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Defense of Employment Discrimination Claims

The attorneys at Wallace, Richardson, Sontag & Le, LLP vigorously defend employers who are charged with alleged discrimination in violation of federal and state law. We help employers establish that any allegedly adverse action was not the result of a discriminatory animus and/or that the employee is not a member of a protected class.

Equal Employment Opportunity Laws

Because they developed over time, the laws protecting equal opportunity in the workplace are not found in a single location. Rather, there are a number of applicable statutes in both the federal and state systems.

Federal Law

The principal federal equal employment opportunity statute is Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended. Other federal laws addressed to equal employment opportunity include the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), and the Civil Rights Act of 1866, Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, and the Civil Rights Act of 1871.

California Law

The primary California legislation relating to employment discrimination is the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Other state statutes directed to equal employment opportunity include the Equal Pay Act and the Government Code provisions barring discrimination in state-funded programs or activities.

Regulations

The Fair Employment and Housing Commission has issued regulations under the FEHA and other California antidiscrimination statutes. Title VII and the other federal legislation are similarly implemented by administrative regulations.