Everyone is entitled to fair and just treatment under the law and in every area of their lives, including their workplace, their home, and any public space. When your civil rights are violated, you will need experienced legal assistance that will do whatever it takes to get you the justice that you deserve.
Our New York civil rights lawyer at Mark David Shirian P.C. is prepared to help you if your civil rights have been denied. We have represented clients in a number of different areas, including cases involving housing discrimination, malicious prosecution, and public accommodations violations. We can work to efficiently and effectively pursue legal action against perpetrators and vigorously defend and protect your rights.
If you believe your civil rights have been violated, we can help you explore whether you have a case. Call (212) 931-6530 or contact us online to get started.
Civil Rights Discrimination
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 codifies federal protections against discrimination in a number of arenas. You cannot be discriminated against on the basis of your race, religion, national origin, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.
Areas where the Civil Rights Act of 1964 explicitly prohibits discriminatory actions include:
- Voting and voting facilities
- Public accommodations
- Public facilities
- Public education
- Federally programs
- Employment
In some cases, discriminatory actions can be abundantly obvious in nature. Others are more perniciously subtle, and you may not immediately realize you have been discriminated against. This is especially true in instances of employment discrimination, where unscrupulous companies use numerous strategies to conceal unlawful hiring practices or terminations.
If you believe you may have been the victim of a discriminatory action protected by the Civil Rights Act, it is important to seek legal action right away. Our civil rights attorney can help evaluate the facts of your situation and determine whether you have a case in New York.
Housing Discrimination
Federal and state laws work in tandem to protect New Yorkers from discriminatory housing practices. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, disability, religion, or sex. It also precludes discriminatory conduct on account of someone’s familial status, including the presence of minor children.
The New York State Human Rights Law expands these federal housing protections. Under the law, individuals seeking housing cannot be discriminated against on account of their military status, age, sexual orientation, marital status, or creed. Almost all housing throughout New York is subject to these anti-discrimination measures, with very few exceptions.
The laws apply to all housing providers, including real estate agents, landlords, building managers, and condominium boards. They also apply to lenders and banks facilitating mortgages or other housing-related loans.
Thanks to fair housing law protections, housing providers cannot do any of the following:
- Refusing to rent, sell, accept an application for, negotiate, or otherwise conduct a transaction involving housing
- Setting differing and unequal terms for a housing applicant (such as conditions for a mortgage or rental agreement)
- Offering unequal housing services (such as refusing to make timely repairs for only some tenants in a rental building with multiple units)
- Using and disseminating discriminatory advertisements for housing
- Engaging in any discriminatory, direct, or indirect harassment, including sexual harassment
Individuals with disabilities also have rights under fair housing laws. Housing providers may not refuse to make reasonable accommodations to facility common areas or services if not doing so precludes someone from access to the housing.
If you have suffered housing discrimination in New York, immediately reach out to our civil rights lawyers. We can help you file a formal complaint, which can result in denied housing being made available, the awarding of monetary damages, and the assessment of other fines and penalties against the offending parties.
