DISCRIMINATION; EMPLOYMENT (GENERAL); HUMAN RIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES COMMISSION;

HUMAN RIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES COMMISSION;

OLR Research Report


September 18, 2003

  

2003-R-0641

PROTECTED CLASSES UNDER CHRO LAW AND LAW IN OTHER STATES

By: Christopher Reinhart, Associate Attorney

You asked how groups are chosen as protected classes by the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities and what groups are protected from discrimination in other states.

The classes protected by Connecticut anti-discrimination laws are set by statute. The Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities enforces these laws.

We focus on employment discrimination laws to provide information on classes protected from discrimination in different states. The chart below shows the classes protected from employment discrimination in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The scope of these laws vary and may protect only public employees or private employees or apply to employers with a minimum number of employees.

Table 1: Protected Classes Under Anti-Discrimination Laws

 

Age

Ancestry

Color

Creed

Disability

Genetics

Marital

Status

Military Status

Nat’l

Origin

Race

Religion

Sex

Sexual Orientation

Other*

Alabama

X

      

X

          

X

      

Alaska

X

  

X

  

X

  

X

  

X

X

X

X

  

X

Arizona

X

  

X

  

X

X

    

X

X

X

X

    

Arkansas

X

X

    

X

X

    

X

X

X

X

    

California

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

  

X

X

X

X

X

X

Colorado

X

X

X

X

X

      

X

X

X

X

    

Connecticut

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

  

X

X

X

X

X

X

Delaware

X

  

X

X

X

X

X

  

X

X

X

X

    

D. C.

X

  

X

  

X

  

X

  

X

X

X

X

X

X

Florida

X

  

X

X

X

  

X

X

X

X

X

X

  

X

Georgia

X

  

X

  

X

      

X

X

X

X

    

Hawaii

X

X

X

  

X

X

X

    

X

X

X

X

X

Idaho

X

  

X

X

X

      

X

X

X

X

    

Illinois

X

X

X

X

X

  

X

X

X

X

X

X

  

X

Indiana

X

X

X

  

X

      

X

X

X

X

    

Iowa

X

  

X

X

X

      

X

X

X

X

    

Kansas

X

X

X

  

X

X

X

  

X

X

X

X

    

Kentucky

X

  

X

  

X

      

X

X

X

X

X

X

Louisiana

X

  

X

  

X

X

    

X

X

X

X

X

X

Maine

X

X

X

X

X

  

X

  

X

X

X

    

X

Maryland

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

  

X

X

X

X

X

X

Massachusetts

X

X

X

X

X

X

    

X

X

X

X

X

X

Michigan

X

  

X

  

X

X

X

  

X

X

X

X

  

X

Minnesota

X

  

X

X

X

X

X

  

X

X

X

X

X

X

Mississippi

X

  

X

X

X

      

X

X

X

X

    

Missouri

X

X

X

  

X

      

X

X

X

X

    

Montana

X

  

X

X

X

  

X

  

X

X

X

X

  

X

Nebraska

X

  

X

X

X

X

X

  

X

X

X

X

    

Nevada

X

  

X

X

X

      

X

X

X

X

X

  

New Hampshire

X

  

X

X

X

  

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

New Jersey

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

  

X

X

X

New Mexico

X

X

X

  

X

X

X

  

X

X

X

X

X

X

New York

X

  

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

  

North Carolina

X

  

X

X

X

    

X

X

X

X

X

    

North Dakota

X

  

X

  

X

  

X

X

X

X

X

X

  

X

Ohio

X

X

X

  

X

      

X

X

X

X

    

Oklahoma

X

X

X

X

X

X

    

X

X

X

X

    

Oregon

X

  

X

  

X

  

X

  

X

X

X

X

X

  

Pennsylvania

X

X

X

X

X

      

X

X

X

X

X

X

Rhode Island

X

X

X

  

X

    

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

South Carolina

X

  

X

  

X

X

    

X

X

X

X

    

South Dakota

X

X

X

X

X

      

X

X

X

X

    

Tennessee

X

  

X

X

X

      

X

X

X

X

    

Texas

X

  

X

  

X

      

X

X

X

X

    

Utah

X

  

X

  

X

X

    

X

X

X

X

  

X

Vermont

X

X

X

  

X

      

X

X

X

X

X

X

Virginia

X

  

X

  

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

  

X

Washington

X

  

X

X

X

  

X

  

X

X

  

X

  

X

West Virginia

X

X

X

  

X

      

X

X

X

X

    

Wisconsin

X

X

X

X

X

  

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Wyoming

X

X

X

X

X

      

X

X

X

X

    

Source: CCH, Human Resources Management—Equal Employee Opportunity

* A number of states include other categories. These are listed below.

Alaska: parenthood, pregnancy

California: medical condition, medical records

Connecticut: criminal records, sterilization

D. C. : family relationship, matriculation, personal appearance, political affiliation

Florida: AIDS/HIV status or health care worker treating such patients, sickle cell trait

Hawaii: arrest record, nursing mother

Illinois: citizenship

Kentucky: arrest record

Louisiana: pregnancy and childbirth, sickle cell trait

Maine: citizenship

Maryland: medical condition

Massachusetts: nationality

Michigan: familial status, height, weight

Minnesota: criminal conviction

Montana: veterans

New Hampshire: citizenship, familial status

New Jersey: nationality

New Mexico: medical condition

North Dakota: public assistance

Pennsylvania: use of guide or support animal

Rhode Island: gender identity and gender expression

Utah: pregnancy

Vermont: HIV status, place of birth

Virginia: pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions

Washington: ethnicity, families with children, Hepatitis C, HIV status, use of guide or service dog

Wisconsin: arrest record, physical condition

CR: ro