Ada Ko Wong 

Title VII 

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000e et seq. ("Title VII") makes it unlawful for an employer to “to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.”  42 U.S.C. § 2000(e)-2(a)(1) (emphasis added).  Protections have also extended to include discrimination on the basis of pregnancy but does not currently provide protection for discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. 

It also serves as the basis for harassment, retaliation-based discrimination, and failure to accommodate claims. 

Who is an “employer”? For a federal claim, Title VII requires that there are 15 or more employees for each working day in each of 20 or more calendar weeks in the current or preceding calendar year.

Do you have to file with the EEOC?  Unlike the WLAD, the employee must timely file with the EEOC prior to filing suit under Title VII. For more information, click here.