Michigan Racial Discrimination Attorney: Legal Help for Victims

Racial bias doesn’t always wear a hood. Sometimes, it’s wearing a suit. A badge. A name tag. A hiring manager’s title. And in Michigan, that racism still infects our workplaces, schools, housing markets, and public institutions.

If you’ve been denied an opportunity, harassed at work, disciplined unfairly, or made to feel “less than” because of your race or ethnicity—you are not alone. And you don’t have to take it.

At Marko Law, we’ve seen how deep the wounds of racial injustice go—and how hard it is to get the system to care. That’s why we’ve made it our mission to be relentless advocates for the people who are too often ignored or silenced.

Whether it’s a corporate boardroom, a government agency, a school administrator, or a landlord—when racial discrimination happens, someone must be held accountable.

Legal Protections Against Racial Discrimination

Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA)

This powerful Michigan law protects individuals from discrimination based on race, color, national origin, and more. It applies in:

• Employment (hiring, promotion, harassment)
• Education
• Housing
• Public accommodations

If a Michigan employer, school, or landlord has treated you unfairly because of your race, ELCRA may be your strongest weapon.

Federal Title VII – Employment Discrimination

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the federal law that prohibits:

• Racial bias in hiring, firing, promotions
• Workplace harassment or hostile work environments
• Retaliation for reporting racism at work

It applies to both public and private employers with 15 or more employees—and it works hand-in-hand with Michigan law.

Title VI – Discrimination in Federally Funded Programs

Title VI prohibits racial discrimination by any program or institution that receives federal funding. That includes:

• Public schools and universities
• Hospitals and clinics
• Public housing authorities
• Transportation agencies

If you were denied access, mistreated, or unfairly disciplined by one of these institutions, you may have a Title VI claim.

42 U.S.C. § 1983 – Constitutional Violations

If a government official or agency (like a police department or school board) discriminates against you based on race, you may have a federal civil rights claim under § 1983.

This includes violations of:

• The Equal Protection Clause (Fourteenth Amendment)
• The First Amendment, if you faced retaliation for speaking out

We use this law to go after municipalities, school systems, and public agencies who act like the rules don’t apply to them.

Enforcement Through the EEOC and MDCR

You can file discrimination complaints through:

• The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for federal employment violations
• The Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) for ELCRA and public accommodations claims

But these agencies won’t build your case. That’s why you need a seasoned legal team behind you—one that knows the system and how to fight it.

Who Can Be Held Accountable?

Employers, Supervisors, and HR Departments

In workplace discrimination cases, accountability often includes:

• The company or agency responsible for your employment
• The supervisor or manager who made biased decisions or enabled harassment
• The HR department that failed to act—or retaliated when you spoke up

If you were denied a raise, written up unfairly, or fired for calling out racism—someone is responsible, and they can be sued.

Landlords, Property Managers, and Realtors

In housing discrimination cases, you may be able to bring claims against:

• Landlords or leasing agents who deny applications or apply different terms based on race
• Realtors or brokers who steer clients away from certain neighborhoods
• Property management companies that selectively enforce rules or ignore tenant harassment

Housing is a human right. Racial discrimination in housing is illegal—and we’ll make sure it’s punished.

Schools, School Boards, and District Officials

In education, racial bias can be traced back to:

• Teachers who discipline or ignore students unfairly
• School administrators who allow or enforce unequal treatment
• School districts that fail to investigate or correct systemic disparities

If your child has been racially targeted or denied equal opportunities in school, we pursue the school and the individuals who failed them.

Government Officials and Public Entities

When public officials use their power to enforce racially biased laws or policies—they’re not protected. They’re liable. This includes:

• Police departments or officers engaging in racial profiling
• City or state agencies that deny services based on race
• Public transportation, housing, or service programs that discriminate in practice

We use federal civil rights laws like §1983 to go after municipalities and officials who think they’re above the Constitution.

What Evidence Strengthens Your Case

Emails, Performance Reviews, and Documents

In workplace and housing cases, documents can tell the real story:

• Emails with coded language, delays, or disrespect
• Performance reviews that suddenly tank after you speak up
• Leases or rental applications with different terms for different races
• Internal policies applied differently depending on skin color

We subpoena, review, and expose the documents they don’t want you to see.

Witness Statements That Speak Volumes

You’re not alone—and your coworkers, classmates, or neighbors may have seen it too:

• Statements like “you’re not one of us,” “go back where you came from,” or “we don’t want your kind here”
• Colleagues who saw the same behavior but weren’t punished
• Supervisors who retaliated after you complained

Sworn testimony from people who witnessed the bias can make or break a case.

Statistical Evidence of Bias

In systemic discrimination cases, numbers don’t lie:

• Hiring or promotion data that shows underrepresentation
• Disparities in school discipline by race
• Pay differences across racial lines
• Tenant screening outcomes by demographic

We work with experts and analysts to reveal discriminatory patterns the other side hopes you never find.

Expert Testimony

Expert witnesses can testify to:

• Industry standards and how your treatment deviated from the norm
• The psychological toll of racial discrimination
• The impact of institutional policies on communities of color

Judges and juries listen to facts—and we bring in the experts who make those facts undeniable.

What Compensation Can You Recover?

Back Pay, Lost Wages, and Benefits

If discrimination cost you a job, a promotion, or forced you to resign, you may be entitled to:

• Back pay: income you should have earned
• Lost bonuses, raises, or commissions
• Lost health insurance, retirement contributions, and other benefits
• Front pay if getting your job back isn’t realistic

We use expert economists to calculate your total loss—so nothing gets left on the table.

Emotional Distress and Pain & Suffering

Racial bias inflicts deep emotional wounds:

• Anxiety, depression, PTSD
• Sleepless nights, strained relationships
• The humiliation of being treated as “less than”

Courts and juries recognize these damages—and we fight to make sure they feel the weight of what they did to you.

Injunctive Relief: Changing the System

Sometimes the goal isn’t just personal justice—it’s making sure no one else goes through it:

• Court orders to revise racist policies or procedures
• Mandatory anti-bias training
• Reinstatement to your job or program

When we sue institutions, we don’t just demand change—we make it happen.

Punitive Damages for Malicious Conduct

If an employer, landlord, or agency acted with intent, malice, or reckless indifference, courts may award punitive damages:

• These go beyond compensation—they punish the wrongdoer
• They send a message: Racism comes with a cost

Marko Law has a track record of pushing for these high-stakes penalties—and we don’t settle for easy wins.

Attorney’s Fees Under Civil Rights Laws

In successful civil rights cases, the losing side may be required to pay:

• Your legal costs
• Attorney’s fees
• Court fees and expert expenses

That means you can pursue justice without worrying about affording it. And we take most cases on a contingency fee—you don’t pay unless we win.

Contact Marko Law – Justice Isn’t Optional

You didn’t imagine it. You weren’t overreacting. And you sure as hell don’t have to accept it.

Racial discrimination is real—and illegal. Whether it happened at work, in school, in housing, or in public, you have the right to speak up, and the power to fight back.

At Marko Law, we’ve stood up to corporations, school boards, landlords, and government agencies who thought they could get away with it. They were wrong.

Now it’s your turn.

📞 Phone: 1-833-MARKO-LAW or 1-313-777-7777
📍 Main Office: 220 W. Congress, 4th Floor, Detroit, MI 48226
🌐 Website: www.markolaw.com

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