"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Discriminating against an individual or group of people because of their race or color is expressly forbidden under Florida and Federal laws such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII is one of the most important civil rights laws ever enacted and is intended to prevent an employee’s race or color from being taken into consideration in any decision-making process by an employer. Similarly, 42 U.S.C. §1981 provides that “[a]ll persons within the jurisdiction of the United States shall have the same right in every State and Territory to make and enforce contracts, to sue, be parties, give evidence, and to the full and equal benefit of all laws and proceedings for the security of persons and property as is enjoyed by white citizens, and shall be subject to like punishment, pains, penalties, taxes, licenses, and exactions of every kind, and to no other.
While race and color are protected classes that are addressed in some of the same laws and enforcing regulations, not every situation is identical. If you believe that you are the victim of racial discrimination in the workplace, you can benefit from working with an employment attorney in Miami who has a track record of helping other employees who have experienced similar discrimination in the past.
Read more below to learn some examples of race or color discrimination in the workplace, including some ways that this discrimination sometimes arises, the type of evidence that can support your case, and the possible outcomes that we work to pursue on behalf of employees in Florida who have been subjected to discrimination. Please keep in mind that the following information is intended to provide you with a general overview, meaning that your individual experience may not be identical, such that the best way to get the personalized help you need is by contacting us as soon as possible.
Contact us now to schedule a free initial consultation directly with Keith M. Stern. During your consultation, you will be able to speak in detail about your experience and we work to get a better understanding of how we can help you in your specific case. No two discrimination cases are exactly alike, which is why it is so important that we begin working together to formulate a plan of action tailored to address your needs.
According to the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), “Race discrimination involves treating someone (an applicant or employee) unfavorably because he/she is of a certain race or because of personal characteristics associated with race (such as hair texture, skin color, or certain facial features). Color discrimination involves treating someone unfavorably because of skin color complexion.” What this means is that illegal discrimination can take place even when it is not specifically about a victim’s race, but instead about the color of an individual’s skin.
Employees are protected under Title VII and Section 1981 from being harassed or otherwise discriminated against because of their race or their skin color in the workplace. It is important to remember that although the law does not expressly prohibit all forms of “teasing,” this type of behavior may nonetheless serve as evidence that can lend support to prove an adverse employment action was impermissibly motivated by an individual’s race or color. Examples of harassment include making derogatory remarks about race or color, using racial slurs, or displaying symbols that are intended to represent hostility to other races or colors.
In addition to overt harassment based on an employee’s race or color, some company’s policies may be racially motivated and therefore discriminatory by nature in violation of the law. An example given by the EEOC [link error] is a “‘no-beard’ employment policy that applies to all workers seemingly without regard to race, which may still be unlawful if the policy is not job-related and has a negative impact on the employment of, for example, African-American men (who have a predisposition to a skin condition that causes severe shaving bumps).
Other employer policies which may be racially discriminatory, include but are not limited to, any number of clothing-based policies or haircut policies that are discriminatory against “natural” hair for a number of races. If you are uncertain about whether or not your employer’s policy may violate state or federal laws prohibiting race discrimination, contact us as soon as possible to obtain an opinion from an experienced labor and employment attorney.
One of the biggest reasons that people may fear that there is no recourse for them if they feel that they are being harassed or discriminated against in the workplace is because proving discrimination can sometimes rapidly devolve into attacks on a person’s credibility and character instead of addressing the substance of the actual problem. Wanting to avoid this entire process is a common reason that some people think they should just put their heads down and not speak out against injustice, but the Law Office of Keith M. Stern, P.A. can help you stand up for your rights.
In order to prove that you are a victim of racial or color discrimination in the workplace, we will work with you to understand the intricacies of your situation and then develop a strategy based upon tangible evidence to demonstrate the discrimination you have been forced to endure. Depending on the nature of the discrimination, this fact-gathering process can take a range of forms intended to give you preserve all avenues of effectively representing your best interests.
Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, there are a variety of penalties for racial or color discrimination. Typically, these penalties are enforced through civil lawsuits and settlements that provide an employee with financial recovery as a means of a monetary remedy. In 2008, Lockheed Martin settled a racial discrimination case for $2.5 million, which is only one example of many where major corporations have been either punished or settled with employees in these types of lawsuits. In this particular instance, the victim was the recipient of racial slurs and threats of violence based on the color of his skin, which is both illegal and highly immoral.
If you you believe you have been a victim of race or color discrimination in your workplace in Florida, contact the Law Office of Keith M. Stern, P.A. as soon as possible to speak with an experienced discrimination attorney to begin working on your case today. We understand how difficult and sensitive these situations can be, and we will work carefully to address all of your questions while striving to help restore the dignity and respect you deserve.
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