Suit Subject Files address the same lawsuit but have been divided based on official legal records and personal records.
Subseries A: Brenda Berkman et al. v. City of New York et al. (Case No. 79, C 1813) -- Class Action Suit, Legal Documents, 1979-1986, inclusive
Language of Materials
Scope and Content Note
This subseries is comprised of legal documents (defendants' filings, exhibits, plaintiff's filings, and testimony), relating to the court case Berkman v. City of New York. This material covers not only the original case, but seven subsequent suits related to the dismissal and reinstatement with back-pay of firefighters Brenda Berkman and Zaida Gonzalez in 1983, the harassment cases of firefighters Katrina Cannon and Ella McNair, and the revised physical exam, 1162.
Arrangement
This subseries is arranged chronologically by the filing date of plaintiff and defendant papers or date of testimony.
Complaint -- Class Action Suit (decided Mar 4, 1982), 1979, inclusive
Depositions -- Berkman (decided Mar 4, 1982), 1979, inclusive
Plaintiff's Papers (decided Mar 4, 1982) I-II, 1980 - 1981, inclusive
Memorandum, Decision, and Order (decided Mar 4, 1982), 1982, inclusive
Defendant's Papers (decided Dec 8, 1983) I-IV, 1983, inclusive
Memorandum and Order (decided Dec 8, 1983), 1983, inclusive
Plaintiff's Papers (decided Dec 8, 1983), 1983, inclusive
Plaintiff's Papers (decided Dec 8, 1983) I-IX, 1983, inclusive
Testimony (decided Dec 8, 1983) I-VII, 1983, inclusive
Plaintiff's Papers (decided May 13, 1986) I, 1984, inclusive
Plaintiff's Papers (decided May 13, 1986), 1984, inclusive
Plaintiff's Papers (decided Nov 6, 1986), 1984, inclusive
Plaintiff's Papers (decided Oct 24, 1986) I-II, 1984, inclusive
Plaintiff's Papers (decided Oct 8, 1985) I-III, 1985, inclusive
Plaintiff's Papers (decided May 13, 1986) I-II, 1985, inclusive
Testimony (decided Oct 8, 1985) I-V, 1985, inclusive
Plaintiff's Papers (decided Feb 17, 1987), 1985, inclusive
Plaintiff's Papers (decided May 13, 1986), 1986, inclusive
Defendant's Papers (decided Feb 17, 1987) I-II, 1986, inclusive
Defendant's Papers (decided Feb 17, 1987), 1986, inclusive
Order (decided Feb 17, 1987), 1986, inclusive
Plaintiff's Papers (decided Feb 17, 1987) I-III, 1986, inclusive
Class Action Suit -- Proceedings, undated, inclusive
Subseries B: Brenda Berkman et al. v. City of New York et al. (Case No. 79, C 1813) -- Class Action Suit, Subject Files, 1979-1990, inclusive
Language of Materials
Scope and Content Note
This subseries is comprised of subject files (clippings, correspondence, notes and research) relating to the court case Berkman v. City of New York. This material covers not only the original case, but seven subsequent suits related to the dismissal and reinstatement with back-pay of firefighters Brenda Berkman and Zaida Gonzalez in 1983, the harassment cases of firefighters Katrina Cannon and Ella McNair, and the revised physical exam, 1162.
Arrangement
This subseries is arranged alphabetically by subject or document type.
Cannon, Katrina (I-III), 1986, inclusive
Correspondence, 1982-1990, inclusive
McNair, Ella, 1986-1989, inclusive
Notes and Research, 1979-1987, inclusive
Subseries C: Brenda Berkman et al. v. City of New York et al. (Case no. 82-7654) -- Appeal, 1982, inclusive
Language of Materials
Scope and Content Note
This subseries consists of legal documents related to the unsuccessful appeal by the City of New York to Judge Sifton's 1982 ruling in Berkman v. City of New York.
Appeal, 1982, inclusive
Appeal -- Exhibits -- Transcriptions of Tapes, 1982, inclusive
Subseries D: Brenda Berkman v. New York City Fire Department, Carlos Rivera, and Selig Ginsberg (Case no. E-92-0575), 1987-1993, inclusive
Language of Materials
Scope and Content Note
This subseries consists of subject files, and includes correspondence, clippings, court papers, medical records, and press conference materials concerning Berkman's 1992 sexual harassment suit (Berkman v. NYCFD) against the New York City Fire Department, Fire Commissioner Carlos Rivera, and departmental physician, Dr. Selig Ginsberg.
Arrangement
This subseries is arranged alphabetically by subject and record type.
