Los Angeles Religious Discrimination Lawyer

Services for Employees Discrimination Religious Discrimination

Filing a Religious Discrimination Claim in Los Angeles, CA

Employees in Los Angeles have the right to be free from religious discrimination in all aspects of employment. This applies across the board—from hiring and job placement decisions to harassment in the workplace and termination. If you have experienced religious discrimination, you have clear legal rights, and you should discuss your rights with a Los Angeles religious discrimination lawyer promptly.

Similar to other forms of discrimination, religious discrimination is prohibited under both state and federal law in California. At Attorneys For Employees, we represent employees in religious discrimination claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). We have helped numerous employees protect their legal rights before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), and California’s state and federal courts—and we can use our experience to protect you, too.

Religious Discrimination in Employment is Prohibited in Los Angeles

The right to religious freedom is deeply rooted in our society. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution bars Congress from enacting laws that prohibit the free exercise of religion; and, in 1964, Congress enacted Title VII the Civil Rights Act to protect employees against religious discrimination in the workplace (along with other forms of discrimination).

Employment-related religious discrimination is prohibited under California law as well. California’s FEHA prohibits employers from discriminating against job applicants and current employees based on their religion and other protected characteristics.

1. Filing a Claim for Religious Discrimination Under Title VII

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 applies to private, state, and local employers in Los Angeles with 15 or more employees. It also applies to all federal agencies. Under Title VII, covered employers are prohibited from engaging in religious discrimination in all aspects of employment. This means that employees in Los Angeles can potentially file claims based on prohibited practices such as:

• Refusing to hire a job applicant based on the applicant’s religious beliefs or practices
• Refusing to hire a job applicant based on the applicant’s request for a reasonable accommodation
• Making job assignment, compensation, promotion, or termination decisions based on an employee’s religious beliefs or practices
• Making derogatory or other offensive remarks about an employee based on the employee’s religion
• Fostering a hostile work environment where religious discrimination is tolerated
• Requiring employees to participate in activities or engage in conduct that goes against their religious beliefs
• Retaliating against employees who report religious discrimination in the workplace

Under Title VII, covered employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations for their employees’ religious beliefs and practices. This includes (but is not limited to) providing reasonable accommodations for:

• Observing religious holidays and participating in other observances
• Dress practices (including wearing religious garments or headwear and not wearing garments that go against employees’ religious beliefs)
• Grooming practices (including wearing certain hairstyles or facial hair)

As the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) explains, when an employee requests a reasonable accommodation and “employer reasonably needs more information, the employer and the employee should engage in an interactive process to discuss the request. If it would not pose an undue hardship, the employer must grant the accommodation.” Failure to reasonably accommodate an employee’s religious practices or beliefs is a form of discrimination for which employees can—and should—pursue claims under Title VII.

Filing a claim under Title VII starts with submitting a complaint to the EEOC. Our attorneys can determine if you have grounds to file a claim, and if you do, we can prepare your complaint, deal with the EEOC on your behalf, and take all other necessary legal action to protect your legal rights.

2. Filing a Claim for Religious Discrimination Under California’s FEHA

California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act also prohibit all forms of employment-related religious discrimination. Employers in Los Angeles with five or more employees must comply with the law.

Like Title VII, FEHA prohibits discrimination based on a job applicant’s or current employee’s religious beliefs or practices—regardless of what they may be. This means that the law protects employees who observe religions including (but certainly not limited to):

• Buddhism
• Christianity
• Hinduism
• Islam
• Judaism

California’s FEHA (along with Title VII) also prohibits discrimination against individuals who are members of different faiths or sects. It protects individuals who hold religious beliefs but do not identify with organized religion as well. In short, if you feel as though you have experienced any form of religious discrimination in any way connected with your job (or your application for a job), you should speak with an attorney at Attorneys for Employees.

Filing a religious discrimination claim under FEHA starts with submitting a complaint to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD). Our attorneys regularly represent individuals before the CRD. We can handle the entire complaint process for you, and if you experience retaliation, further harassment, or any other prohibited act after filing your claim, we can deal with this on your behalf as well.

Do You Have a Claim for Employment-Related Discrimination in Los Angeles?

 To find out if you have a claim for employment-related discrimination in Los Angeles, your next step is to speak with an attorney. To prepare for your initial consultation, we encourage you to:

• Take Detailed Notes – Why do you believe you are a victim of religious discrimination? What type of discrimination or harassment have you experienced? When did it happen and who was involved? Did you report the incident to anyone? If so, what happened after you filed your report?
• Collect Your Documents – If you have a report or any other documentation related to the religious discrimination you experienced, you will want to have this with you during your initial consultation. If you have relevant emails, text messages or other communications, you should gather these as well.
• Prepare a List of Questions – Finally, if you have any specific questions, we encourage you to write them down. Our attorneys will go over your legal rights in detail, but you should not hesitate to ask any questions you may have.

Contact Us for a Confidential Consultation

If you need to speak with an attorney about filing a religious discrimination claim in Los Angeles, we encourage you to contact an experienced Los Angeles religious discrimination lawyer promptly. Please call 310-601-1330 or contact us online to arrange a confidential consultation.