Practice Areas
Public Accommodations Discrimination
Moving public accommodations law forward
Have you been denied an apartment rental because of your marital status? Has a restaurant refused to serve you because of religious attire such as a hijab, turban or yarmulke? Did a hotel reject your reservation when you brought your service dog along?
If so, you might have a case for public-accommodations discrimination. The civil rights attorneys at Burnette Shutt & McDaniel are here to help.
Public-accommodations discrimination covers a wide range of issues, from physical accessibility to restrooms and facilities required under the Americans with Disabilities Act to denial of service in a restaurant or club due to pregnancy or gender. It can include illegal segregation of residents with mental illnesses in adult-care homes.
Many public-accommodations lawsuits fall under federal laws that ban discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, race, religion, national origin, disability, age, gender or family status. South Carolina offers some protection from public-accommodations discrimination but South Carolina law requires a complaint to be filed with the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission, which will then investigate the claim. There is a strict timeline for filing a complaint or lawsuit, and South Carolina law also limits compensatory and punitive damages.
The civil rights attorneys at Burnette Shutt & McDaniel will carefully examine both the facts of your case and the potential legal arguments in helping you decide whether negotiation or litigation in state or federal court is the best course for you.
