Discriminatory Firing Attorney

California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA, Gov. Code § 12940) prohibits firing based on race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40+), sexual orientation, or military/veteran status. FEHA applies to employers with 5 or more employees.

The New York State Human Rights Law (Exec. Law § 296) and the New York City Human Rights Law (Admin. Code § 8-107) provide broad protections. The NYC law is one of the most protective in the nation, covering all employers regardless of size and using a lower standard of proof than federal law.

You can use direct evidence (discriminatory statements) or circumstantial evidence showing: (1) you belong to a protected class, (2) you were qualified for your position, (3) you were fired, and (4) similarly situated employees outside your protected class were treated more favorably. Suspicious timing, inconsistent employer explanations, and statistical patterns also support claims.

Under both CA and NY law, you may recover back pay, front pay, emotional distress damages, punitive damages, and attorneys' fees. California has no cap on damages under FEHA. Under federal Title VII, compensatory and punitive damages are capped based on employer size, but state law claims have no such caps in either CA or NY.