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Race Discrimination

Lundell Law Firm represents employees with race discrimination claims under Federal and North Carolina laws. We are available to represent executives, managerial employees, professionals and workers with claims of race discrimination in North Carolina. Below is an outline of the statutory scheme concerning race discrimination in employment, followed by a brief explanation of how you might proceed if you have been victimized by race discrimination.

The Law of Race Discrimination

Federal law has prohibited race discrimination in employment for over 140 years. Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, prohibits discrimination in employment based on race or color. More recently, Congress passed Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits such discrimination and expands the law’s protection to also prohibit discrimination based on national origin. Title VII established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, an administrative agency charged with investigating charges of employment discrimination and enforcing the laws. In order to bring a lawsuit under Title VII, you must first exhaust your administrative remedies with the EEOC. It is helpful to consult with an attorney before filing a charge with the EEOC.

What to Do If You’re Victimized

Unfortunately, race discrimination in employment is still all too prevalent. Employers that discriminate, however, are usually not so clumsy as to directly admit that race has played a role in their employment decision. Discrimination must often be proved circumstantially. In some cases, an employer may make remarks which indicate bias or stereotyping against certain races. In other cases, an employee may be able to prove discrimination by showing that he or she was treated worse than similarly situated employees of other races. One can also sometimes show that an employer’s proffered reason for taking action against an employee was untrue and a pretext for discrimination.

If possible, try to preserve all documents or other records that are relevant to your employment or application for employment. This can include performance evaluations, employer policy manuals or handbooks, notices posted by the employer, and informal correspondence or e-mails between you and your supervisor or other employees. Often evidence of race discrimination can be found by carefully reviewing these documents.

Because racial discrimination can be difficult to prove, it is important to have an attorney who knows Federal and North Carolina racial discrimination law as it pertains to the workplace. Contact Lundell Law Firm to schedule a consultation if you believe you have been the victim of race discrimination in your employment.

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