The Civil Rights Movement started sweeping the nation in the 1940s, yet people are still experiencing civil rights violations today.
But what are some of the types of violations that people are experiencing? One of the most common civil rights violations today occurs when people use excessive force against minorities based on the color of their skin. However, sexual assault also happens frequently as well.
We have a perfect guide for all the violations and what to do if you experience any of them, so make sure you keep reading!
What Is a Civil Rights Violation?
A civil rights violation is an offense that results after an offender threatens, forces, or denies a victim a certain right. Often, these violations are against people who are in a certain marginalized or protected category.
For example, people violate or discriminate against other people based on their:
- Color
- Gender
- Race
- Age
- Disability
- National origin
- Beliefs
When someone’s rights are violated, depending on the laws, an offender could be taken to court and prosecuted. But first, these are some of the most common violations to keep an eye out for.
Excessive Force
One of the most common civil rights issues involves police using excessive force during arrests or stops. This is a terrible crime, and it’s a violation that should require harsher punishments.
In fact, USA Today did a study that found that 85,000 police officers had been investigated or disciplined for excessive force.
Excessive force ranges from people being beaten up by officers to even being killed. In 2020, the death of George Floyd was one example of excessive force, and it helped to raise the topic again.
Yet these violations still keep happening. Many people across the country are assaulted or killed by officers for any reason. Many people are killed because they are a minority, but other people might be assaulted or killed because an officer viewed them as a threat.
Many of these cases are an abuse of power, and the police officers shouldn’t be held above the law.
You can bring up claims against law enforcement officers when they abuse their power, have an unjustified shooting, are brutal, or use excessive force.
Violating Miranda Rights
Another issue regarding police is when they violate your Miranda rights. The police are restricted in seizures and searches by the 4th Amendment of the Constitution.
However, they are also restricted from asking you certain questions when you’re in custody. They are required by law to advise you of your right to remain silent, and if you choose to talk, then you have to realize that it can be held against you during your trial.
However, this doesn’t stop some police from violating this. They might try to threaten you and your safety, this is a violation of rights, and you could be legally compensated for that.
If they deny you your right to get a lawyer, then this is also a violation of your rights.
Obstruction of Rights
In addition to these police violations, obstruction of rights is also another violation of civil rights. In addition to the obstruction of justice, false arrests also fall under this category.
Recently, this has involved a lot of false arrests for black and Hispanic people, accusing them of crimes they didn’t commit.
Often, the police will arrest people without having enough evidence or a reasonable cause. The only cause they use to arrest people is the color of their skin.
However, that is discrimination based on race, and police need to have further training to ensure that these types of civil rights violations don’t continue to happen in the future.
Discrimination
There is a lot of anti-discrimination in the laws that are meant to help protect five major categories. Those categories include color, religion, sex, national origin, and race.
The government has expanded the rules over time to include more categories, but those are still the main ones.
This type of social injustice could include discrimination against a religion based on their dress, traditions, or expressions.
Sex discrimination could be based on gender or if someone is pregnant or has a different type of sexual orientation.
These anti-discrimination laws will normally protect people in these categories. It will make sure that they have access to public things like employment, public accommodations, housing, and education.
Public accommodations are things like having access to hotels, stores, and restaurants.
If you notice that someone discriminates against you because of one of the above categories, then you can file a complaint with a federal or a state agency. However, you should check the laws in your state before you try to sue a business or an individual.
For example, if an African American person wants to rent an apartment, they’ll have to submit an application. The landlord might refuse the application purely based on his race, which counts as discrimination.
Workplace Discrimination
If you’re denied employment based on certain requirements, this can be a civil rights violation.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 made it illegal for discrimination through employment. For example, some employers might refuse to hire a qualified candidate based on their national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, race, or color.
If you notice that this is happening, you may have good grounds to pursue a lawsuit with that employer. You should then take action.
To have a strong ground, you need to prove that they’re preventing from people being hired, they’re firing people based on certain factors, using qualities as a basis to discriminate, and creating a hostile work environment to make employees quick.
If you want to make the workplace safe for everyone, report it as soon as you see it.
Workplace Harassment
Speaking of workplace harassment, one of the most common types is sexual harassment.
Thanks to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, this is a form of discrimination against sex. However, it’s also illegal, specifically in New Mexico.
Sexual harassment is a request for sexual favors, unwelcome sexual advances, and offensive remarks about someone’s gender.
It could also be anything physical or verbal in a sexual nature that affects someone’s employment. It could interfere with their performance or create a hostile and unsafe work environment for the employee and their coworkers.
People can harass either gender, and the offender could even be of the same gender. The harassment becomes illegal when it’s so severe or frequent that it makes it hostile and offensive in the work environment.
Harassment in the workplace can come from anyone, including supervisors, coworkers, and even clients, vendors, or customers.
Sexual Assault
Sexual assault is a type of harassment, but it’s very serious. In fact, it can be a felony in some states.
There are some types of sexual assault that the police won’t handle, so you should check the laws in your state if you experience this.
Sexual assault can happen in the workplace, but it can happen at a store, school, or other situation.
Sexual assault is any inappropriate language or conduct that is sexual in nature. This could be physical touches or unwanted advances. Some people will try to ignore this behavior or may even be in defiance that it even happened.
However, it typically happens to women by men who are in a higher position.
Discrimination in School
The Civil Rights Act also has Title IX, which talks about sexual discrimination in education. This title prevents institutions from receiving federal funding if they’re discriminating against students based on their gender.
This happens in colleges and private and public high schools.
This protects students who are taking classes, but it also helps to protect students who want to apply for scholarships, play in sports, or participate in extracurricular activities.
Another type of discrimination that Title IX protects is transgender students. Even though Title IX is in effect, many states created laws that banned transgender people from different bathrooms or from even being able to play on a sports team.
If you experience any of these types of violations, you should talk to a lawyer.
Hate Crimes
The government made hate crimes illegal in 1968. It passed a statute that made it illegal to discriminate against people based on their nationality, color, sexual orientation, or race.
In addition to discrimination, it was also illegal to use force against people based on those qualifications.
Hate crimes encompass a large number of things, and there are many different types of violations.
These crimes can occur anywhere, from schools, workplaces, or even in public. Even though these statutes are in place, hate crimes are still happening, and society is still working to create a place that is accepting of everyone.
Voting Obstruction
In the last five years, there has been a surge in people making laws to protect voting rights as well.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 started the chain of protecting voting practices and making sure that people weren’t discriminated against from voting based on their disability or race.
They also made sure that it included language to make sure that states or cities couldn’t pass laws that prevented people from being able to vote.
However, there are still issues coming up where minorities can’t vote. Some of the new rules include making sure that there isn’t early voting, having stricter IDs, and purging some of the voter rolls.
However, there have been lawsuits to try and challenge some of these laws to make sure that voting is still available to people.
Next Steps If You Experienced One of These Violations
If you experienced one of these violations, then you should find a personal injury attorney. You should find a lawyer who has experience in your specific area so that you have a better chance of winning your civil rights lawsuit.
Once you have an attorney, you’ll have someone who is able to help you navigate the court system and make sure that you have all of the right documents and that they’re properly filled out.
Your attorney will also help you develop your case and improve the likelihood that you’ll win.
One of the benefits of getting an attorney is that they know how to go through the court and judicial system that will help you get compensation or the justice that you need. Finding an attorney who has civil rights experience can really help you have a better chance of winning.
They’ll also negotiate for you on your behalf. They’ll make sure that you get a fair settlement and get a clear resolution. With their knowledge, they’ll make a better argument for themselves.
In addition, a civil rights lawyer might submit a report to the right government channels as well. If you don’t have a lawyer, you can also submit a claim or report online by yourself.
Once you submit the report, it’ll go to the right people for review, and they’ll handle it and connect with the right group. Once they figure out what they need to do, they’ll reach out to you.
They may ask for more information, or they’ll start an investigation. They may even direct you to another organization that can help.
Learn More About the Common Civil Rights Violations That Exist Today
These are only a few of the common civil rights violations that exist today, but there are many more that could happen.
If you experience a civil rights violation or see one happening, make sure that you report it to the proper authorities as soon as possible. This will help to prevent future incidents.
If you found the information in this article to be helpful, explore our website to find even more information like this!