LOS ANGELES WORKPLACE RACE DISCRIMINATION ATTORNEYS

Los Angeles Workplace Race Discrimination Attorneys

Clients Owe Us Nothing Until We Win

Workplace race discrimination in Los Angeles often appears in patterns rather than proclamations. Employees may notice they are held to different standards, excluded from opportunities, or scrutinized more harshly than coworkers of a different race, even when their performance matches or exceeds expectations. When this happens, many workers hesitate to speak up, unsure whether what they are experiencing constitutes unlawful conduct. 

This uncertainty is precisely where experienced Los Angeles race discrimination lawyers make a difference. Skilled race discrimination attorneys understand how to identify these patterns, preserve evidence, and connect a worker’s experience to the legal standards that protect them.

Have you faced injustice at the workplace simply due to how you look or the color of your skin? Here at King & Siegel LLP, our Los Angeles race discrimination lawyers are determined to offer all of our clients the attention and aggressive support they deserve when fighting against racial discrimination at their jobs.

When you hire us, you are hiring an exceptional law team with the following background, skills, and qualifications:

• Experience with winning multi-million dollar verdicts in high-stakes litigation,
• Law degrees from top-five law schools,
• Training from the best and biggest litigation firms in the nation,
• Skill at providing personalized legal services catered to each client’s unique needs, and
• Experience with aggressively handling employers who break the law.

Your safety and well-being are our top priority. We can protect you through any employment-related dispute, investigation, negotiation, or litigation.

What Is Race Discrimination and What Makes It Illegal?

According to federal and California laws, particularly Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), no employer may make discriminatory decisions against employees or job applicants based on race or ethnicity. Also, sSection 51.03 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code forbids private-sector employers in the city from discriminating against employees based on their race, ethnicity, or color.

If you think your employer has discriminated against you, speaking to one of our ethnic discrimination lawyers can help. A racial discrimination attorney from our firm can help you identify and protect your rights under state, federal, and local laws. This includes decisions in hiring, promotion, benefits, salary and wages, or termination.

Prohibited discrimination law also bans any discrimination, behavior, or negative attitudes that are based on stereotypical assumptions about a person’s abilities, talents, traits, or nature, simply on account of their race, ancestry, culture, language, birthplace, or even their names that come with certain national associations. Critically, the law allows for claims even where there is no discriminatory intent. Instead, it focuses on whether race played an unlawful role in the employee’s treatment. 

This broader definition is why Los Angeles race discrimination lawyers often uncover violations in workplaces that claim neutrality while producing unequal outcomes. This focus also means an employer cannot avoid liability by claiming ignorance. If a policy, practice, or decision disproportionately harms employees of a particular race and lacks a strong legal justification, it may still violate the law. Experienced race discrimination attorneys evaluate not just what employers say, but how their actions function in reality across a workforce.

Reach out to us for powerful protection against such discrimination or if your employee rights have been violated in another manner.

What Are the Signs of Race Discrimination at Work?

The federal government reports that in 2022, it received 1,030 charges of workplace racial discrimination in California. So, how do you know if your case warrants a complaint? Often, when people have been unfairly treated at their jobs on account of their race, the color of their skin or complexion, their hair color or texture, or any other physical feature, there are multiple ways that prejudice against them (or favoritism toward others) is manifested. People do not always resort to committing outright harassment, though any examples of racial slurs, derogatory comments and statements, cruel or offensive jokes, and racially prejudiced images or symbols also clearly count as discrimination. If any type of overt discrimination occurs, you must report the unlawful behavior, and also be on the lookout for more subtle prejudice.

Some of the less initially obvious examples of racial discrimination could include:

• A demotion, lay-off, or outright termination;
• A refusal to hire someone;
• Denying or decreasing a person’s benefits, salary or wages, number of job assignments, promotion opportunities, or cases for additional training;
• Direct threats or generally unpleasant behavior that eventually forces someone to quit; or
• Refusing to provide similar accommodation or treatment for someone of a different race or ethnicity.

While these biased and unlawful tactics might be understated, they are typically no less illegal than an employer yelling a slur at someone or blatantly stating that it does not want individuals of a particular race on its premises. 

What Are Examples of Race Discrimination in the Workplace That Los Angeles Race Discrimination Lawyers Often Encounter?

Common real-world examples of racial discrimination include:

• An employee of a particular race is consistently passed over for promotions despite meeting or exceeding all stated qualifications, while less qualified employees of a different race advance;
• A manager applies discipline more harshly to employees of one racial or ethnic background for the same conduct that results in minimal or no consequences for others;
• Hiring practices that rely on subjective criteria such as “culture fit,” resulting in a workforce that lacks racial diversity despite a qualified applicant pool;
• Work assignments, overtime opportunities, or desirable shifts that are disproportionately given to employees of a favored race;
• Supervisors making assumptions about language ability, professionalism, or customer preferences based on an employee’s race, accent, or name; and
• Workplace grooming, dress, or appearance policies that disproportionately affect employees of certain racial or ethnic backgrounds.

Because discrimination often unfolds gradually, many employees doubt their own experiences or wait too long to seek help. Consulting a racial discrimination attorney early on can bring clarity. Legal counsel can assess whether what feels “off” at work rises to the level of unlawful discrimination and can help preserve evidence before it disappears.

Is Retaliation for Reporting Race Discrimination Illegal?

Federal, state, and local laws strictly prohibit employers from retaliating against employees who report race discrimination, assist a coworker with a complaint, or participate in an internal investigation or government proceeding. Retaliation is unlawful even if the underlying discrimination claim is still under investigation or ultimately disputed. The law protects employees who raise concerns in good faith, not only those whose claims are later proven.

Retaliation often does not appear as a single dramatic act. Instead, it frequently unfolds through workplace decisions that, when viewed together, punish an employee for speaking up. Common retaliatory actions include:

• Termination or forced resignation after a complaint is made;
• Demotion or removal from supervisory or leadership responsibilities;
• Sudden reductions in work hours, shifts, or job assignments;
• Unfavorable schedule changes that disrupt family or medical needs;
• Exclusion from meetings, projects, or advancement opportunities;
• Increased scrutiny, write-ups, or negative performance evaluations that depart from prior reviews; and
• Workplace isolation or hostility following protected activity.

Retaliation claims also allow race discrimination attorneys to demonstrate employer intent through circumstantial evidence, including shifting explanations, selective policy enforcement, or inconsistent treatment of similarly situated employees. A knowledgeable Los Angeles race discrimination attorney understands how to connect these facts into a coherent legal theory that shows not just what happened, but why it happened.

Can I Seek Damages in the State of California?

According to the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1991 and the Fair Employment and Housing Act, employees are entitled to justice and recompense for what they have suffered in the workplace. Of course, there is no way to ever erase the emotional pain, mental suffering, and anguish caused by losing benefits, wages, or even your entire job to your employer’s discriminatory behavior.

However, it is significant that you can at least recover your financial losses, receive compensation for your emotional distress, and obtain payment for your future monetary needs, which are being incurred specifically because of your employer’s violation of the law. These damages can be multiplied in instances where we can prove purposeful malice or oppression. Moreover, if an employer’s practices primarily affect some racial groups significantly more than others, workers are even more likely to receive relief for their losses.

How Do I File a Racial Discrimination Complaint?

If you suffer ethnic discrimination, national origin discrimination, or racial discrimination in the workplace, you have three options for obtaining justice: 

• File a charge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC),
• File a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), or
• File a civil lawsuit.

With each type of complaint, you can receive financial damages and injunctive orders.

How Do I File an EEOC Charge?

Through the EEOC, the government enforces federal anti-discrimination laws against unscrupulous employers. To take advantage of this type of federal protection, you have to file a “charge of discrimination” with the EEOC. This can be done through the EEOC’s online public portal, in person at an EEOC office, by calling 1-800-669-4000, or by mail. 

Complaints made to the EEOC should include the following:

• Your contact information,
• A description of the discrimination you suffered,
• A description of the damages you incurred, and
• The signature of you or your lawyer.

Filing a discrimination charge has multiple steps. Before you can formally file your charge, you have to complete an online inquiry and interview with the EEOC. After completing the preliminary steps, you can file your charge online, and the EEOC can then investigate and resolve your complaint. Each claim is different, but it may take multiple months for the EEOC to reach a resolution in your case.

How Do I File a CRD Complaint?

The State of California can hold your employer accountable for discriminatory practices if you file a complaint with the California CRD. You can file your complaint online or you can mail in completed intake forms. 

Filing your complaint online might be the simplest option for you., and iIt begins with creating an account through the California Civil Rights System and submitting an intake form. If you want the DFEH to investigate and help resolve your complaint, you need to provide the following information:

• Facts and records regarding the discriminatory incident,
• Copies of your evidence, and
• Names and contact information of witnesses. 

The CRD prepares complaint forms for you to sign if it believes your employer violated state anti-discrimination laws. Once you sign and return the CRD complaint forms, the state agency delivers the complaint to your employer. The CRD can then begin the investigation and resolution process. An investigation and resolution of your case could take several months and could include interviews, mediation sessions, and requests for documentation.

How Do I File a Lawsuit?

Some wronged employees obtain justice through the court system. However, an employee cannot file a discrimination lawsuit until they receive a right-to-sue notice from the EEOC or CRD. 

As you can see, navigating employment complaints is often complicated and emotionally draining. It is best to hire an experienced attorney immediately to advocate for you and preserve your rights. 

How Do I Prove Racial Discrimination?

In general, there are three types of evidence of racial discrimination in the workplace:

• Direct evidence,
• Comparative evidence, and 
• Statistical evidence.

The type of proof that you provide for any one of these evidence categories can be the same.

Evidence that proves your employer’s discriminatory motivations can include:

• Employer handbooks and policies,
• Emails,
• Personnel records,
• Employer correspondence,
• Paychecks,
• Disciplinary records,
• Records showing a history of discrimination complaints against your employer,
• Witness accounts,
• Employee grievance documents, and
• Personal notes about discriminatory moments.

While your personal notes might not be admissible in hearings, they can be a great way to jog your memory. The better your memory about discriminatory moments, the more credible an investigator or judge might find your testimony about your employer’s discrimination.

Direct Evidence

Direct evidence of discrimination typically means proof that your employer or its agents explicitly said that it is treating you differently because of your race. A lot of racial discrimination is more covert in these times, but some employers still make outright statements about their biases in the open or behind closed doors. Stay alert to what your coworkers say around you, and pay close attention to thinly veiled racial statements in employer correspondence.

Comparative Evidence

Comparative evidence is shows that your employer enforces rules and provides benefits differently based on employees’ races. For instance, you might notice that neither you nor other employees of the same racial background have been promoted in years, despite your qualifications. You might also notice that your employer frequently promotes less experienced employees of other races. Witness accounts and personnel records that show this disparity can be your proof of racial discrimination.

Statistical Evidence

Statistical evidence can be proof that an employer’s practices or policies have had a different impact on employees along racial lines. For example, a seemingly non-biased shaving policy regarding facial hair might be racially discriminatory if, statistically, one racial group of people has more severe physical reactions to shaving compared to others.

Do not panic if you don’t initially have access to every piece of evidence that can prove your case. During their investigations, the EEOC and CRD often request to review records you can’t normally access. Also, an experienced attorney can use litigation tools, such as interrogatories, to compel employers to hand over important documents. 

What Are the Filing Deadlines?

You have 180 days to file a complaint with the EEOC, but only 45 days to initiate your claim if you are a federal employee. And you have three years to file a CRD complaint in California. If you choose to file a lawsuit instead, you must file a state lawsuit within one year of receiving your CRD right-to-sue notice, and you must file your federal lawsuit within 90 days of receiving your EEOC notice of right-to-sue. 

What Are the Types of Racial Discrimination in the Workplace?

An employer can enforce its unlawful biases in the workplace in many ways. The two main types of discrimination are disparate treatment and disparate impact. 

Disparate Treatment Discrimination

Disparate treatment discrimination means you were treated differently because of your race, ethnicity, or other protected characteristic. The evidence of disparate treatment may be direct or circumstantial. Perhaps your supervisor made explicit comments about your race. However, more subtle forms of disparate treatment are also illegal. 

For example, maybe your supervisor allows your colleagues of a different race to clock in late each day, but when you clock in late once, you are immediately fired. This is a situation where one could infer that you were treated differently because of your race, particularly if there are other examples of disparate treatment that bolster this conclusion.   

Disparate Impact Discrimination

Disparate impact discrimination occurs when an employer’s policies or behaviors are “neutral” on the surface but disproportionately affect one racial group compared to others. For instance, if your employer prefers to recruit applicants from a particular school that lacks diversity, it may be committing disparate impact discrimination because the preference makes it harder for individuals from other racial groups to obtain positions with your employer. You might need to present indirect or statistical evidence in a hearing or trial to prove this type of discrimination.  

How Can a Race Discrimination Lawyer in Los Angeles Help Me?

Hiring an experienced race discrimination attorney can be vital to the success of your case for multiple reasons. Your attorney can do the following to help ensure that you receive the relief you deserve: 

• Pinpoint the type of discrimination you have endured and what kind of evidence you will need to win your case,
• Use legal tactics to obtain all the evidence that you need for your case,
• Take on the stressful work of confronting an employer who has mistreated you while you take time to heal,
• Negotiate favorable settlement terms that keep your rights intact and prevent you from spending unnecessary time and money in court,
• Educate you about your rights to prevent current and future employers from taking advantage of you, and
• Guide you through the complaint process so that you have a solid sense of confidence and comfort in your fight for justice. 

Standing up for yourself in a discriminatory employment relationship is hard work. You have already taken that challenging step, and our attorneys can take you the rest of the way so that you receive the compensation and legal remedies you deserve.

A King & Siegel Racial Discrimination Attorney In Los Angeles Can Challenge Injustice

Your race shouldn’t affect your career. If racial bias is impacting your work, you can count on King & Siegel LLP to stand up for you. Reach out today for a free case review.

Our experienced legal team also handles other types of discrimination cases, including:

• Age Discrimination,
• Disability Discrimination,
• Gender Discrimination,
• Parental Status Discrimination,
• Pregnancy Discrimination,
• Religious Discrimination, and
• Sexual Orientation Discrimination.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are All Employers Subject to Anti-Discrimination Laws?

No. An employer must have had at least 15 employees during a 20-week period to be subject to an EEOC complaint. An employer must have at least five employees to be subject to a CRD complaint.

Do All Discrimination Complaints Go to Trial or Hearing?

No. After filing an EEOC or CRD complaint, you might have to attend mediation with your employer. Some employees resolve their issues with their employers during the mediation process. Also, your lawyer might be able to negotiate a good settlement with your employer before you go to trial for a discrimination lawsuit.

What If a Client or Customer Racially Harasses Me at Work?

Your employer is liable for employment discrimination if it knew or should have known a client or customer was harassing you and it didn’t take corrective action.

What Should I Do If I Witness Racial Discrimination in the Workplace?

If you see evidence of racial bias on the job, take notes regarding the behavior and speak to an attorney right away. If the racial discrimination is in the form of harassment or has affected a coworker with the same racial background as you, you may have the right to make a legal complaint against your employer, even if you were not the target of the offensive conduct. 

Remember, if the mistreatment was not harassment or targeted toward others with your personal characteristics, it could still be circumstantial evidence you can use to prove similar, unlawful injustices you have suffered at work. One of our Los Angeles race discrimination lawyers can help you determine whether you have a discrimination claim on your hands, and they can help you gather the proper evidence for your case. 

Also, keep in mind that your employer cannot fire or punish you for assisting a fellow employee with their discrimination claim. So, if you are disciplined after taking note of the discrimination occurring around you or helping a coworker complain, you can take legal action against your employer. 

Looking for a Skilled Los Angeles Race Discrimination Attorney? King & Siegel LLP Fights Race Discrimination Claims

If race discrimination is affecting your work, King & Siegel offers clear, employee-focused guidance without pressure or sales tactics. Our firm represents employees only, never employers, and our Los Angeles race discrimination lawyers have secured tens of millions for workers through strategic, efficient litigation designed to reduce stress and focus on client goals. 

Led by Julian Burns King, a Harvard Law School graduate with honors whose work has helped recover over $750 million in high-stakes cases, our team brings top-tier training, proactive advocacy, and multilingual support, including Spanish-speaking staff. Whether you are ready to take action or simply want to understand your rights, we provide free, 30-minute consultations to help you make informed decisions.

Legal References Used to Inform This Page

To ensure the accuracy and clarity of this page, we referenced official legal and other sources during the content development process:

• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. 
• California Department of Rehabilitation, The Fair Employment and Housing Act.
• Los Angeles Municipal Code, Section 51.03: Discrimination Prohibited.
• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, FY 2009 – 2022 EEOC Charge Receipts for CA.
• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Civil Rights Act of 1991.
• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Retaliation.
• California Department of Industrial Relations, Laws that Prohibit Retaliation and Discrimination.
• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, How to File a Charge of Employment Discrimination.
• California Civil Rights System.
• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Filing a Lawsuit.
• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, CM-602 Evidence.
• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Facts About Race/Color Discrimination. 
• California Civil Rights Department, Instructions for Obtaining a Right-to-Sue Notice.
• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, EEOC Enforcement Guidance on National Origin Discrimination.
• California Civil Rights Department, Employment Discrimination.