by Gregory Williams, Esq. | Under Washington State Human Rights Commission (WSHRC) regulations, what is the definition of the term “protected class”? Here’s my point of view (NOTE: please read our DISCLAIMER before proceeding).
DEFINITION OF PROTECTED CLASS (GENERALLY)
WAC 162-04-010 is the relevant regulation, and it defines the term “protected class” as follows:
“Protected class” means the persons who are members of (or who are treated as members of) one of the groups against whom discrimination is declared to be an unfair practice by the law against discrimination. Protected classes include persons between the ages of forty and seventy, persons of any race, creed, color, national origin, sex, or marital status, and persons who are handicapped.
WAC 162-04-010 (emphasis added). The term is used with the meaning given, unless the context clearly indicates another meaning. Id.
REGARDING EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION
For purposes of WSHRC employment regulations (WAC 162-16), protected class means as follows (unless the context clearly indicates another meaning):
“Protected status” is short for the phrase, “age, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or gender identity, marital status, race, creed, color, national origin, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a disabled person,” and means the full phrase (see RCW 49.60.180).
WAC 162-16-200.
LEARN MORE
If you would like to learn more, then consider contacting an experienced Washington State Employment Discrimination Attorney as soon as possible to discuss your case. Please note: the information contained in this article is not offered as legal advice and will not form an attorney-client relationship with Law Office of Gregory A. Williams, P.S., Inc.; Williams Law Group, PS; or the author of this article. Please see our DISCLAIMER.
–gw