Protecting the Rights
of Employees
of Employees
Race Discrimination
Bergen County Employment Law Firm Holding Employers Accountable for Their Discriminatory Decisions
No one should lose a job, miss a promotion, or endure daily hostility because of the color of their skin. Yet race-based bias continues to surface in subtle and not-so-subtle ways across offices, warehouses, restaurants, and retail stores throughout New Jersey—including right here in Bergen County. When employers let stereotypes drive decisions or ignore employees’ complaints, they violate state and federal law. At Rabner Baumgart Ben-Asher & Nirenberg, P.C., our team of Bergen County employment discrimination lawyers helps workers hold those employers accountable and recover the compensation they deserve.
The Laws That Protect You
The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD) is one of the strongest anti-discrimination statutes in the country. It applies to employers with at least two employees and prohibits adverse action because of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, or ethnicity, among numerous other legally protected categories. The law covers every stage of employment—from recruiting and hiring to termination—and allows victims to pursue back pay, front pay, emotional‑distress damages, punitive damages, and attorneys’ fees.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act provides parallel protection at the federal level for employees of companies with 15 or more employees.
Recognizing Race Discrimination on the Job
Discrimination is not always as clear as you might think and can take many forms. Some of the most common examples of race discrimination in the workplace include the following:
- Unequal discipline: Workers belonging to a racial minority are written up for infractions that others get away with.
- “Glass ceiling” promotions: Qualified employees are repeatedly passed over in favor of less‑qualified colleagues of a different race.
- Pay disparities: Employees performing the same work are paid lower wages because of their race or perceived race.
- Job segregation: Minority workers are funneled into lower‑visibility roles or into customer-facing positions because customers supposedly “relate better.”
- Harassment: Slurs, offensive jokes, racial epithets, graffiti, or constant micro-aggressions that create a hostile work environment. Under the NJLAD, you have a claim if your race is even part of the reason for the negative treatment.
Hostile Work Environment and Racial Harassment
While a single stray comment might not always be enough to sue, a pattern of remarks, taunts, or degrading assignments can add up to an unlawful hostile work environment. Sometimes, one shockingly severe incident—such as a supervisor using a hateful racial epithet—is so egregious that it crosses the legal line on its own. Our Bergen County employment discrimination attorneys analyze the facts of your case and review your emails, text messages, chat logs, and performance records to show the full picture of harassment and its impact on your career.
Physical Traits and the CROWN Act
Race discrimination also includes bias based on hair texture, protective styles, skin tone, or facial features. In 2019, New Jersey adopted the Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair Act (CROWN Act), amending the NJLAD to make it clear that targeting someone for wearing locs, twists, braids, Afros, or other race-associated hairstyles is unlawful. If your employer disciplines you for how you wear your hair, that is discrimination.
Reverse Discrimination and Color Bias
While race discrimination disproportionately harms Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, and other minority employees, the NJLAD protects all workers. A white employee denied a promotion because a supervisor prefers hiring people of another race still has a valid claim. Likewise, color discrimination, including favoring lighter or darker skin within the same ethnic group, also is prohibited.
Retaliation Is Illegal
*You should be able to voice concerns about discrimination without fear. If you complain internally, file a claim with the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights (DCR) or the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), or cooperate in a related investigation, your employer may not lawfully demote you, dock your pay, harass, or fire you. Retaliation claims can be successful even when the underlying discrimination is still being litigated, or the person alleging discrimination cannot prove their case.
How We Build a Strong NJLAD Case
As experienced Bergen County employment discrimination lawyers, we:
- Listen to your story and identify your potential claim.
- Secure evidence—personnel files, digital communications, comparators’ records.
- Document damages—lost wages, emotional distress, and future impact on your career.
- Negotiate aggressively for a settlement or take the case to court if appropriate.
- Pursue punitive damages where an employer’s conduct was especially reckless or malicious.
Due to our unwavering commitment to pursuing our clients’ best interests, we have helped set important precedents in New Jersey that expand workers’ rights and obtained significant six‑ and seven-figure settlements and recoveries.
Talk to a Bergen County Employment Discrimination Lawyer Today
You work hard and deserve to be judged on your performance, not preconceived notions about your race. If you believe race discrimination or harassment has derailed your career, Rabner Baumgart Ben‑Asher & Nirenberg, P.C. is ready to fight for you. Call 201‑777‑2250 or reach out online to schedule a confidential consultation. We will evaluate your situation, explain your legal options, and stand by your side every step of the way. Articles
If you would like to learn more about race discrimination, then we recommend you read one of the following articles from our New Jersey Employment Law Blog: