Race & Color Discrimination Attorney Serving St. Louis, Missouri

Have You Been Overlooked for A Promotion Because of Your Race or Color?

Missouri Human Rights Act

Individuals are protected under the Missouri Human Rights Act from being discriminated against based on their race or color.* A person is the victim of workplace discrimination if, because of their race or color, they have been treated less favorably because they are of a certain race or because of certain characteristics commonly associated with a race. Color discrimination occurs when someone is treated differently because of the color of their skin. Race/Color discrimination also means treating someone less favorably because of marriage or other association with someone of a particular race or color.

The Act prohibits:

• Any employment decision, including recruitment, hiring, and firing or layoffs, based on race or color.

• Any decision regarding provision of goods or services by a place of public accommodations, including entry, provision of goods or services, or the terms and conditions of goods and services, based on race or color.

• Offensive conduct, such as ethnic slurs, that creates a hostile environment based on race or color. Employers, housing providers, and places of public accommodations are required to take appropriate steps to prevent and correct unlawful harassment and discrimination. Likewise, employees and customers are responsible for reporting harassment and discrimination at an early stage to prevent its escalation.

Discrimination against individuals in the state of Missouri based on their race or color is prohibited.

*The Missouri Human Rights Act applies only to those employers with 6 or more employees.

Title VII of The Civil Rights Act of 1964

Race or Color discrimination involves treating people (applicants or employees) unfavorably because he/she is of a certain race or because of personal characteristics associated with race (such as hair texture, skin color, or certain facial features). Color discrimination involves treating someone unfavorably because of skin color complexion.** Can also include people being treated unfavorably for being married to or associated with someone of a certain race or color.

Federal law also makes it unlawful to harass a person because of his or her race or color; which can include, for example, offensive or derogatory remarks about a person's race or color.

**Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, applies only to employers with 15 or more employees who worked for the company for each working day in each of twenty or more calendar weeks (in this year or last).