Race Discrimination at Work in Sanford, FL: What Employees Need to Know

By Gary A. Costales

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Employment Law

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Last Modified on Sep 03, 2026

Everyone deserves to be treated with basic decency and respect while at work. This includes not being discriminated against based on their race. While most people do treat others with respect, unfortunately, many individuals are subjected to race discrimination at work in Sanford, FL  every day.

State and federal laws alike make it illegal for employers to discriminate against anyone in the workplace if they belong to a protected class. These laws protect against race discrimination, but they don’t stop it. These laws hold business owners, managers, and other leadership roles within a company accountable. If someone has discriminated against you at work because of your race, speak with a race discrimination attorney in Sanford.

Hiring the right Sanford racial discrimination attorney is one of the most important decisions you can make. Race discrimination cases are overwhelming, especially if your employer tries to retaliate against you for reporting your experience. An experienced attorney can be a great resource for your case.

Florida’s race discrimination laws heavily favor the employee, but when you hire a racial discrimination lawyer like Gary A. Costales, you optimize your case all the more. He can bring significant experience and focus to your case.

What Is Race Discrimination?

Race discrimination occurs when someone treats someone unfairly because of their race, their skin color, their ancestry, or their country of origin. It can result in a lot of lost opportunities, loss of employment, and loss of benefits or other perks that a position might offer. Race discrimination generally takes two distinct forms. These are defined below:

• Direct treatment. Direct treatment occurs when someone blatantly treats you less favorably because of your race, such as refusing a promotion or using a slur towards you.
• Indirect treatment. Indirect treatment is much harder to notice. It may not even feel like discrimination at the time. This happens when an employer uses seemingly neutral rules or policies that only disadvantage a specific racial group. Examples of indirect treatment include requiring employees to only speak English or issuing a blanket ban on any headwear at work.

Race discrimination is not an uncommon practice. In 2025, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) detailed 1,895 cases of workplace race discrimination throughout Florida. Nationwide, the EEOC assisted discriminated workers in legal claims by helping them secure $660 million in compensation in 2025. Hate crimes involving race, ancestry, or ethnicity numbered 121 in Florida in 2023, a significant increase from the 82 hate crimes that occurred in the state in 2022.

What to Do if You’re Racially Discriminated Against at Work

If you choose to take legal action against your employer in a race discrimination case in Sanford, the location of your case depends entirely on whether you are pursuing state or federal charges. State charges are filed in the 18^th Judicial District Court of Florida of Seminole County, located on Eslinger Way. Federal charges are typically filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, located in Orlando.

Being racially discriminated against at work can feel insulting, humiliating, and infuriating. You may not even realize you’re being discriminated against, as some actions might not feel inappropriate right away. Still, if somebody discriminates against you, you should take the proper steps to initiate a legal investigation and learn what your options may be for holding them accountable. Some steps you can take after a racial discrimination incident are below:

• Document everything. The most important thing you can do for your case is document every incident that happens to you. The more evidence you have, the better your chances of succeeding in your racial discrimination case. Keep a detailed log of every incident, including dates, times, and the exact remarks that were made. Save copies of emails, texts, voicemails, memos, and witness statements.
• Report the incident in writing. It’s very important that you take the proper steps to report the incident through your employer’s channels. Every employer has different operating procedures for reporting discrimination. You should consult your employee handbook to find out exactly what you need to do to keep a written record. Submit your complaint in writing and don’t hold back. State that your case is about race discrimination.
• File an agency charge. If your employer does nothing to solve the issue, you should consider filing a formal complaint with either the federal EEOC or the Florida Commission on Human Relations. It’s recommended that you hire a racial discrimination lawyer to assist you in developing your complaint.

FAQs

What Qualifies as Race Discrimination at Work?

Any behavior or actions that occur when an employee or a job applicant is treated unfairly because of their race or other personal characteristics associated with their race can be viewed as race discrimination. Race discrimination can take the form of disparate treatment, a hostile work environment, segregation in the workplace, and disparate impact. If you think actions towards you count as racial discrimination, speak with a racial discrimination attorney about your options.

How Do You Prove Racial Discrimination in the Workplace?

There are many ways that you can prove racial discrimination in the workplace. The more evidence you have, the easier it can be to hold your employer accountable. Documenting every incident with a detailed log can be the most reliable way to prove racial discrimination. Save every discriminatory or dismissive email, text, memo, and voicemail. A qualified racial discrimination lawyer can help you gather the necessary evidence.

How Hard Is It to Prove Discrimination at Work?

It can be very difficult to prove discrimination at work. Generally, your employer may do whatever they need to do to disprove your accusation and possibly even destroy evidence that supports your claim. You need to gather evidence quickly and sometimes quietly. Direct evidence can be rare and hard to obtain.

What Is an Example of Race Discrimination at Work?

Race discrimination can take many different forms. A common example occurs not in the workplace, but during the application process. If an employer rejects qualified applicants because of their race, their skin color, or their country of origin, that’s considered racial discrimination. Other examples include refusing an employee’s promotion because of their race while giving the same promotion to someone less qualified but of another race.

Hire a Racial Discrimination Lawyer Who is Local and Knowledgeable

It’s important that you do whatever you can to protect yourself and your claim. At the Law Offices of Gary A. Costales, P.A., we can build up your case, gather evidence, and advocate for you when needed. Contact us to speak with someone on our team who can help you with your race discrimination case.