Color and Natural Hair Discrimination

At Gallenberg PC, our Los Angeles, Burbank, and Beverly Hills workplace discrimination lawyer works tirelessly to ensure our clients are given the respect they deserve after their employer has violated the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, or similar California laws which prohibit employment discrimination based on color and natural hair.

If you believe your California employer, coworkers, and other company affiliates are discriminating against you — or a group of employees — because of the color of their skin, or natural hairstyle our Los Angeles County employment law attorney may be able to help you hold them accountable for their unlawful behavior.

Contact us today to learn more about your legal rights and options. We do not charge prospective clients for a confidential telephone intake or online case review.

The State of California Civil Rights Department describes discrimination on the basis of a person’s race involves denying equal employment opportunity to any person because of their skin color, or the personal characteristics associated with a particular race, including facial features, hair texture, complexion, or other discernable traits.

This includes discriminating against a person because of his or her association with someone of a different race or color, including their affiliation by marriage or genealogy.

The Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) applies to public and private employers, labor organizations, and employment agencies. It is illegal for employers of five or more employees to discriminate against job applicants and employees because of a protected category, including their skin color.

Discriminating against someone because of their skin color applies to all business practices, including:

• Advertisements
• Applications, Screening, and Interviews
• Hiring, Transferring, Promoting, Terminating, or Separating Employees
• Working Conditions, including Compensation
• Participation in a Training or Apprenticeship Program, Employee Organization, or Union

It is also unlawful to retaliate against employees who have asserted their rights under the law.

The FEHA also prohibits harassment based on race or color against an employee, an applicant, an unpaid intern or volunteer, or a contractor.

Harassment is prohibited in all workplaces, even those with fewer than five employees.

It is unlawful to discriminate against or harass a person because of his or her race or color.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission describes discrimination and harassment as:

• Asking an Applicant to Disclose His or Her Racial Identity
• Disciplining Certain Employees Unfairly Due to the Basis of His or Her Race
• Display of Racially Offensive Symbols
• Giving Certain Races Different Job Duties
• Inappropriate Comments or Jokes
• Offensive or Derogatory Remarks
• Racial Slurs

Race and color discrimination may take the form of refusing to hire, discharging, failing to promote, harassing, or discriminating against a person with respect to any other term, condition, or privilege of employment.

Technically, the law does not prohibit offhand comments, simple teasing, or mild, isolated incidents.

Harassment is illegal when it is so frequent or severe that it creates a hostile or offensive work environment or when it results in adverse employment decisions, like someone being demoted or fired for nothing more than the color of their skin.

The harasser can be the victim's supervisor, a supervisor in another area, a co-worker, or someone who is not a company employee, including clients or vendors.

If you believe you are being discriminated against because of the color of your skin, contact our workplace discrimination lawyer in Los Angeles, Burbank, and Beverly Hills may be able to help you hold them accountable for their unlawful behavior.

Contact us today to learn more about your legal rights and options. We do not charge prospective clients for a confidential telephone intake or online case review.

The California Crown Act was enacted in 2019 and stands for “Create A Respectful and Open World Natural Hair.” Under the Crown Act, it is illegal to enforce dress or grooming policies against hairstyles such as afros, braids, twists and locks. This was passed because certain hairstyles are associated with a certain race. Therefore, by enforcing policies against certain hairstyles, racial discrimination was taking place in the workplace. If you believe you were terminated because of discriminatory policies targeting hairstyles associated with a specific race, you should contact a wrongful termination lawyer at our office to discuss your specific case. It is also illegal to refuse to hire or promote because of certain hairstyles associated with a certain race.

At Gallenberg PC, our workplace discrimination lawyer has offices in Los Angeles, Burbank, and Beverly Hills, so employees who have been subjected to adverse actions because of the color of their skin have access to the legal representation they need to pursue results inside and outside the courtroom — no matter where they live or work in California.

Our primary goal is to make legal services accessible to everyone in California, regardless of a person’s ability to pay.

We understand that many individuals cannot afford to pay upfront hourly rates or retainers for an employment or labor attorney. That does not mean they should not have the legal ability to pursue justice after suffering from unlawful racial discrimination in any California workplace.

Our workplace discrimination lawyer in Los Angeles, Burbank, and Beverly Hills takes all eligible cases on a contingency basis, which means if we do not win your case, you do not pay our legal fees.

If you were subjected to workplace discrimination because of the color of your skin or natural hair in California, contact Gallenberg PC today to discuss your important employment law case with our skilled employment law attorney in Los Angeles at (213) 986-8432, Burbank at (818) 237-5267, or Beverly Hills at (310) 295-1654 to schedule a free intake today.

If you prefer, complete a Free Online Case Review to have your claim screened by our experienced employment law attorney and we will contact you directly to discuss your case.