Arizona

Arizona Attorney General’s Office Civil Rights Division

Not only is the desert state of Arizona home to the Grand Canyon--the deepest fissure in the Earth’s crust--but it also boasts one of the most diverse populations in the U.S. Dozens of Indian tribes, immigrants from Mexico and South America, retirees, college students, and cowboys all call AZ home. According to a 2008 census, Arizona’s population is just over 6.5 million. Nearly 20% of the state’s residents speak Spanish, and nearly two percent speak the Navajo language.

Employment discrimination cases in Arizona are handled at the Attorney General’s Office through what’s called the state’s Civil Rights Division. The division has a mandate to resolve employment disputes, provide a range of community services, and in general raise the profile of civil rights issues and civil rights laws. Arizona bars discrimination in the following domains:

  • Employment
  • Public accommodations and housing
  • Litigating civil rights complaints
  • Voting

AZ’s Civil Rights Division receives complaints, addresses and rectifies discrimination, and surveys employees to identify potential problems and trends in harassment. The Division also publishes reports, holds hearings, and executes both administrative and enforcement functions for the state. The Division’s staff is comprised of volunteer mediators, coordinators of programs, compliance officers, lawyers, and interns. The CRD operates offices out of both Tucson and Phoenix.

Often, workplace discrimination cases in AZ center around the rights of illegal immigrants from Mexico and the obligations of their stateside employers. Illegal immigrants labor under dubious conditions, suffer wage and hour violations, and endure general harassment and retaliation. On the other hand, U.S. citizens in Arizona complain of lost employment opportunities, due to the fact that many immigrants tolerate unfair practices and conditions and thus encourage discriminatory behavior.

If you have encountered discrimination or harassment at your Arizona workplace, connect with the experienced attorneys at Joseph, Herzfeld, Hester & Kirschenbaum to strategize about possible legal action and corrective measures you can take.