Q: I am a white male and worked for a top financial company in Orange County, CA. Until last night, for just under 90 days

A: One way to find out is to file a claim of discrimination with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. They will do an investigation for you. Go to their website: https://www.dfeh.ca.gov/ Copy and paste the link in your browser, then click on the link File a Complaint and read the instructions and follow the directions.

The close proximity between events may be evidence of their intent to discriminate against you because of your girlfriend.

And don't forget to file your unemployment claim. The employer's only defense to that claim is wilful misconduct on your part. Be sure to get your unemployment benefits.

Good luck with your claims.

A: There mere fact one thing occurred after the other can be circumstantial evidence of unlawful discrimination, but more will probably need to proved. You will have the burden to prove the unlawful motive as the reason for your termination. The fact that you were a production star not long ago and are now terminated for production reasons can also be evidence of what we call a pretextual termination, i.e., termination for a reason other than for the stated reason. Pretext is often indicative of a motive they do not want you to know about.

I think your best move is to locate and consult with an experienced employment law attorney as soon as possible to explore your facts and determine your options. I would suggest you look either on this site in the Find a Lawyer section, or go to www.cela.org, the home page for the California Employment Lawyers Association, an organization whose members are dedicated to the representation of employees against their employers.

Most employment attorneys who practice this area of law offer a free or low-charge consultation and then if the matter has merit and sufficient value, they work on a contingency basis, meaning you can hire an attorney without paying any money until the matter results in a positive outcome for you. Many advance all the costs of the litigation as well. Do not let fear of fees and costs keep you from finding a good attorney.

You could go the the DFEH but that entity rarely investigates cases as thoroughly as a motivated attorney would do and that entity rarely procures the same kind of results a qualified attorney can get for you. At the very least talk to an attorney to understand your options.

Good luck to you.