Employment Litigation Section

ELS works to stop discrimination in state and local government workplaces by enforcing Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). Title VII is a federal anti-discrimination law that makes it unlawful for an employer to discriminate based on a person’s:

• Race;
• Color;
• Religion;
• Sex; or
• National origin.

The PWFA requires an employer to provide a reasonable accommodation to a qualified job applicant or worker with a known limitation related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless the accommodation will cause the employer an undue hardship.

Under Title VII and the PWFA, ELS also works to end retaliation, which is when an employer treats someone unfairly because they complained about discrimination or participated as a witness in a complaint of discrimination.  Under the PWFA, ELS also helps protect people from coercion, intimidation, threats, or interference in using their PWFA rights or helping others exercise their PWFA rights.

ELS can bring lawsuits against state and local government employers who violate these laws.