You have the right to fight back against harassment campaigns conducted in your workplace. If you find yourself the victim of targeted discrimination because of your sexual identity, gender, or gender presentation, you have the right to legal recourse. You can connect with an Elizabeth LGBT discrimination lawyer for support.
The team at O’Connor, Parsons, Lane & Noble believes in a world that is fair and just. We do not let our clients endure targeted mistreatment and will work within the laws set forth on the state and federal levels to get justice on a client’s behalf. We’ve worked with tens of thousands of clients since 2008.
You can trust our Elizabeth employer discrimination lawyers to take you seriously. Contact us today to discuss how you’re protected by New Jersey’s LGBT discrimination laws and what steps we can take to challenge employer abuse.
What Laws Protect the LGBT+ Community in the Workplace?
Our Elizabeth employment lawyers know that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees across the nation from discrimination. Any employee who faces discrimination or harassment because of their religion, sex, national origin, or race has the right to a recoverable action under Title VII.
The Supreme Court’s landmark 2020 ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County officially held that Title VII’s prohibition against discrimination “because of sex” also covers sexual orientation and gender identity.
LGBT+ employees also benefit from state-based protections. While these differ from state to state, the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, passed in 1945 and updated in 1991 and 2006, prohibits discrimination against members of the LGBT+ community. In fact, New Jersey is viewed as one of the most LGBT-friendly states in the country.
How to Interpret New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination
New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination offers members of the LGBT+ community robust civil protections. This law prohibits discrimination in the workplace, as well as harassment campaigns targeting anyone due to their age, religion, national origin, disabilities, sex, gender, or race.
The protections afforded to employees by New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination apply to all businesses, regardless of how many employees that business has. Government employees, labor unions, and employment agencies must all recognize these protections and treat protected individuals with the respect they are owed.
Additionally, our Elizabeth LGBT discrimination attorneys recognize that New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination Act ensures fair housing and public accommodations for members of the LGBT+ community. Employers and housing representatives have no right to discriminate against anyone regarding their:
- Sexual orientation or presentation
- Gender identity or gender expression
- Transgender status
When Do You Benefit From New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination?
You do not need to out yourself to benefit from New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination.
You have the right to benefit under New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination if you’ve been targeted by a humiliation campaign, discriminated against at work, abused, harassed, or wrongfully removed from a position due to your perceived gender or sexual orientation.
When Should You Call an Elizabeth LGBT Discrimination Lawyer?
You may be a victim of targeted harassment or discrimination if, upon learning about your LGBT+ status or making assumptions about your status, an employer:
- Demotes you
- Fires you
- Reduces your pay or refuses to pay you the same amount as your peers
- Passes you over for a job or promotion
- Initiates a harassment campaign against you
- Denies you reasonable accommodations
- Forces you to quit or resign from your job
If you’re experiencing discomfort in the workplace or have recently lost your job, you can discuss the specifics of your circumstances with our legal team. We can break down what specific instances of harassment you’ve faced and how that harassment might directly tie to your LGBT+ status.
Our LGBT discrimination lawyers in Elizabeth can specifically help you argue that there’s evidence you satisfactorily performed your job prior to this point, and that you began suffering from mistreatment solely because of your LGBT+ status.
Don’t Let Employers Cover Up Their Discrimination
The evidence we can use to prove LGBTQ discrimination may not be in writing, as your employer and their cohorts will likely take steps to obscure their reasons for mistreating you.
However, our team knows how to recognize a cover-up. We can use witness statements, pattern analysis, phone conversations, and internal memos, among other data, to make a case on your behalf.
We Fight for Your Right to Compensation
Pursuing legal action against an employer who discriminated against you may allow you to demand compensation for your mistreatment. The damages that can come with an unlawful discrimination lawsuit can cover the cost of your lost wages and reduced workplace benefits, in addition to non-economic losses like your emotional distress.
In some cases, civil lawsuits can help you cover the cost of an attorney’s fees, not to mention any other legal expenses you might incur while seeking justice.
You can discuss what to expect from civil action upon meeting with our Elizabeth LGBT+ discrimination attorneys. We will assess your specific circumstances and provide you with an honest assessment of your circumstances, as well as a calculated assessment of your discrimination-related losses.
O’Connor, Parsons, Lane & Noble Fights Back Against LGBT Workplace Discrimination
New Jersey’s LGBT residents have the right to fair treatment in the workplace. New Jersey employers cannot violate their employees’ rights, make them feel unsafe, or otherwise target them with harassment campaigns. Doing so violates the law.
Fortunately, anyone who feels as though they’ve been targeted by a harassment campaign as a result of their gender or sexual identity can connect with O’Connor, Parsons, Lane & Noble. Our LGBT discrimination attorneys in Elizabeth, NJ, can represent victims in and out of court while fighting for the justice they deserve.
Contact us today to set up your employment discrimination case consultation. O’Connor, Parsons, Lane & Noble wants to fight for you.