Discrimination Protections
Your news article describing the hunger-strike protest of Stuart McDonald gives the impression that no protections exist for employment discrimination against persons with AIDS (Part I, Feb. 7).
Victims of AIDS, as well as persons who are only diagnosed as having the AIDS virus, are currently protected from discrimination by California law.
The California Fair Employment and Housing Act prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in employment, in housing, and in access to public accommodations. Because of that prohibition the Department of Fair Employment and Housing accepts and investigates complaints of discrimination filed by AIDS victims or persons diagnosed as carrying the AIDS virus.
The department’s stance was ratified by a 1987 decision of the state Fair Employment and Housing Commission. Moreover, the department’s pamphlets, posters, and other public information specifically reference discrimination protections for persons having AIDS-related disabilities.
Most importantly, the department gives processing priority to complaints filed by the terminally ill. If Mr. McDonald has suffered specific instances of job discrimination because of his AIDS diagnosis, he may file a discrimination complaint with this department.
TALMADGE R. JONES
Director
Department of Fair Employment
and Housing
Sacramento
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