Workplace Racial Discrimination

Federal law prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of race. “Race” can refer not only to a person’s skin color, but to someone’s ethnic heritage as well. Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employers are prohibited from using race as a reason for:

• Not hiring an applicant
• Firing an employee
• Transferring an employee to less attractive position
• Disciplining an employee (including putting them on a Performance Improvement Plan (“PIP”))
• Not providing the same promotions or opportunities to an employee as they do to others

If you suspect you have been a victim of racial discrimination in your workplace, contact us to have an experienced employment attorney evaluate your claim and see whether you have a case. It is not always easy to prove that the reason an employee was not treated fairly was due to their race, and you must also prove that there were negative job consequences as a result of the discrimination. Sufficient evidence must be gathered in order to support your claim. An attorney will be able to tell you if you have a possible claim.

In order to file a lawsuit for discrimination on the basis of a protected classification (e.g., age, race, religion, gender, etc.), an employee must first go through the EEOC process (or a state civil rights agency) and receive what is called a “Right to Sue” letter. We assist employees through this process. In some instances, we may pursue litigation after obtaining the Right to Sue letter.

If you wish to pursue a discrimination claim against your employer or former employer, we urge you to not delay in reaching out to an attorney because strict time limits apply. Once your claim is barred based upon expired time limits, you will never be able to pursue any action to recover damages or other relief. Because of the tight deadlines in these types of cases, it is very important to reach out to an attorney before you have received your Right to Sue letter.

If you have been a victim of employment discrimination, contact us to have an experienced employment attorney evaluate your claim and see whether you have a case. An attorney will be able to tell you if you have a claim.

As part of compensating for unlawful discrimination an employer may be instructed by the court to compensate you for lost income, related economic damages, emotional distress damages, or restore an employee’s position.