Legal Definitions - Civil Rights Act of 1964

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a significant federal law in the United States designed to outlaw major forms of discrimination against individuals.

This landmark legislation prohibits unfair treatment based on a person's race, color, national origin, sex (which includes pregnancy), and religion. It applies broadly across several key areas of public life, specifically forbidding discrimination in:

• Employment: How people are hired, fired, promoted, or treated in the workplace. The provisions related to employment are often referred to as "Title VII" of the Act.
• Education: Access to and treatment within public schools and universities.
• Public Facilities and Accommodations: Access to and service from places that serve the public, such as stores, theaters, parks, and transportation services.

Here are some examples illustrating how the Civil Rights Act of 1964 applies:

• Example 1: Employment Discrimination (Religion)

  A highly qualified candidate applies for a management position at a private company. During the interview, the hiring manager learns that the candidate observes a particular religious holiday that requires them to be absent from work for two specific days each year. The manager then decides not to hire the candidate, stating concerns about their availability, even though the company could easily accommodate these absences. This scenario illustrates discrimination in employment based on religion, which is prohibited by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (specifically Title VII).

• Example 2: Education Discrimination (Race/National Origin)

  A public high school implements a new policy requiring all students to speak only English during school hours, even during non-instructional times like lunch or recess. Students from certain national origin backgrounds, whose primary language is not English, are disproportionately disciplined under this policy, while English-speaking students are not. This situation could be challenged under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as discrimination in education based on national origin, as it unfairly targets and impacts students from specific ethnic backgrounds.

• Example 3: Public Accommodation Discrimination (Sex)

  A woman attempts to join a local fitness club, which is open to the general public. The club's manager informs her that they have a policy against admitting women who are visibly pregnant, citing concerns about potential liability, even though she has a doctor's note confirming her fitness for exercise. This refusal of service based on her pregnancy (a form of sex discrimination) in a public accommodation (the fitness club) is a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.