Austin Racial Discrimination Lawyers

It’s reasonable for employees to expect that they will be judged and evaluated based on the quality of their work. Unfortunately, in some work settings, employers judge and evaluate their employees based on their race rather than their performances. This is a form of racial discrimination.

The Austin racial discrimination lawyers at The Melton Law Firm protect the rights of employees who have experienced discrimination by their employers based on their race.

In addition to treating a person of another race unfavorably, racial discrimination can also extend to any negative and/or harmful treatment of someone who is married to, or otherwise associated with, a person of a different race or with different skin color.

Racial discrimination is not acceptable under any circumstances. People who’ve experienced racial discrimination need to be aware of their legal options to fight against racial discrimination.

Why do I need a racial discrimination attorney for my case?

If you are the victim of racial discrimination in the workplace, you should contact a lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your case. Racial discrimination at work is a violation of your rights under local, state, and federal laws.

To ensure that the outcome of your case is successful and to hold those who have wronged you legally responsible for their actions, you need a highly-qualified racial discrimination attorney who can make the strongest possible case for you.

An experienced and knowledgeable Austin employment discrimination lawyer can evaluate the facts of your case, put together an ironclad representation of those facts, and can negotiate a settlement to get you compensations for the damages – such as, a degraded professional reputation or unwarranted termination – you have suffered because of racial discrimination. If you and your employer can’t reach a fair settlement, a lawyer will also be able to protect your interests and rights in court.

Racial discrimination can come in many forms, and protection against racial discrimination in the workplace is found in many laws – a competent racial discrimination lawyer will know all of these laws and will use them effectively to create the best possible case for you.

When a company or their employees practice racial discrimination, it is not unusual to find that this is an embedded part of the company culture. As such, the company will close ranks and try to bully or intimidate the employee who’s been discriminated against from taking legal action.

An experienced employment discrimination lawyer will not be intimidated by any of these tactics and will boldly fight against the company’s legal counsel by using the power of the law to get a fair settlement for you.

How Can The Melton Law Firm Help Me with My Case?

The Melton Law Firm represents some of the most qualified and experienced legal experts on employment law in central Texas. By specializing in employment law, we dedicate our practice to delivering vigorous representation to those who have been wronged in the workplace, including in racial discrimination cases.

We understand that incidents such as racial discrimination can also come with other issues in the workplace too. These can include equal pay, wrongful termination and even wage theft, so we make sure that we are the experts on employment law as it applies to your case in Texas and at the federal level.

Our lead attorney, John F. Melton, is a Board Certified specialist in employment and labor law, as well as in civil trial law, having secured millions in compensation for his clients across cases that include those on racial discrimination.

He has received the Super Lawyer distinction in Texas each year since 2011, representing the top 5% of trial lawyers in the state of Texas, and is a Fellow Member of the Texas Bar Foundation, an honor given to the top 1% of attorneys in Texas.

As a UT Austin graduate and long-time Austin local, Attorney Melton understands his client base, his clients’ needs, and how to build the most effective case for you if you’ve been a victim of racial discrimination in the workplace.

Because we are a small firm, we do not have case quotas and promise to bring the utmost personal attention to each of our cases. The Melton Law Firm stands ready to serve you in your employment discrimination case.

Racial Discrimination in the Workplace

Racial discrimination is unacceptable wherever it occurs in society. Companies are bound by the law to protect their employees from racial discrimination at work.  When companies do not protect their employees’ rights or they actually encourage and facilitate racial discrimination, they may be held financially responsible. Common forms of racial discrimination include:

• Basing decisions regarding hiring, advancement, and termination on race
• Display racially offensive symbols
• Making or allowing derogatory or offensive remarks about a person’s race

Much local, state, and federal legislation has been put in place to protect employees of all races. The racial discrimination attorneys at The Melton Law Firm understand the importance of these laws and they work to make sure that they are enforced when employees face unjust treatment.

How Do You Prove Fault in a Racial Discrimination Case?

Sometimes, proving that someone acted in a discriminatory manner can be difficult. Direct evidence, such as email communication demonstrating a preference for a particular demographic, is increasingly rare. Proving your case without direct evidence usually relies on what is called ‘prima facie’ (‘on the face’) evidence. This typically involves establishing a few circumstances:

• You are a member of a protected class (in the case of race, this typically means that you are part of a racial minority)
• You meet the qualifications of a job, and are performing at a satisfactory level
• You were either not hired or promoted for a position, or subjected to an action which was detrimental to your career, such as a termination or demotion
• The individual who received either the benefit or took your place upon termination/demotion was of a different race, or the employer passed you up even though you possessed or exceeded the necessary qualifications

These factors alone will not prove that you experienced racial discrimination. Your employer has the burden of proving that they had a non-discriminatory reason for taking the action that they took. This can include presenting evidence that they felt that you lacked the necessary qualifications for a job or promotion or that something in your performance necessitated the demotion or termination.

Once your employer presents their explanations for their actions, you will need to be able to show that the actions were either motivated by discrimination, or that your case fits into a repeated pattern of discriminatory behavior by the company.

For example, you may need to prove, through an employer’s promotion history or the person hired or promoted in your place, that there was a clear bias against you, and that the bias was racially motivated.

Proving this sort of discrimination can be challenging, but with the help of an Austin racial discrimination lawyer, you can present a very strong case that will give you the best chance of obtaining a fair settlement.

Contact an Austin Racial Discrimination Attorney Today

Racial discrimination in the workplace can be frustrating and disheartening, especially if your employer fails to take any corrective action or you lose your job or a promotion because of it.

If you have experienced racial discrimination in the workplace, you should speak to a lawyer about your case as soon as possible. Like many types of civil rights cases in Texas, the statute of limitations can be very short. Some racial discrimination cases can have a statute of limitation as short as one year from the date of the incident.

If you have been discriminated against in the workplace because of your race, or because of your association with anyone of a particular race, you may be eligible to take legal action.

The Austin area racial discrimination lawyers at The Melton Law Firm can help you pursue justice against those who have discriminated against you in the workplace. To speak with a racial discrimination attorney today, call us at (512) 330-0017.