Intersectional Bias Claims Poised to Grow After California Law

A first-of-a-kind California law codifying protections against workplace discrimination on the basis of two or more protected traits adds momentum to the spread of “intersectional bias” as a legal claim even beyond state lines.

The law explicitly protects workers from discrimination based on two or more covered categories together, such as race and religion, or gender and age.

The change fills in certain gaps left by conflicting rulings on related discrimination cases, even as it raises practical questions about how the law will play out in court. California’s embrace of these claims also reflects the growing popularity of “intersectionality,” a ...