Your Right To Be Treated Fairly and Without Discrimination in Restaurants, Stores, and Other Businesses
Warning: This page is provided solely for informational purposes. Readers are encouraged to seek advice from a licensed attorney regarding potential violations of any civil rights law.
What is Discrimination?
"Discrimination refers to the treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit."
- U.S. Legal
Federal Civil Rights Laws
Civil Rights Act of 1866
Guarantees certain inalienable rights to all people born in the U.S., including the right to make contracts, to own property, to sue in court, and to enjoy the full protection of federal law.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Protects employees and job applicants from employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin. Title VII protection covers the full spectrum of employment decisions, including recruitment, selections, terminations, and other decisions concerning terms and conditions of employment.
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act of 1968)
Protects individuals and families from discrimination in the sale, rental, financing, and advertising of housing. Prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex, disability, family status, and national origin with particular emphasis on civil rights in the housing market.
Civil Rights Act of 1991
Strengthens the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by providing remedy for those who were the victims of employers where discrimination was more subtle, such as through a policy that was not discriminatory on its face, but had a disparate impact on certain groups.
State Laws