OPINION & ORDER Plaintiff Elizabeth Molina, a Modern Orthodox Jew of Sephardic heritage, brings this action against Defendant kaleo, alleging it discriminated against her on the basis of her religion. Plaintiff claims Defendant subjected her to a hostile work environment, failed to provide her with a reasonable accommodation for her observance of the Sabbath and Jewish dietary restrictions, and retaliated against her for her complaints and requests, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. §§2000e to 2000e-17 and the New York City of Human Rights Law, N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§8-101 et seq. Before the Court is Defendant’s motion to compel arbitration in Virginia and stay this action, to transfer the case to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, or to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction or failure to state a claim. For the reasons set forth below, Defendant’s motion to compel arbitration and stay this action is granted.BACKGROUND1Plaintiff signed an Employment Agreement and a Loyalty Agreement (together, the “Agreements”) with Defendant on November 19, 2015.2 The Employment Agreement provides, inter alia:THE PARTIES AGREE THAT ANY CONTROVERSY, CLAIM OR DISPUTE ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE LOYALTY AGREEMENT, OR THE BREACH THEREOF, OR ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE EMPLOYMENT OF THE EMPLOYEE, OR THE TERMINATION THEREOF, INCLUDING ANY STATUTORY OR COMMON LAW CLAIMS UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR LOCAL LAW, INCLUDING ALL LAWS PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION IN THE WORKPLACE, SHALL BE RESOLVED BY ARBITRATION BEFORE A SINGLE ARBITRATOR IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRINGIA [sic] IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE EMPLOYMENT ARBITRATION RULES AND MEDIATION PROCEDURES OF THE AMERICAN ARBITRATION ASSOCIATION.First Amended Complaint, Ex. A 12 (“FAC”) (emphasis in original). The Loyalty Agreement includes the following provision:SUBJECT TO THE REQUIREMENT TO ARBITRATE AS SET FORTH IN AY EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE COMPANY AND ME, THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY CONSENT TO THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE FOLLOWING COURTS IN MATTERS RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT OR MY EMPLOYMENT WITH THE COMPANY AND AGREE NOT TO COMMENCE ANY SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING RELATING THERETO EXCEPT IN ANY OF SUCH COURTS: THE STATE COURTS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA OR THE COURTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA LOCATED IN THE CITY OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.FAC, Ex. B. 14(a)(i) (emphasis in original). In short, the Employment Agreement mandates arbitration for all disputes arising from Plaintiff’s employment with Defendant, and the Loyalty Agreement, subject to this requirement, provides for exclusive jurisdiction in Virginia for any judicial proceedings between the parties. After signing the Agreements, Plaintiff began a successful period of employment for the remainder of 2015 and 2016, during which Defendant’s management team praised her performance. FAC
20-21. That ended in October 2016, however, when Defendant hired Angela Nicoletta as Plaintiff’s direct supervisor, who allegedly began to discriminate against her due to her adherence to Orthodox Judaism. According to Plaintiff, Nicoletta “discredited, undermined, and humiliated” her in front of clients, made disparaging comments about her religious attire, refused to accommodate her observance of the Sabbath, and held her to stricter standards than those to which she held non-Jewish employees. E.g. id.
