Best Race Discrimination Attorney Answer: Do I have to be a minority to sue my employer for racial discrimination? My boss routinely calls me a “honky”, “cracker” and refuses to give me a fair evaluation because I’m White; can I sue for racial discrimination? What should I do if my Black Manager hates White people? Who is the best wrongful termination lawyer in Ohio?
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits an employer “to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” Race or color discrimination includes distinctions made by an employer on the basis of an employee’s pigmentation or lack thereof. It prohibits racial discrimination for all whether it is because of their skin color or lack thereof. A Caucasian can bring a reverse racial discrimination claim against an employer.
Strong claims for reverse discrimination often involve a situation where a Caucasian employee is treated markedly different from minority co-workers because of their race by a non-White supervisor or manager. Our Ohio race discrimination lawyers previous blogged to answer the question of what is reverse race discrimination, but the nutshell is that both Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Ohio’s R.C. § 4112.99 provide protection for people of all races, religions and genders. As such, companies and bosses simply are not allowed to make employment decisions based on race.
Let’s take the race discrimination case of John Everhart as an example. Everhart was a Caucasian teacher in a predominantly minority Prince George’s County School District and was the subject of constant harassment by the minority principal and his direct supervisor, Angelique Simpson-Marcus. Simpson Marcus, at the time of his employment, told the students the only reason why a White man would teach in the school district is “because they can’t get a job elsewhere.” Simpson-Marcus called him a “White bitch,” “poor White trash,” and other racial slurs. Racial slurs, no matter who they are directed, are completely inappropriate in the work force. Everhart complained numerous times during his career to no avail, and the race harassment and discrimination continued. The boss eventually gained enough momentum to have Everheart removed from his teaching duties. Everhart sued the school district for reverse race discrimination and received an award of $350,000 after the jury concluded that there was indeed racial discrimination.
Not all cases of reverse discrimination have to have outlandish facts to be successful. In a more suitable reverse discrimination case, Patricia Steffes, a former PepsiCo executive, sued the company for promoting a less qualified black man over her for an executive position. Steffes worked her way up from a payroll clerk position into upper management and was a candidate for an upper management position. As soon as Steffes applied for a promotion, she was passed over for a less qualified Black male. Steffes exercised her right to file a complaint with the EEOC and soon found herself the target of heightened scrutiny, unfair work reviews and even a forced transfer into a different department. Both federal and Ohio laws strictly prohibit retaliation based on engaging in protected activities, including reporting or participating into a claim of racial discrimination by a boss, supervisor, or manager. Steffes filed a lawsuit in federal court and was awarded $2.6 million.
If you feel that you are being discriminated based on your race, whatever race that may be, then call the right attorney. Race discrimination includes being harassed, fired, wrongfully terminated, discriminated against, demoted, wrongfully disciplined, and denied wages. When you call the right attorney to schedule a free and confidential consultation at 866-797-6040, you will meet with a race discrimination lawyer from Spitz, The Employee’s Law Firm who will help you determine the best way to pursue your legal claims.
Disclaimer:
The materials available at the top of this race discrimination page and on this employment law website are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. If you are still asking: “What should I do …”, “I’m being discriminated against …”, “my boss is discriminating against me because …” or “How do I …”, your best option is to contact an Ohio attorney to obtain advice with respect to race discrimination questions or any particular employment law issue. Use and access to this employment law website or any of the links contained within the site do not create an attorney-client relationship. The legal opinions expressed at or through this site are the opinions of the individual lawyer and may not reflect the opinions of Spitz, The Employee’s Law Firm, attorney Brian Spitz, or any individual attorney.