Legal Question in Discrimination Law in District of Columbia
You must be a redneck if you're from WV
After being asked where I am originally from, the person(s) asking the question stated, ''You must be a redneck''. This has happened on numerous occasions at a high profile government facility in Washington, D.C. The comment was made by both government employees and contractors. I am a very quiet person and I guess this is the reason why the comment(s) were made. Just wondering if there is any legal action that could be taken because the person(s) who made the comment(s) have apparently spread a rumor throughout the organization about me, which has created a not so friendly work environment.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: You must be a redneck if you're from WV
"West Virginian" is not one of the protected classes in the Civil Rights Act. Even if it were, you haven't described any negative job action taken against you that benefited a non-West Virginian. That showing is a prerequisite to any suit under the Act.
"Hostile work environment" is a sex harassment concept that is irrelevant to other types of discrimination suits. Don't confuse them.
The law does not provide a remedy for every remark that an individual finds offensive. In my opinion, this is a good and sensible state of affairs. Litigation is lengthy and expensive, and rarely yields a satisfactory result, not to mention the strain on our collective resources. Far better for reasonable adults to use their persuasive and empathetic powers to work out a solution. Normally a civil discussion with the offender is sufficient to stop the teasing; if not, a visit to your supervisor and/or Human Resources almost always solves the problem.
Best of luck.
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