Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Title VII prohibits discrimination in employment by employers with 15 or more employees in hiring, firing, compensation and terms, conditions or privileges of employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy or national origin. A bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ) permits employers to discriminate on the basis of sex, religion or national origin where such a factor is reasonably necessary to the normal operation of the employer’s business. The Civil Rights Act of 1991 amended Title VII, creating, among other things, the right to jury trials and awards of compensatory and punitive damages.