Racial and National Origin Discrimination

Dallas Employment Lawyer Dan A. Atkerson Stands Up For Your Rights

Photo of racial discrimination
Racial and national origin discrimination in the workplace frequently involves an employee receiving unfavorable treatment because he or she is of a certain race, national origin or has personal characteristics associated with race or national origin. Race discrimination may also involve similar unfavorable treatment because the person’s spouse is of a certain race. Dallas employment attorney Dan A. Atkerson has helped hundreds of victims of racial discrimination get justice. He can help explain your options if you believe that your employer has been discriminating against you because of your race or your spouse’s race.

Types of Racial or National Origin Discrimination

Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it is illegal for an employer to discriminate on the basis of race or national origin in such aspects of employment as:

  • Hiring or firing
  • Pay rate
  • Job assignments
  • Promotions
  • Layoff
  • Training
  • Benefits
  • Any other term or condition of employment

Race or national origin cannot be a determining factor in employment decision, and racial or national origin discrimination does not need to be intentional for it to be illegal. Intentional race discrimination is also actionable under Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act which has no damage caps, pre-suit EEOC filing requirement or 15 minimum number of employees requirement for coverage. Employers are responsible for ensuring that their policies are free from discriminatory language or practices.

Examples of Racial Discrimination

Racial discrimination can take many forms, but a few examples include:

  • Being required to work in a separate area from employees of other races
  • Being forbidden from participating in work-related activities in which the employee would be in contact with employees of different races
  • Being denied the ability to advance in an organization where the employee works, while lesser-skilled individuals of a different race advance
  • Flagrant or casual use of racial epitaphs, ethnic slurs or other derogatory comments
  • Having your position and the positions of others in the same racial group be eliminated during layoffs while employees of a different race kept positions or were reassigned to other positions.

Racial discrimination is not always obvious, nor does it apply solely to one group. Individuals of any race, including multi-racial individuals, can be victims of racial discrimination. It is also important to note that it is not only illegal for an employer to discriminate against an employee because of his or her race, but employers cannot commit workplace retaliation against an employee who reports racial discrimination or who participates in a discrimination investigation.

Taking Action

You may be able to recover damages for lost wages and benefits, backpay, frontpay, compensatory damages for pain and suffering and mental anguish on your claims of race discrimination. Employers will almost always claim that there were non-discriminatory reasons behind their decisions. Our Dallas employment attorney can help investigate and demonstrate when an employer’s adverse actions were indicative of racial discrimination. If you believe an employer subjected you to racial or national origin discrimination, contact Dallas employment lawyer Dan A. Atkerson today to set up a consultation and discuss your situation.

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