Q: Racist memes sent in mass group text directed against employee and seen by the district manager of employee and ignored

A: It is hard to say without far more information.

Racist memes sent about you are clearly inappropriate. Whether they rise to the level of unlawful racial harassment depends on the severity and volume of the inappropriate conduct. Harassment, to be unlawful, has to be severe or pervasive, such that it fundamentally alters the workplace rendering it hostile toward you as a member of your race. The concepts of severity and pervasiveness mean that one or two bad acts or comments will likely not be enough to be unlawful unless they are extremely severe. Thus, the specific details of the memes, what they said, what they depicted, now many were made and how many were sent, would all need to be assessed.

As to reporting this conduct, even the reporting of a non-severe or non-pervasive act of racism in the workplace can clothe you in legal protection, meaning that if you faced retaliation for reporting this, you would likely have a legal claim for that retaliation.

Before you do anything it would be wise for you 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 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 work offer a free or low cost consultation in the beginning and then, if the matter has merit and value, will usually agree to 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.

Good luck to you.

A: I agree with most of what Mr. Pedersen has stated. However, in addition to what he has advised, I suggest you log on to the website of the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) [https://www.eeoc.gov/] and browse the remedies offered to workers in your situation. For example, you can immediately file a claim of discrimination, even though you haven't yet suffered any adverse job consequences (such as firing, demotion etc.), and ask the Agency to investigate your charge of discrimination and harassment. However, since you appear to be experiencing mental and emotional upset over what has happened, you have the absolute right to immediately file your charge of harassment based on race, i.e. racial harassment. You can also go to the website for the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) (https://www.dfeh.ca.gov/) and file your complaint with that agency, and request they investigate your harassment claim. Go to the EEOC first, file your claim (which immediately gives you protections against retaliation, which is also triggered when you file a claim with the DFEH), and let them work for you. The EEOC has options for you which are broader and can offer better help without the need to retain the services of an attorney. However, I do recommend you contact a lawyer capable of handling racial discrimination cases to assist you during the investigative process. If you do contact the California Employment Lawyer's Association, you have the best chance to find really capable lawyers willing to assist you.