Gender & Sex Discrimination Lawyer in Walnut Creek

California Employment Attorneys Fighting Sex-Based Workplace Discrimination

Sex and gender discrimination happens when an employer treats a worker unfavorably because of their sex, gender identity, or gender expression. It shows up in hiring decisions, paychecks, promotions, and terminations. Both Title VII and California’s FEHA prohibit this conduct. At Ratner Molineaux, LLP, we’ve spent over 65 years of combined legal experience holding employers accountable for it, including in courtrooms across Contra Costa County and the broader Bay Area.

Our attorneys have been involved in more than 300 jury trials. When your livelihood and dignity are on the line, that experience matters.

If you believe you’ve faced gender or sex discrimination at work, contact Ratner Molineaux, LLP today at (925) 332-1444 to discuss what happened and what your options are.

What Gender & Sex Discrimination Looks Like at Work

Discrimination doesn’t always come with an explicit statement. It surfaces in patterns: who gets promoted, who gets paid more, and who gets pushed out after speaking up.

Common forms include unequal pay for the same role, denial of promotions or training given to less or equally qualified employees of another sex, bias against employees who don’t conform to traditional gender norms, and retaliation after reporting sex-based mistreatment. We obtained a $3.75 million settlement for a senior bank director who was paid less than less-experienced male colleagues in the same position. That case shows how pay disparity claims can be well documented and significant even when an employer frames the gap as a legitimate business decision.

Your Legal Protections Under California & Federal Law

California’s FEHA covers employers with 5 or more employees, a lower threshold than the 15-employee minimum required by federal Title VII. FEHA is enforced by the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) and explicitly protects employees against discrimination based on sex, gender identity, and gender expression. Those protections extend beyond what Title VII covers on its face, which matters when an employer’s conduct involves how an employee presents or identifies.

The California Equal Pay Act operates separately from FEHA, addressing sex-based wage discrimination through its own enforcement mechanism. If your employer is paying you less than a colleague of another sex for substantially similar work, you may have a claim under that statute, under FEHA, or both.

Filing Deadlines for a Sex Discrimination Claim in California

Missing a deadline can end a valid claim before it starts. The timelines that apply depend on whether you pursue a state or federal route and which statute covers your situation.

• CRD complaint (California FEHA): Under the SHARE Act (AB 9), employees generally have three years from the discriminatory act to file a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department.
• EEOC complaint (federal Title VII): Claims generally must be filed within 300 days of the discriminatory act.
• Filing a lawsuit after a right-to-sue letter: After a CRD right-to-sue letter, you generally have one year to file suit. After an EEOC right-to-sue letter, that window is generally 90 days.
• California Equal Pay Act: Claims generally must be filed within two years of the last unequal paycheck, or three years if the violation was willful.

The continuing violation doctrine can sometimes extend these windows when discriminatory conduct is ongoing rather than isolated. An attorney can assess whether it applies to your circumstances.

How Ratner Molineaux, LLP Has Handled Sex Discrimination Cases

Our work on gender and sex discrimination isn’t theoretical. The results below each belong to their own distinct set of facts. We don’t cite them as promises about what any future case will produce, but as evidence of what our attorneys are prepared to do.

In 2022, we co-represented five female deputy district attorneys in a sex discrimination lawsuit against the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office. The county’s Board of Supervisors settled that case for $2.2 million. We’ve also secured a $3.75 million settlement for a senior bank director who faced gender-based pay discrimination against less-experienced male peers. David S. Ratner was part of the trial team that secured a $95 million jury verdict for an employee subjected to workplace sexual harassment and assault, and separately obtained an $18 million verdict in a case involving sexual harassment, retaliation, and defamation.

Our attorneys collaborate on each case, drawing on perspectives across labor and employment, personal injury, and immigration law. We provide services in English and Spanish because discrimination doesn’t limit itself to one language, and neither do we.

Talk to a Walnut Creek Gender Discrimination Attorney

If your employer has treated you differently because of your sex, gender identity, or gender expression, you don’t have to figure out next steps alone. The deadlines on these claims are real, and early advice can make a difference.

Ratner Molineaux, LLP represents workers in Walnut Creek and throughout California. Call us at (925) 332-1444 to speak with someone about your situation.