Color Discrimination

Color Discrimination in Employment is Unlawful

Employment discrimination against a person because of the individual’s color is unlawful under federal and Colorado law.

Color discrimination is distinct from race discrimination. The basis of color discrimination is the lightness, darkness, or other color-related characteristics of an individual.

Color discrimination in employment can occur between persons of the same race or ethnicity.

The law protects employees and applicants in the private sector and federal, state, local government employment from color discrimination.

Murray Law welcomes the opportunity to provide experienced counsel and representation to persons subjected to color discrimination.

This practice represents clients asserting discrimination claims in federal and state court lawsuits, filing discrimination charges with federal, state, and local government agencies, and mediation and arbitration proceedings.

Steven Murray has successfully represented individuals subjected to discrimination in lawsuits before multiple United States District Courts, including representing prevailing clients in jury trials in discrimination actions before the United States District Court for the District of Colorado and mediation proceedings.

Federal Law

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, prohibits color discrimination in employment. This Act applies to employers with 15 or more employees.

This law protects employees and applicants in the private sector and federal, state, local government employment.

Colorado Law

The Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act prohibits color discrimination in employment.

This Act prohibits discrimination in private sector employment and state and local government. Unlike Title VII, this Colorado law applies to employers of any size.

Discriminatory Adverse Actions

Employers may not take adverse actions against employees or applicants because of color, including:

• Failure or refusal to hire.
• Discharge.
• Layoff.
• Demotion.
• Harmful actions about promotion and job assignments.
• Adverse actions harming a person’s status as an employee because of color, including actions about the opportunities, terms, privileges, and employment conditions.

Retaliation

Under federal and Colorado law, employers are prohibited from discriminating against an individual by retaliation because the person engaged in a protected activity about color discrimination.

Protected activity includes but is not limited to filing a charge of color discrimination with the employer or filing a charge of discrimination with a federal or state government agency, or participating in an investigation of a discrimination complaint.

Harassment/Hostile Work Environment

Workplace harassment based on color is unlawful discrimination.

Color harassment is actionable when the conduct is unwelcome and sufficiently severe or pervasive to alter employment conditions and create an abusive or hostile working environment, such as an environment permeated with offensive slurs.

Conclusion

Murray Law welcomes the opportunity to provide dedicated legal counsel and representation to any person denied the right to be free from color discrimination. Please contact Steven Murray at 720-600-6642.