Title VII of the Civil Rights Act — Employment Discrimination Protections

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act — Employment Discrimination Protections

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the foundational federal statute prohibiting employment discrimination. It applies to employers with 15 or more employees and covers discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. Following the Supreme Court’s 2020 Bostock decision, Title VII’s prohibition on sex discrimination also encompasses sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination.

What Title VII Prohibits

Title VII makes it unlawful for employers to discriminate in hiring, firing, compensation, promotion, job assignments, training, and all terms and conditions of employment. The statute also prohibits harassment that creates a hostile work environment, retaliation against employees who oppose discrimination or participate in EEOC proceedings, and employment practices that are facially neutral but have a disparate impact on a protected group without business justification.

Filing Requirements

Before filing a Title VII lawsuit, you must file a charge with the EEOC within 300 days (in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, which have state agencies). After the EEOC investigation, you receive a Right to Sue letter giving you 90 days to file in federal court.

Damages Under Title VII

Title VII provides back pay and front pay (no cap), compensatory damages for emotional distress (capped based on employer size: $50,000 for 15-100 employees up to $300,000 for 500+ employees), punitive damages (same caps as compensatory), and attorney’s fees and costs. The damage caps are why many Pennsylvania and New Jersey employees also file under the PHRA or NJLAD, which have no caps on compensatory damages.

The Lacy Employment Law Firm handles Title VII claims across Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and New Jersey. Call (215) 515-5924 for a free consultation.