Legal Definitions - discriminatee

A discriminatee is an individual who has been subjected to unlawful discrimination.

This term refers to someone who has experienced unfair treatment or adverse action based on a protected characteristic, such as their race, gender, religion, age, disability, national origin, or sexual orientation, in areas where discrimination is prohibited by law (like employment, housing, or public services).

Here are some examples:

• Example 1 (Employment): A highly qualified software engineer, who is over 50 years old, applies for a senior position. Despite having all the necessary skills and experience, they are rejected in favor of a younger, less experienced candidate, with the hiring manager making comments about wanting a "fresher perspective."

  Explanation: The engineer is a discriminatee because they were unlawfully discriminated against based on their age in the hiring process, which is prohibited by anti-discrimination laws.

• Example 2 (Housing): A couple with a service animal attempts to rent an apartment in a building that has a "no pets" policy. They provide all necessary documentation for their service animal, but the landlord refuses their application, citing the pet policy without making a reasonable accommodation.

  Explanation: The couple, and specifically the individual requiring the service animal, are discriminatees because they faced unlawful discrimination based on disability in housing, as landlords are generally required to make reasonable accommodations for service animals.

• Example 3 (Public Services): A person using a wheelchair tries to enter a newly renovated public library, but finds that the main entrance has stairs and no accessible ramp, despite building codes requiring accessibility for public buildings.

  Explanation: This individual is a discriminatee because they are being unlawfully discriminated against based on their disability by being denied equal access to a public service due to a lack of required accessibility features.