Discrimination is often subtle and sometimes not easy to recognize. Fair housing is the law, and yet there continues to be practices that impact residents which are discriminatory. It is illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, family status, housing subsidy, receipt of welfare, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status or the presence of lead paint.

     Some signs to watch for in housing discrimination include the following: 1. Misrepresenting availability of housing: a rental agent or landlord may tell you that housing is not available when it is; 2. Steering: when an agent or landlord limits your options to areas where other residents have the same race, ethnicity or familial status as you; 3. Refusals: an agent or landlord refuses to rent or sell to you as a result of one of the protected groups above; 4. Discriminatory advertising: any written or oral statement that indicates preference or limitation for any member of the protected groups above; or 5. Harassment: any person harasses you because you are a member of a protected group.

     Equal employment opportunity is the law. The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination is the agency which investigates discrimination complaints in the state. Forms of discrimination include: disparate treatment or treating someone differently because of their membership in a protected group; Harassment or derogatory comments based on membership in a protected group; Accommodation or the provision of a modification that assists someone with a particular disability or religion to do their job; or disparate impact, or any policy or rule that affects members of one groups differently.

     Employers can’t base actions on: age, criminal records (application only), disability, gender, genetics, military personnel, national origin or ancestry, race or color, religion, retaliation, or sexual orientation. Employers cannot discriminate in who is hired, promoted, disciplined, fired laid off or in pay, benefits, time off or in evaluations based on any of these protected classes. Sexual harassment is also against the law and can take many forms. Persons with disabilities may request reasonable accommodation to allow them to do their job, and employers must provide such accommodation unless it causes a serious hardship.

     Discrimination can take many forms and can cause serious harm. It is everyone’s responsibility to recognize the signs of discrimination and to take part in being part of the solution and not part of the problem. If you have questions about any discriminatory practice, the MCAD can be reached by phone at (413)739-2145 or on the web at www.mas.gov/mcad or you may call the Legal Assistance Corp. of Central Mass at (800)649-3718 or stop by the first or third Friday of each month at 423 Main St. Athol.