St. Louis Employment Discrimination Lawyer

Employment discrimination representation from a firm with 80 years of combined practice serving the St. Louis community.

If your employer terminated you, passed you over for a promotion, cut your pay, or reassigned you because of your race, gender, age, disability, or another protected characteristic, that decision may give rise to a legal claim under Missouri or federal law. Not all discrimination is overt. Some of the strongest cases we have handled involved patterns that only became clear after reviewing months of emails, performance evaluations, and internal records.

TGH Litigation has spent years handling employment discrimination claims for workers across Missouri, including the St. Louis metro area. The firm brings more than 80 years of combined legal experience and a track record that includes verdicts against school districts, state agencies, and public employers. A St. Louis, MO employment discrimination lawyer at TGH Litigation can review your case and discuss your options during a free consultation.

Employment Discrimination Lawyer St. Louis, MO

An employment discrimination lawyer works with employees who were treated unfairly at work because of who they are, not how they performed. Federal law and the Missouri Human Rights Act both prohibit employers from using protected characteristics like race, sex, age, disability, religion, and national origin as the basis for any employment decision.

What makes these cases challenging is that most employers do not admit the real reason. They write up a performance issue. They call it a restructuring. An employment discrimination attorney in St. Louis looks past the surface explanation and examines whether the evidence tells a different story.

Types of Employment Discrimination Cases We Handle in St. Louis

Discrimination claims take many forms, and no two cases present the same set of facts. TGH Litigation has pursued claims involving the following categories for employees throughout the St. Louis area and across Missouri.

Race Discrimination. Treating an employee differently because of their race, color, or ethnicity in any phase of employment violates both federal and state law. We have handled cases involving discriminatory hiring, unequal discipline, denial of promotion, and hostile work environments tied to race. The firm has pursued race discrimination claims against Missouri public employers and fought to hold them accountable.
Gender and Sex Discrimination. Pay disparities between men and women performing the same job, pregnancy-related adverse actions, and decisions driven by gender stereotypes are all forms of sex discrimination. TGH Litigation secured a sex discrimination verdict against St. Louis Public Schools after an employee was subjected to discrimination and punished for raising the issue.
Age Discrimination. Workers aged 40 and older are protected from employment decisions based on age. Being pushed out for a younger replacement, passed over for promotion despite a stronger record, or subjected to comments about being “too old” for a role are all actionable. TGH Litigation has brought age discrimination claims on behalf of public employees who were terminated because of their age.
Disability Discrimination. Employers have a legal obligation to accommodate qualified employees with disabilities and cannot make adverse employment decisions based on a disability. Refusing to engage in the accommodation process or retaliating against someone who requests help are both violations. The Americans with Disabilities Act outlines these protections and the employer’s responsibilities.
Religious Discrimination. Missouri and federal law require employers to reasonably accommodate religious practices unless doing so would cause undue hardship. Refusing to adjust scheduling for religious observance, factoring religion into hiring or advancement decisions, and allowing faith-based harassment all give rise to claims.
National Origin Discrimination. An employer cannot discriminate based on where you were born, your ethnicity, or your accent. Unjustified English-only workplace policies that target employees based on perceived nationality, and harassment tied to cultural identity, fall under this category.
Pregnancy Discrimination. Terminating or demoting a worker because she is pregnant, refusing to hire someone who is visibly pregnant, or penalizing a worker for taking pregnancy-related medical leave are all illegal. These cases frequently involve overlapping claims under sex discrimination laws.
Retaliation for Reporting Discrimination. Employees who report discriminatory treatment, file complaints, or cooperate with investigations are protected from retaliation. If your employer responded to your complaint by cutting your hours, reassigning you, or finding a reason to fire you, that retaliation can be the basis of a separate claim. This area overlaps significantly with whistleblower retaliation protections.

Why Choose TGH Litigation as my Employment Discrimination Lawyer in St. Louis, MO?

Discrimination Verdicts Across Missouri

The firm has recovered millions of dollars for employees who were discriminated against at work. That includes verdicts against public school districts in St. Louis, state universities, and county government agencies. TGH Litigation appealed a dismissed case to reinstate a discrimination lawsuit against the University of Missouri when a lower court threw it out. Past clients have described the firm’s approach as honest, supportive, and guided by real experience. We take cases for employees only, never employers, and that commitment runs through everything we do.

Who Represents You

Joanna Trachtenberg founded TGH Litigation and focuses her practice on employment discrimination, whistleblower protection, workers’ compensation retaliation, and wage-and-hour matters. She is admitted to practice in Missouri, New York, and federal courts across both states, including the Eighth Circuit. Joanna graduated cum laude from NYU School of Law, earned an M.A. from the University of Limerick, and holds a B.A. from Yale University. She also counsels individuals and small businesses on non-compete agreements and employment separation terms.

Fellow founding attorney J. Andrew Hirth is a Super Lawyers honoree with admission to the United States Supreme Court Bar.

Understanding Employment Discrimination Cases

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Employment Discrimination Cases

The remedies available in a discrimination case depend on which laws apply and the severity of the employer’s conduct. Common forms of recovery include:

Back pay. The wages and benefits you would have earned from the date of the discriminatory action through the resolution of the case.
Front pay. Compensation for future lost income when returning to the same employer is not a realistic option.
Compensatory damages. Awards for emotional distress, reputational harm, and other non-economic consequences of the discrimination.
Punitive damages. Designed to penalize employers whose conduct was willful or showed reckless disregard for the law.
Attorneys’ fees. Many discrimination statutes shift the cost of legal fees to the employer if the employee prevails.
Equitable relief. Courts can order reinstatement, promotion, or changes to company policies.

What Are Important Aspects of an Employment Discrimination Case?

Discrimination cases depend heavily on the specific facts, but some elements consistently matter.

Evidence of pretext. Employers almost always offer a legitimate reason for their decision. Your attorney’s job is to demonstrate that the stated reason is a cover for the actual, discriminatory motive. A sudden negative performance review, inconsistent enforcement of company rules, or a timeline that coincides with your protected activity can all help establish pretext.
Comparator evidence. Were similarly situated employees outside your protected class treated better? If a younger colleague received the promotion you were denied, or a male coworker was not disciplined for the same conduct, that comparison carries weight.
Documentation and records. Written communications, HR files, internal complaints, and your own contemporaneous notes all matter. Start preserving these records as soon as you suspect something is wrong.
Filing deadlines. Missouri law requires you to file a discrimination complaint with the Missouri Commission on Human Rights within 180 days. Federal claims filed through the EEOC generally allow 300 days. These deadlines are firm.

What Is The Employment Discrimination Case Timeline?

The process typically unfolds in stages, though each case has its own pace depending on the complexity and whether it settles early.

Administrative charge. Discrimination claims usually start with a charge filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or the Missouri Human Rights Commission. Dual filing with both agencies is common in Missouri.
Investigation. The agency contacts your employer, gathers records, and may interview witnesses. This phase can last several months to a year or more.
Mediation. Both the EEOC and the MCHR offer voluntary mediation, which can resolve a case without litigation if both sides are willing to negotiate.
Right-to-sue letter. If the agency does not resolve the matter, you receive a right-to-sue letter that allows you to file a lawsuit.
Litigation and trial. The case moves into discovery, depositions, motions, and potentially a jury trial. TGH Litigation has taken discrimination cases to verdict for Missouri employees when a settlement was not an option.

What Should You Bring to Your Employment Discrimination Consultation?

The more documentation you bring to the first meeting, the faster your attorney can assess the case. Gather what you can from this list:

Performance reviews, write-ups, or disciplinary actions, particularly any issued around the same time as the events in question
Emails, messages, or other written communications reflecting discriminatory conduct or inconsistent treatment
Your own written account of what happened, with dates, names, and as much detail as you can recall
Any complaint you filed with HR, a supervisor, or an outside agency
Pay stubs, your offer letter, or any employment contract that could be relevant

Your attorney will review these materials and give you a candid evaluation of the case. TGH Litigation provides free consultations for employment discrimination claims in St. Louis, MO and throughout the state, so there is no cost and no obligation.

What Are Important Missouri Legal Resources for Employment Discrimination Cases?

Several government agencies provide resources for Missouri workers dealing with employment discrimination. These are useful for understanding what the law covers and what steps to take.

The EEOC’s race discrimination page explains how federal law defines and prohibits race and color discrimination in the workplace.
The MCHR complaint process walks through how to file a state-level discrimination charge and what happens during the investigation.
The DOL whistleblower page explains federal retaliation protections, which frequently intersect with discrimination claims when an employer punishes a worker for reporting.

Reach Out to TGH Litigation to Schedule a Consultation

Discrimination claims in Missouri have filing deadlines as short as 180 days from the date of the adverse action. Waiting too long risks losing the right to bring your case at all. TGH Litigation provides free consultations for employees in St. Louis, MO and the surrounding area who believe they were discriminated against at work. Contact us to schedule a confidential conversation about your situation.