Family and Medical Leave Act violation and racial discrimination

American citizens can protect their rights in the event that they are fired based on discrimination in its various forms. Wisconsin state and federal laws exist to protect individuals and prohibit any adverse employment action including discharge, lack of promotion and unequal pay based on discrimination because of the employee’s race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, handicap or disability. Two prison guards were recently fired and have taken action to file discrimination charges for violation of Family and Medical Leave Act and racial discrimination.

According to the allegations, two African-American guards at a Delaware County Prison accuse the company that owns the facility of racial discrimination. The two accusing guards bring a laundry list of injustices to the lawsuit that includes discrimination against African-American guards and the prison inmates. Allegedly, the white guards that work at the prison mistreat African-American inmates with inhumane and cruel conduct.

The Delaware County guards are suing the private company that owns the correctional facility for harassment, breach of contract, and wrongful termination, among other allegations. According to reports, one of the guards was terminated for tardiness, although two of the supposed write-ups for being late occurred while she was under FMLA protection. This is not the first time that the private company has come under investigation and a local human rights organization is now also involved based on concern for the poor treatment of inmates and employees.

In the event of employee discrimination, individuals in Wisconsin have the right to take action and receive protection from illegal targeting. If an individual fears employer retaliation, he or she can receive protection for speaking up against discrimination. In cases where an employer may be in violation of the Family and Medical Leave Act or other legal contracts that are set in place to protect workers, employees have the right to research their rights under the law to make sure they are protected.

Source: philly.com, Two Delaware County prison guards file bias suits, Mari A. Schaefer, Nov. 25, 2013

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