Marital Status Discrimination in DC
Marital Status Discrimination in DC:
A Protection Federal Law Doesn't Offer
If you work in Washington, DC, you’re protected from marital status discrimination under the DC Human Rights Act (DCHRA) — a protection that federal law does not provide at all for private-sector workers. DC has covered marital status since the DCHRA’s original enactment in 1977. For the general framework covering marital status discrimination in every jurisdiction, see our Marital Status Discrimination overview page. This makes DC’s law especially important for this specific claim: unlike most other discrimination topics on this site, there’s no federal Title VII option to fall back on if the DCHRA doesn’t apply to your situation.
What Counts as "Marital Status" Under DC Law?
DC defines marital status broadly to include being married (whether same-sex or opposite-sex), in a domestic partnership, single, divorced, separated, or widowed — along with the usual conditions associated with those statuses.
DC Law Covers Employers of Any Size
The DCHRA applies to DC employers of any size, including small businesses, independent contractors, and unpaid interns. Since there’s no federal marital status protection to speak of, this DC-specific coverage is often the only avenue available to a DC worker facing this kind of discrimination.
How Long Do You Have to File a Claim in DC?
- Administrative complaint with the DC Office of Human Rights (OHR): within one year of the discriminatory act or its discovery.
- Filing directly in court: two years, following the 2024 Fairness in Human Rights Administration Amendment Act’s extension of this deadline.
- DC law does not require you to exhaust the OHR process before going directly to court.
What Counts as Marital Status Discrimination in DC?
Marital status discrimination can include:
- Refusal to hire, promote, or fairly compensate someone because of marital status
- “No-spouse” policies that prohibit employing or supervising a spouse
- Denying benefits available to married employees
- Retaliation against an employee who reports marital status discrimination
What Compensation Can You Recover?
Workers who successfully bring a marital status discrimination claim in DC may be entitled to:
- Back pay and front pay
- Reinstatement or a comparable position
- Compensatory damages, including for emotional distress
- Punitive damages, where the employer acted with actual malice or ill intent
- Attorney’s fees and costs
A key DC advantage: the DCHRA imposes no cap on compensatory or punitive damages — the court can award whatever amount it finds appropriate to the case.
Talk to a DC Marital Status Discrimination Attorney
Since federal law offers no protection here, DC’s law is often the only path available. If you believe you’ve experienced marital status discrimination at work, it’s worth understanding your options.
Or call 301.245.3035 · Intake@WilkenfeldLO.com
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Reviewed by Ari Wilkenfeld, Esq. (DC Bar No. 461063; MD Bar No. 9806240300). Ari has over 27 years of experience litigating in federal and state courts, and before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), and various arbitration panels. Ari has been recognized by Esquire Magazine as “a famously determined Civil Rights lawyer” and by the New York Post as “a high powered DC Lawyer.” Last updated: August 28, 2026.