As the 20th century came to an end in the United States it appeared as though ethnic discrimination and racism in the workplace was finally coming to an end.

Unfortunately, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 ushered in a new era of discrimination in the workplace.

This can prompt questions such as “I am Arabic and my co-workers call me a terrorist. Is this legal?”

In the United States, both federal and state laws prohibit illegal discrimination in the workplace.

For acts of to be legally actionable, the type of discrimination must be protected by federal and/or state law.

“National origin” is one of those protected classes.

Discrimination based on a worker’s national origin can take many forms, including offensive or derogatory remarks about a worker’s ethnicity or national origin.

Calling someone a “terrorist”, for example, simply because the individual is Arabic or of Middle Eastern decent could very well qualify as discrimination.

Not all acts of discrimination are illegal, even when they are based on national original or ethnicity.

A single offensive comment, for example, made by a co-worker would likely not be sufficient to be considered illegal discrimination.

If, however, the conduct amounts to harassment, it may be illegal. U.S. federal law defines “harassment” as conduct that is “so frequent or severe that it creates a hostile or offensive work environment or when it results in an adverse employment decision.”

Moreover, harassment in the workplace does not have to be the result of conduct by a supervisor or employer.

Harassment can be the result of actions by co-workers.

In fact, harassment can even be caused by the conduct of non-employees, such as clients or customers, if your employer allows the conduct to proliferate.

If you are Arabic and your co-workers are regularly calling you a “terrorist” or making other derogatory remarks toward you because of your national origin or ethnicity you may very well be the victim of workplace discrimination.

If you have attempted to discuss the problem with your employer to no avail, it may be time to consult with an experienced Florida employment law attorney.

Along with putting a stop to your co-worker comments, pursing legal action may lead to compensation for you as the victim of illegal workplace discrimination.

If you have additional questions or concerns about employment law or you believe you are the victim of workplace discrimination, contact the experienced Florida employment law attorneys at Richard Celler Legal, P.A. to discuss your case.