Civil Rights

What is discrimination?

Civil rights laws protect individuals from being treated differently based on their inclusion in a protected category. Categories protected by law include, race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, mental or physical disability, age, genetic information, marital status, parenthood, pregnancy and veteran status.

The laws also make it illegal to fire, demote, harass or otherwise retaliate against individuals because they filed a charge of discrimination, complained to their employer or other entity about discrimination, or participated in discrimination proceedings (such as an investigation or lawsuit).

Federal laws enforced by the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the U.S. Department of Labor protect individuals from discrimination, on the following bases:

a professor in a wheelchair looks on as two students work out an equation on a whiteboard

involves treating someone less favorably because of his or her age. People who are 40 or older are protected.

involves treating someone unfavorably because of skin color or complexion.

involves treating a person unfavorably because of his or her disability.

The law forbids .

involves, for example, denying employment to people because they are transgender, firing someone who has made a gender transition, denying access to a common restroom corresponding to a person鈥檚 self-identified gender, or harassing someone by using a name or gender pronoun that doesn鈥檛 reflect that person鈥檚 identity.

may violate Title VII of the Americans with Disabilities Act if used to deny or limit employment opportunities. Even if asked of both men and women, such questions may be seen as evidence of intent to discriminate.

involves treating individuals unfavorably because they are from a particular country or part of the world, because of ethnicity or accent, or because they appear to be of a certain ethnic background (even if they are not).

could be evidence of discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Also, discrimination against a worker simply because he or she has constitutes unlawful disparate treatment under Title VII. However, employment decisions that are based on an employee鈥檚 actual work performance, rather than assumptions or stereotypes, do not generally violate Title VII, even if an employee鈥檚 unsatisfactory work performance is attributable to caregiving responsibilities.
involves treating a woman (an applicant or employee) unfavorably because of pregnancy, childbirth, or a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth.
involves treating someone unfavorably because he or she is of a certain race or because of personal characteristics associated with race (such as hair texture, skin color or certain facial features).

involves treating a person unfavorably because of his or her religious beliefs. The law protects not only people who belong to traditional, organized religions, such as Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam or Judaism, but also others who have sincerely held religious, ethical or moral beliefs.

involves treating a person unfavorably because of that person's sex.

involves, for example, denying employees promotions because they are gay or straight, denying health benefits to same-sex spouses or making derogatory remarks about a person鈥檚 sexual orientation.

involves denying them employment because of their past military service, current military obligations or intent to serve in the future. must offer affirmative action to employ veterans.