Portland, Ore., has long prohibited religious discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodation—but now the city will also expressly protect the nonreligious, including atheists, agnostics and others that don’t believe in a particular religion. Although discrimination based on the lack of religious beliefs is prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Portland law, which was first proposed by the local chapter of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, makes this protection clear. "We often encounter managers and supervisors who simply do not know that atheism is protected," said Blerina Kotori, attorney with Tonkon Torp in Portland. Starting March 29, Portland law prohibits discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodation on the basis of nonreligion, which includes "atheism, agnosticism, and nonbelief in god or gods," according to the city’s code. The law largely mirrors a 2015 Madison, Wis., ordinance, which the Freedom From Religion Foundation also initiated. "Just as someone could claim to have been discriminated against because of their religion, Portland employees may now assert legal claims based on nonreligion," said Sean Driscoll, an attorney with Lewis Brisbois in Portland. For example, a job applicant could claim that a prospective employer did not hire her […]
