Opinion ID: 1796311
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Missouri Human Rights Act

Text: The Act protects important societal interests in prohibiting discrimination in employment, public accommodation, and other interests on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age as it relates to employment, disability, or familial status as it relates to housing. Section 213.010(5). The Act provides for broad enforcement authority in the Missouri human rights commission and administrative remedies. In addition, to further this societal interest in eliminating discrimination, the Act allows a claimant to seek damages for actual and punitive damages, court costs, and reasonable attorney fees. [4] Section 213.111.2. A court may also grant appropriate injunctive relief. Id. The Act, in allowing a claim for damages, shows legislative intent to include private claims for relief by aggrieved employees and others, to further the enforcement of the statute. To allow a wide-ranging and legally irrelevant inquiry into a claimant's medical and psychological history could work at cross-purposes to the Act by deterring legitimate claims.