Discrimination & Retaliation

Equal Employment Opportunity

Federal and Colorado laws prohibit employment discrimination and retaliation in state and local government employment.

Murray Law welcomes the opportunity to provide helpful counsel and effective representation to state and local government employees, supervisors, managers, executives, professionals, applicants, and former employees.

Steven Murray has successfully represented public and private sector clients in employment discrimination and retaliation lawsuits in multiple United States District Courts, including obtaining jury verdicts and favorable resolutions in for his clients before the United States District Court for the District of Colorado and in medication proceedings.

Discrimination

A state or local government agency engages in unlawful employment discrimination when an individual is subjected to an adverse action or treated less favorably because the person is a member of a lawfully protected class.

Under federal and Colorado law, state and local government agencies are prohibited from taking employment actions based on: (1) race or color; (2) national origin; (3) age; (4) sex; (5) sexual orientation; (6) pregnancy; (7) religion; and (8) disability.

The Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act prohibits state and local government agencies from discharging an employee because an employee participated in lawful off-duty activities.

The Colorado Act prohibits a state or local government employer from refusing to hire or discharging a person because of marital status.

Public sector employers must provide employees and applicants with reasonable accommodations for a disability, religion, or religious practice.

State and local agencies may not subject an employee to harassment or a hostile work environment because of the person’s protected status, i.e. sex, disability.

Prohibited harassment may occur when an employee is subject to harassment created by a manager, supervisor, co-worker, or any person within the control of the state and local agency employer.

Retaliation

State and local government employees are protected from retaliatory actions from their government employers.

State and local agencies are prohibited from discriminating against a person because the individual opposed discrimination or participated in an employment proceeding by filing a charge of discrimination, assisting, testifying, or participating in any investigation, litigation, or proceeding under the law.

State and local government employers are prohibited from retaliating against an employee because the employee requested or received a reasonable accommodation for the employee’s disability, religion, or religious practice.

Conclusion

State and local government employees, applicants, and former employees have lawfully protected rights against employment discrimination and retaliation in employment. If you face discrimination or retaliation in state and local government employment, call Steven Murray at 720-600-6642.