A recent New York Times report details the large race gaps that exist in several police departments in major cities throughout the United States. This report, coming in the wake of recent incidents of violence, has many people concerned. According to the report, in many cities across the country, the percentage of whites on the force is greater than thirty percent higher than the community that it serves.

While a race gap in a particular department is not, in and of itself, evidence of race discrimination in hiring, it is something to be aware of. Many considerations go in to hiring employees, particularly in the case of law enforcement agencies, and it is often the case that the number of white applicants exceeds the number of minority candidates.

Employers Are Bound By Law To Treat Employees Equally

Employers, however, may not exclude a candidate on the basis of his or her race, nor may they terminate, demote, or otherwise treat unfairly an employee because of his or her race. The critical analysis for individuals who believe that they were either treated unfairly or not hired because of their race is how they compare to similar individuals of a different race. In other words, if a black employee is disciplined for allegedly violating a company policy that prohibits swearing, but a white individual is not disciplined for the same or substantially similar conduct, this may be evidence of race based discrimination.

The bottom line is that any individual who believes that they have been subjected to unlawful discrimination should contact an employment discrimination attorney. While New York is an “at-will” employment state, and individuals may be terminated for no reason at all, often “legitimate” reasons are merely a cover for improper and illegal race (or gender) based considerations. If you beleive that you've been illegally discriminated against at your job, call us today at 518-308-8339 or 888-706-9765 to speak with one of our employment attorneys.

  Scott Peterson by Scott Peterson | | Connect with me:

Representing plaintiffs in employment and serious injury matters.