Opinion ID: 797288
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: California's Unruh Civil Rights Act

Text: 21 In the disability context, California's Unruh Civil Rights Act operates virtually identically to the ADA. It states, 22 All persons within the jurisdiction of this state are free and equal, and no matter what their sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, medical condition, marital status, or sexual orientation are entitled to the full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, or services in all business establishments of every kind whatsoever. 23 Cal. Civ.Code § 51(b). Any violation of the ADA necessarily constitutes a violation of the Unruh Act. § 51(f). 24 The Unruh Act, however, does allow for monetary damages. Victims of discrimination may obtain actual damages, as well as any amount that may be determined by a jury . . . up to a maximum of three times the amount of actual damage but in no case less than four thousand dollars. § 52(a). The litigant need not prove she suffered actual damages to recover the independent statutory damages of $4,000. Botosan v. Paul McNally Realty, 216 F.3d 827, 835 (9th Cir.2000). The Unruh Act also allows for attorney's fees. Cal. Civ.Code § 52(a). 25 Because the Unruh Act is coextensive with the ADA and allows for monetary damages, litigants in federal court in California often pair state Unruh Act claims with federal ADA claims. Molski v. Mandarin Touch Restaurant, 347 F.Supp.2d at 862-63.