Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Title VII is the federal law that bans workplace discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. It applies to private employers with 15 or more employees, plus federal, state, and local governments. Sex discrimination under Title VII covers pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity after the Supreme Court's Bostock v. Clayton County (2020) 590 U.S. 644 decision.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Title VII at 42 U.S.C. §2000e et seq. bans workplace discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.
- Applies to private employers with 15+ employees plus federal, state, and local governments.
- Sex discrimination now covers sexual orientation and gender identity after Bostock v. Clayton County (2020) 590 U.S. 644.
- Filing windows: 180 days to EEOC (federal baseline), 300 days in California, 90 days after right-to-sue to file in federal court.
Title VII is codified at 42 U.S.C. §2000e et seq. Enforcement runs through the EEOC. An employee has 180 days from the last unlawful act to file an EEOC charge, or 300 days in states like California where a parallel agency (the CRD) handles the same kind of claim. After the EEOC issues a right-to-sue letter, the employee has 90 days to file in federal court.
Example: A logistics company project manager is passed over for a director role and told by the VP of operations that "the team really needs a man at the helm." The project manager files a Title VII charge with the EEOC alleging sex discrimination. Because she works in California, she can dual-file with the CRD and pursue parallel claims under FEHA, which often offers a longer filing window and uncapped compensatory damages.
California workers usually pair Title VII with FEHA because FEHA reaches smaller employers (5+) and lets the case stay in state court. A California employment discrimination lawyer can pick the forum that matches your facts.
From our practice: We pair Title VII with FEHA in almost every California case. The pairing isn't redundant; it preserves the right to remove the case to federal court if the defense forum-shops, and it locks in attorney's-fee shifting under both statutes. Filing Title VII alone in California is a strategic mistake. FEHA gives smaller-employer coverage, no damages cap, and the longer three-year window.
Attorney Advertising. Page reviewed by David M. Safvati, CA Bar #326605. This advertisement is the responsibility of Westview Law PC.
