Recently, the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights issued a finding of probable cause by regarding a complaint of unlawful discrimination and retaliation. A finding of probable cause “is not an adjudication on the merits. Instead, it is merely an initial ‘culling-out process’ in which the Director makes a threshold determination of ‘whether the matter should be brought to a halt or proceed to the next step on the road to an adjudication on the merits.’” The complaint alleged a lending company and two individuals engaged in discriminatory practices based on race, national origin, and nationality, violating the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination. The investigation found evidence suggesting the company denied lending services based on race, national origin, and nationality, as well as maintained a hostile work environment after it discharged an employee and retaliated against an employee for filing a complaint with the Division on Civil Rights. The company’s owner allegedly instructed employees not to lend to certain ethnic groups, and the investigation uncovered racist messages and audio recordings supporting these claims. The owner also allegedly threatened legal action against the employee who filed the complaint, leading to the employee’s resignation. The lending company and individuals denied the allegations in their entirety.
