For those of us who are EEO or Human Resources professionals, “discrimination” is a very familiar term. When the majority of people hear the word discrimination, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 typically comes to mind because it is the most well-known Federal Law that prohibits employment discrimination by most private and government employers of fifteen (15) or more employees, on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. Some people do not realize that the Civil Rights Act contains other Laws that also prohibit discrimination on some of the same bases. Two of these are Titles VI and IX.
Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin, in programs or services which receive Federal financial assistance, such as higher education programs which rely on student loans funded by the US Department of Education; public transportation services; housing programs; etc.
Title IX prohibits discrimination, on the basis of sex, in education programs and activities receiving Federal financial assistance.
The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces these Laws and provides guidance, training, and updates on the proper administration of them; however, many State and local government agencies and educational institutions have their own internal Civil Rights Compliance offices which investigate and address charges of unlawful discrimination; as well as provide training on discrimination prevention.
In addition to the valuable resources and services that the EEOC provides, EEO and Human Resources professionals may also find resources on the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) at www.shrm.org; the US Department of Justice, at www.justice.gov; the US Department of Labor (DOL), at www.dol.gov; the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), at www.hhs.gov; the US Department of Transportation (DOT), at www.transit.dot.gov and via the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), at www.epa.gov.
