San Diego Racial Discrimination Lawyer

The ability to earn a living and support your family is a fundamental right in this state and country. Unfortunately, certain groups of people have been treated less favorably than others. For these reasons, a number of laws have been passed to protect the rights of people in marginalized communities, including anti-discrimination laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin. The race discrimination lawyers at Coyle Browne Law, PLC remain committed to vigorously protecting the rights of all workers. We welcome you to contact us for a confidential case review if you believe you were discriminated against because of your race.

What Is Racial Discrimination?

Applicants and employees are protected by a variety of local, state, and federal laws, including the Civil Rights Act and the California Fair Housing and Employment Act (FEHA). The state law prohibits discrimination against job applicants and employees due to a protected category, which includes race. It applies to employers of five or more employees. Discrimination applies to all business practices, including:

• Job postings and advertisements
• Applications, screening tools, and pre-employment tests
• Interviews
• Hiring decisions
• Transfer decisions
• Promoting or demoting employees
• Making decisions about compensation, working conditions, and benefits
• Providing opportunities for training or apprenticeship programs
• Providing access to employee organizations or unions

It is also against the law to retaliate against an employee for asserting their rights under the law, even if the underlying claim is ultimately determined to be unfounded.

Additionally, state law prohibits harassment based on a protected class, which includes race, regardless of how many employees work at the business. Additionally, the law applies to employees but also extends to applicants, interns, contractors, and volunteers

Potential Compensation in Racial Discrimination Cases

If you are considering bringing a claim against your employer, you likely want to know what you may stand to gain. First, you may be able to receive equitable remedies, such as reinstatement to your job. Additionally, you may be able to receive money damages for measurable losses you suffered, such as:

• Back pay
• Front pay
• Lost income from a missed promotion
• Lost income from not receiving a raise
• Cost of benefits
• Interest

You can also ask the court to reimburse you for your attorney’s fees and court costs.

You may also be able to recover compensation for pain, suffering, emotional distress, and other non-economic damages.

Proving Racial Discrimination

Employment discrimination cases are often difficult to prove. Many cases involve microaggressions or subtle treatment, as opposed to overt signs of discrimination. This is why it is critical to the potential success of your claim to bring in an experienced employment law attorney as soon as possible in the process. We can look for signs of discrimination and work to preserve compelling evidence of factors that may indicate discrimination, such as:

• Attempts at documenting poor performance to cover up the real reasons for adverse employment actions
• Exclusion from after-work get-togethers
• Increases in expectations and work duties
• Reductions in hours or pay
• Patterns of policies that have a disparate impact on people in a protected class
• An environment that permits inappropriate comments or “jokes”
• Different discipline actions that are disproportionate for one group of people versus others

Contact Coyle Browne Law, PLC for Help

If your rights have been violated, reach out to the team at Coyle Browne Law, PLC for help. We have the skills and resources necessary to help take a stand on your behalf. Call us today to schedule a confidential case review.