Four Factors the Court Looks for in a Baltimore Racial Discrimination Case

According to a June 2017 Baltimore Sun article, two University of Maryland employees allege that they experienced racial discrimination at the University’s College Park campus. The plaintiffs, both black, worked as facilities management employees at the University. According to the lawsuit, the University not only created a hostile working environment for them and other employees of color, but it also retaliated against them when they complained about the alleged misconduct happening there. The men are seeking approximately $1.5 million in damages

In addition to the University of Maryland, the University System of Maryland as a whole and three facilities management officials are named as codefendants in the civil case.

What Constitutes Racial Discrimination in the Workplace in Baltimore?

Every employee in Baltimore is supposed to be treated the same by an employer regardless of his or her race or racial characteristics. It is important to note that employers can pay and treat their employees differently based on their qualifications and performance, as long as race (or membership in another protected class) does not play a factor in that treatment. An employee’s job performance and qualifications are valid factors that may dictate an employer’s treatment of an employee.

Racial discrimination, when occurring in the workplace, can take on many forms. These can include racially insensitive jokes, unfair disciplinary treatment, and the refusal of management to promote an employee when he or she is deserving and has the necessary qualifications for the position.

The Four Legal Factors that Successfully Prove a Baltimore Racial Discrimination Case

The case mentioned above may be resolved at trial or it may be settled at any time out of court. If the case goes to trial, a judge or jury will consider four factors when deciding the case. The court will want to know if:

• • The plaintiff is a member of a protected class. A person’s race, gender, religion, etc. make him or her a member of a protected class.

• • The plaintiff is qualified for the job but is refused a promotion, is demoted, or is passed over for a job.

• • The plaintiff is terminated, underpaid, held back, demoted, or suspended because he or she is a member of a protected class. There must be a connection between the plaintiff’s protected class and the employer acting against him or her.

• The plaintiff suffers an injury because of the alleged discrimination. The injury may be lost wages or enduring emotional distress.

Contact The Law Firm of J.W. Stafford About Racial Discrimination in Baltimore

You have attempted to resolve the racial discrimination you have endured at your place of work without improvement. Now is the time to take the next step and contact The Law Firm of J.W. Stafford for legal assistance. You have the right to work in an environment free of hostility and discrimination. To learn more about how to fight your employer and win, contact us. We will explain the laws and how evidence gathered will be used to prove the four factors needed to win your case. You can contact us via our website or via telephone at 410-514-6099. 

(image courtesy of Ashton Bingham)