Race Discrimination Lawyers in Burbank

Helping Victims Seek Justice

Contrary to what many folks may believe race discrimination in the workplace is not uncommon, even in this day and age.  Unfortunately many employees needlessly suffer discrimination in the workplace because they do not know their rights, or because they do not recognize that they are being discriminated against.  Some forms of discrimination may be very obvious – like for example when a supervisor uses a racially charged term when addressing an employee.  Other forms of discrimination may be difficult or impossible to spot – like for example when employees of a certain race receive greater benefits or higher wages for performing the exact same job as other employees of a different race.  The quickest for an employee to determine if they are being unlawfully discriminated because of their race, color, or national origin is to consult a race discrimination attorney who is well versed in the field of employment discrimination.

Race Discrimination Attorneys Burbank

In the simplest of terms discrimination means differential treatment.  In the context of employment law, discrimination generally refers to act, omission, or practice that confers privileges on a certain class or that denies privileges to a certain class because of a protected characteristic.  California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”) and Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”) prohibit workplace discrimination based on the enumerated protected characteristics set forth in each statute. Title VII makes it illegal for an employer to fire an employee because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.  The FEHA  makes it illegal for an employer to fire an employee based on his or her race, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), color, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, military and veteran status, age (if 40 or over), pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions of any female employee.  If you are in Southern California and believe that you have been mistreated at work or fired from your job because of race, color, or national origin, then you may have a claim for race discrimination.  Instead of wondering which race discrimination lawyers near me can help, contact the Akopyan Law Firm and speak to one of our race discrimination attorneys in Burbank.  The quickest way to determine if you have an actionable claim is to speak to a race discrimination lawyer well versed in employment law.

Race Discrimination Lawyers Burbank

While there are countless ways in which an employee can be discriminated due to race, color, or national origin, any experienced race discrimination attorney will tell you that race discrimination is generally proven in one of two way: Disparate Treatment, and Disparate Impact.  “Disparate treatment” is intentional discrimination against one or more persons on prohibited grounds (i.e. race, color, or national origin).  Disparate treatment occurs when an employer treats similarly situated individuals differently in their employment because of a protected characteristic. (i.e. race, color, or national origin).  It could be as blatant as when a supervisor suspends an employee of one race for a mistake, but takes no action whatsoever for the same mistake being committed by an employee of a different race. “Disparate impact” involves employment practices that are facially neutral in their treatment of different groups but that in fact fall more harshly on one group than another and cannot be justified by business necessity.  Unlike disparate treatment, the disparate impact theory does not require proof of intent to discriminate.  If you believe that you have suffered unlawful discrimination because of your race, color, or national origin, you can try to figure out the law all on your own, or you can contact a race discrimination lawyer in your area.  If you are in Burbank, Glendale, Los Angeles, or surrounding areas you can try to find a lawyer by using search terms like Race Discrimination Lawyers Burbank or Race Discrimination Attorneys Glendale or Race Discrimnation Lawyer Los Angeles but that may not get you the answers you are looking for.  You may end up speaking with a “case manager” or “paralegal” and never hearing from an actual attorney.  To speak directly with a race discrimination lawyer personally, contact the Akopyan Law Firm and speak to one of our race discrimination attorneys in Burbank.

Frequently Asked Questions About Race Discrimination

My spouse is a minority and as soon as my manager found out, he started to cut my hours and began to treat me differently. Do I have any rights?

Generally speaking, yes. The protection against race discrimination also extends to you because of your “association” with a protected class (i.e., your spouse). If your supervisor began to treat you poorly and cut your hours, thus affecting your pay, you may have a race discrimination, retaliation or harassment claim. Contact our employment law attorneys in Burbank to discuss your case during a complimentary case evaluation.

I am a Caucasian person working with mostly minority people and I feel like I am being discriminated against because of my race. Do I have any rights?

Yes. If your employer has 5 or more employees, it is subject to California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act which prohibits race discrimination. In your particular situation, regardless of your race, even if you are Caucasian, if you are a minority in your workplace and your employer is taking “adverse employment actions” against you because of your race, you may have a claim for race discrimination amongst other things.

There are only 3 other employees working for my company, can I sue my employer for Race Discrimination?

Unfortunately, to be a “covered employer” in California under the Fair Employment and Housing Act, your employer must have 5 or more employees. However, if you were terminated as a result of your race, you may have a public policy wrongful termination claim.

My new manager created an English-only policy and wrote me and my co-workers up for speaking Spanish with each other. Do I have any rights?

Yes. Unless your employer can show that only speaking English is a “business necessity,” such a policy may constitute discrimination based on national origin because non-English speakers cannot enjoy the privilege of conversing on the job if the conversation is limited to a language they cannot speak. Request a complimentary case evaluation with the Akopyan Law Firm to discuss your unique case.

I feel like my manager is discriminating against me because of my race – can I sue my supervisor for race discrimination?

The FEHA only authorizes race discrimination lawsuits against your employer and not the individual managers or co-workers. However, it is possible that you may have a claim against your manager for harassment based on your race.

Areas Served:

Our race discrimination attorneys in Burbank provide legal services in the following areas among others:

Cities:

Arleta, Burbank, Chatsworth, Eagle Rock, Encino, Glendale, Glassell Park, Granada Hills, Highland Park, Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, La Canada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Lake Balboa, Los Angeles, Los Feliz, North Hills, North Hollywood, Northridge, Pacoima, Panorama City, Porter Ranch, Reseda, San Fernando, Sherman Oaks, Silver Lake, Studio City, Sun Valley, Sunland, Sylmar, Tarzana, Toluca Lake, Tujunga, Valley Glen, Valley Village, Van Nuys, Winnetka, Woodland Hills

Counties:

Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, San Diego County, Ventura County

Zip Codes:

90026, 90027, 90029, 90031, 90032, 90039, 90041, 90042, 90046, 90065, 90068, 90069, 91020, 91040, 91046, 91201, 91202, 91203, 91204, 91205, 91206, 91207, 91208, 91214, 91303, 91304, 91306, 91307, 91316, 91324, 91325, 91326, 91330, 91331, 91335, 91340, 91343, 91344, 91345, 91352, 91356, 91364, 91402, 91403, 91405, 91406, 91423, 91436, 91501, 91502, 91504, 91505, 91506, 91521, 91522, 91523, 91601, 91602, 91604, 91605, 91606, 91607, 91608

Call the Akopyan Law Firm at (818) 509-9975 to speak with one of our race discrimination attorneys, or submit an inquiry online.