Title VII Employment Discrimination

<h2>Title VII Overview</h2><p>Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the cornerstone federal anti-discrimination statute, prohibiting employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity per <em>Bostock v. Clayton County</em>), and national origin. It applies to employers with 15 or more employees.</p><h2>Types of Claims</h2><ul><li><strong>Disparate treatment:</strong> Intentional discrimination based on a protected characteristic</li><li><strong>Disparate impact:</strong> Facially neutral policies that disproportionately affect a protected group</li><li><strong>Hostile work environment:</strong> Severe or pervasive harassment based on a protected characteristic</li><li><strong>Retaliation:</strong> Adverse action for opposing discrimination or participating in an investigation</li></ul><h2>Administrative Exhaustion</h2><p>Before filing a Title VII lawsuit in federal court, plaintiffs must file a charge of discrimination with the EEOC within 180 days (or 300 days if a state agency also has jurisdiction). After receiving a right-to-sue letter, the plaintiff has 90 days to file in federal court.</p>