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Protected Classes at ECU **
Age: The North Carolina Office of State Personnel defines persons qualified for protection based on "age" as "persons 40 years of age or older." The US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights defines "age" as "how old a person is, or the number of elapsed years from the date of a person's birth." The standard is "any person of any age." Back to Top
Color: The North Carolina Office of State Personnel defines "color" as "the complexion of a person's skin." Color is the variation of skin tone or skin pigmentation. Back to Top
Creed: The North Carolina Office of State Personnel defines "creed" as "any statement or system of belief, principles or opinions."
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Disability: The North Carolina Office of State Personnel defines "disability" as a "handicapping condition: any person who has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities; one who has a record of such impairment; or one who is regarded as having such an impairment." The US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights defines disability as a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities; a record of such impairment; or perception by others of such impairment.
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National Origin: The North Carolina Office of State Personnel defines "national origin" as "characteristic of or peculiar to the people of a nation; of or relating to ancestral beginnings." National origin encompasses not only the place of origin of the individual and his or her ancestors, but also the possession by an individual of physical, cultural, or linguistic characteristics of a national origin group.
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Race: The North Carolina Office of State Personnel defines "race" as: "A local geographic or global human population distinguished as more or less distinct group by genetically transmitted physical characteristics; any group of people united or classified together on the basis of common history, nationality, or geographical distribution; mankind as a whole." A family, tribe, people, or nation belonging to the same stock; also: a class or kind of people unified by shared interests, habits, or characteristics. ECU uses the following racial categories:
- White (not of Hispanic origin): Having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East.
- Black (not of Hispanic origin): Having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.
- Asian or Pacific Islander: Having origins in any of the peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent or the Pacific Islands. This includes, for example, Taiwan, China, Japan, Korea, the Philippine Islands, and Samoa.
- Hispanic: Those of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
- American Indian or Alaskan Native: Having origins in any of the original peoples of North America and who maintain cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition.
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Religion: The North Carolina Office of State Personnel defines "religion" as "...the expression of one's belief in and/or reverence for a superhuman power recognized as the creator and/or governor of the universe; or lack thereof." Religion is not limited to membership in an established religious group, but includes the sincerely held religions beliefs of an individual whether or not he or she is connected to any institutional religious group. It also includes all aspects of religious observance, practice, and belief. Back to Top
Sex: The North Carolina Office of State Personnel defines "sex" as: "...the condition or character of being male or female; the physiological, functional, and psychological differences that distinguish the male and female." Either of the two major forms of individuals that occur in many species and that are distinguished respectively as female or male especially on the basis of their reproductive organs and structures; sex means a person's gender, not his or her sexual orientation/sexual preference.
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Sexual Orientation**: According to the American Psychological Association "sexual orientation refers to an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions to men, women, or both sexes. Sexual orientation also refers to a person’s sense of identity based on those attractions, related behaviors, and membership in a community of others who share those attractions." It is generally discussed in terms of heterosexual (attraction to the other sex), homosexual (attraction to the same sex) and bisexual (attraction to both sexes) though it should be noted that sexual orientation ranges along a continuum.
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Veterans' Status: The US Department of Labor defines a person with veteran status as “Vietnam era veterans, special disabled veterans, or veterans who served on active duty during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized are protected in employment. A Vietnam era veteran is a person who (1) served on active duty for a period of more than 180 days, any part of which occurred between August 5, 1964 and May 7, 1975, and was discharged or released with other than a dishonorable discharge; (2) was discharged or released from active duty for a service connected disability if any part of such active duty was performed between August 5, 1964 and May 7, 1975; or (3) served on active duty for more than 180 days and served in the Republic of Vietnam between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975. A special disabled veteran is a person who is entitled to compensation under laws administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs for a disability rated at 30 percent or more; or, rated at 10 or 20 percent, if it has been determined that the individual has a serious employment disability; or, a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.”
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**All classes, except Sexual Orientation are recognized at either the federal or state level.
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