You already know that something at work crossed the line. You just don’t know whether it’s legally actionable. California law draws those lines clearly, and an Orange County workplace discrimination lawyer uses those rules to tell you whether what happened qualifies as discrimination.
The first step to dealing with workplace discrimination is to call the Law Office of John Dalton. John picks up, listens without judgment, and gives you real guidance before you contact HR or file anything with the California Civil Rights Department or EEOC. That early direction protects your case from mistakes that are hard to undo later. With over $100 million recovered for California workers, John gives you immediate, grounded direction that keeps your case on a solid footing from the start.
What Does a Workplace Discrimination Lawyer Actually Do?
A workplace discrimination lawyer Orange County residents can trust focuses on one purpose: enforcing California’s civil rights laws against employers who mistreat someone because of a protected characteristic. Under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), protected characteristics include discrimination based on traits such as gender, race, religion, and other legally protected categories.
A skilled lawyer doesn’t wait for a crisis to escalate. Once John hears what happened, he clarifies which parts of your experience fall under FEHA and which may involve overlapping claims. He then evaluates the situation through several core questions, including:
- What conduct do you believe crossed the legal line—unfair treatment tied to a protected characteristic triggers FEHA protections;
- Who engaged in the conduct—supervisor misconduct triggers automatic employer liability under California law;
- What changed at work—denied promotions, sudden discipline, reduced hours, shift manipulation, or termination often points to discriminatory motives; and
- How did it affect you—lost pay, emotional distress, medical treatment, and damage to future earnings are recoverable under FEHA.
John translates these answers into a clear strategy, explains which claims apply, and outlines the litigation path. He then prepares you for the steps ahead, explains what employers typically do to defend themselves, and ensures you understand how your rights fit into the broader legal picture. From the outset, our goal is to remove uncertainty and provide you with a plan rooted in California law, rather than relying on guesswork or fear.
What Types of Cases Does Orange County Workplace Discrimination Lawyer John Dalton Handle?
A workplace discrimination lawyer focuses on unfair treatment tied to protected characteristics under California’s FEHA and federal laws. Here are the most common types of discrimination cases we handle.
Protected-Characteristic Discrimination
This category covers conduct where employers treat workers differently because of who they are, not how they perform. Common examples include:
- Unfair treatment linked to race, gender, pregnancy, disability, age (40 and older), national origin, sexual orientation, or religion;
- Denied promotions despite strong performance;
- Sudden removal from key duties after requesting medical accommodations; and
- Hours are cut, or shifts changed, tied to disclosures about pregnancy or disability.
These patterns often show up before an employee recognizes them as discrimination. Once something feels off, contact us so we can evaluate your situation under FEHA before an employer reframes or explains away their actions.
Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment cases involve unwanted sex-based conduct that creates a hostile, intimidating, or abusive work environment, or where job benefits become tied to sexual attention. Under California law, harassment does not require physical contact and can be committed by anyone, including a supervisor/manager, co-worker, customer, client or vendor, to be considered unlawful.
Sexual harassment is not only misconduct; it is also a form of unlawful discrimination under FEHA. When sexual harassment occurs, it alters the terms and conditions of employment in ways the law treats as discriminatory. Employees may miss out on opportunities, face exclusion, or feel forced out of their roles. California law recognizes this overlap and allows sexual harassment claims to proceed as discrimination claims when hostile or coercive behavior interferes with equal access to work, advancement, or job security.
Common sexual harassment scenarios include:
- Repeated sexual comments, jokes, or remarks about appearance or female or male anatomy;
- Attempts to get into your private life;
- Requests for dates, meeting for drinks or anything outside of the workplace;
- Unwanted touching, blocking movement, or invasion of personal space;
- Sexual texts, messages, images, or social media contact tied to work;
- Pressure to tolerate sexual behavior to keep a job, promotion, or favorable schedule; and
- Retaliation after reporting harassment or rejecting advances.
Sexual harassment often escalates over time. What begins as “jokes” or comments can turn into threats, exclusion, or job loss once boundaries are enforced. Many employees hesitate to report harassment because they fear being labeled difficult or not believed. California law protects employees from retaliation, and employers have an affirmative duty to stop harassment once they know or should know it is occurring.
Workplace discrimination lawyer John Dalton handles cases involving sexual harassment by supervisors, coworkers, clients, and third parties. If conduct at work feels invasive, degrading, or tied to your job security, it deserves legal scrutiny before the situation worsens or evidence disappears.
Pregnancy and Medical-Condition Discrimination
Pregnancy and medical-condition discrimination emerges when employers react negatively to health-related disclosures or protected leave. It often appears through situations like:
- Reduced hours after sharing news of pregnancy,
- Job loss after requesting pregnancy leave or modified duties,
- Negative treatment after returning from protected medical leave, and
- Employers refusing simple accommodations that your doctor already approved.
Pregnancy-related discrimination often moves fast and becomes harder to trace if you wait. Call Orange County workplace discrimination lawyer John Dalton as soon as you notice job changes tied to pregnancy or medical needs.
How Does John Dalton Build a Case?
John Dalton examines your facts, pinpoints the conduct that qualifies as discrimination under California law, and explains precisely how those details shape the strength of your claim.
Once he understands the core issues, he begins building your case with a process designed to protect you from the moment you call, including:
- Identifying the conduct that qualifies as unlawful discrimination under California law,
- Stopping retaliatory behavior before it escalates,
- Communicating with your employer so you don’t have to engage directly,
- Collecting essential records without exposing you to unnecessary risk,
- Documenting financial and emotional harm in a way that stays clear and credible, and
- Positioning your claim for a strong settlement or a trial-ready posture.
These steps keep your case organized and prevent your employer from reshaping the facts. John’s litigation experience allows him to quickly recognize patterns and intervene before harmful assumptions take hold. He focuses on protecting your rights from the start, stabilizing the situation so your claim moves forward based on what actually happened, not the version your employer tries to create.
Speak with a Workplace Discrimination Lawyer Orange County Residents Trust
At the Law Office of John Dalton, we base our approach on clarity, candor, and decades of results. John listens without judgment. He answers his own phone. He treats every case with the seriousness it deserves.
John’s background is unmatched. He spent years with the Central Intelligence Agency before turning to employment litigation, where he built a career holding corporations accountable for misconduct. He has won some of California’s largest sexual-harassment verdicts and recovered over $100 million for workers statewide. Clients trust him because he is available, explains the law in plain language, and treats every call as the beginning of a partnership built on respect and honesty.
Contact John for a free case review today before you do anything else. Understand your rights. Protect your future.