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Why does a pattern of behavior matter in discrimination suits?

On Behalf of | Nov 10, 2021 | Employment Discrimination |

You lose your job, and you feel like you’re being discriminated against as a minority worker. Of course, your employer did not tell you that they were firing you because of your race — as that would be illegal — and so they claimed there was some other reason. You think it’s a front. 

This is a common issue because modern employers know well that they’re not supposed to discriminate and they will often not do it so openly. This is when looking at patterns and systemic practices can help. 

If it is not a singular issue

If you were the only minority employee who got fired, it can be harder to claim that you’re being discriminated against on racial grounds. Your employer can simply point to the other minority workers who are still on the job to show that they have nothing against people within those races but merely did not want to employ you for other reasons. 

However, things change if there is a pattern to their behavior. Say they have fired six employees in the last year, and 100% of them were minority workers. All of the workers belonging to the majority group kept their jobs. This pattern shows that they may be discriminating against people on a racial basis, even if they came up with other excuses for each firing. 

Fighting back when your rights are violated

It’s incredibly frustrating when illegal practices like this impact your career. Be sure you know what legal rights you have. No one deserves to be treated like this and there are many things you can do about it.