Most employers and employees think that there has to overly egregious racial discrimination, including racial slurs, to justify bringing a claim. Our employment discrimination attorneys are here to tell you that is not true. Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Ohio’s anti-discrimination laws, R.C. § 4112.99, employers are prohibited from treated any race differently.
For example, in one case, George McReynolds asserted in his complaint that Merrill Lynch of “steering blacks into clerical positions and diverting lucrative accounts to white brokers, resulting in lower pay and fewer career growth opportunities.” That is it. No allegations of the n-word. No direct comments about race.
After years of costly litigation and appeals paid by the employer, Merrill Lynch agreed to further pay a settlement of $160 million. Now, George does not get to keep it all as he brought the claim on behalf of 700 black employees and former employees. You might be saying that is a lot of employees that need a cut of the pie. So let’s do the math (and as an attorney, I needed to pull out a calculator). When you divide the $160 million by the 700 employees, it comes to about $228,571.43 per employee without a single racial slur or comment. And, here is the kicker, George, as well as many of the plaintiffs, will remain employed at Merrill Lynch, who cannot legally retaliate against them.
What is the lesson to be learned? If you think or even question whether you may be being treated differently based on your race, ask an attorney for an opinion. You have nothing to lose, especially when Spitz, The Employee’s Law Firm offers a free initial consultation.
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 an attorney 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 this employment law website are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. 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 or any individual attorney.