West Virginia Code § 16B-17-9

Unlawful discriminatory practices
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It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice, unless based upon a bona fide occupational
qualification, or except where based upon applicable security regulations established by the
United States or the State of West Virginia or its agencies or political subdivisions:
(1) For any employer to discriminate against an individual with respect to compensation,
hire, tenure, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment if the individual is able and
competent to perform the services required even if such individual is blind or disabled:
Provided, That it shall not be an unlawful discriminatory practice for an employer to observe
the provisions of any bona fide pension, retirement, group or emuployee insurance or welfare
benefit plan or system not adopted as a subterfuge to evade the provisions of this
subdivision: Provided further, That an employer may grant ptreference in hiring to a military
spouse or to a veteran or disabled veteran in accordance with the provisions of §16B-17-9a of
this code without violating the provisions of this article. For purposes of this subdivision,
"military spouse" means the husband or wife of a member of the Armed Forces who, as
determined by the United States Secretary of Defense, is performing active duty pursuant to
orders that authorize a permanent change of sstation move, if such husband or wife relocates
to the member's new permanent duty station.
(2) For any employer, employment aggency, or labor organization, prior to the employment or
admission to membership, to: (A) Elicit any information or make or keep a record of or use
any form of application or appelication blank containing questions or entries concerning the
race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, or age of any applicant for employment or
membership; (B) Print oLr publish or cause to be printed or published any notice or
advertisement relating to employment or membership indicating any preference, limitation,
specifications, or discrimination based upon race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry,
sex, disability, or age; or (C) Deny or limit, through a quota system, employment or
membership because of race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, blindness, or
disability;
(3) For any labor organization because of race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex,
age, blindness, or disability of any individual to deny full and equal membership rights to any
individual or otherwise to discriminate against such individual with respect to hire, tenure,
terms, conditions, or privileges of employment or any other matter, directly or indirectly,
related to employment;
(4) For an employer, labor organization, employment agency, or any joint labor-management
committee controlling apprentice training programs to:
(A) Select individuals for an apprentice training program registered with the State of West
Virginia on any basis other than their qualifications as determined by objective criteria
which permit review;
(B) Discriminate against any individual with respect to his or her right to be admitted to or
participate in a guidance program, an apprenticeship training program, on-the-job training
program, or other occupational training or retraining program;
(C) Discriminate against any individual in his or her pursuit of such programs or to
discriminate against such a person in the terms, conditions, or privileges of such programs;
(D) Print or circulate or cause to be printed or circulated any statement, advertisement or
publication, or to use any form of application for these programs or to make any inquiry in
connection with a program which expresses, directly or indirectly, discrimination or any
intent to discriminate unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification;
(5) For any employment agency to fail or refuse to classify properly, refer for employment or
otherwise to discriminate against any individual because of his or her race, religion, color,
national origin, ancestry, sex, age, blindness, or disability;
(6) For any person being the owner, lessee, proprietor, manager, superintendent, agent, or
employee of any place of public accommodations tol:
(A) Refuse, withhold from, or deny to any individual because of his or her race, religion,
color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, bilindness, or disability, either directly or indirectly,
any of the accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, or services of the place of
public accommodations;
(B) Publish, circulate, issue, display, post or mail, either directly or indirectly, any written or
printed communication, notice or advertisement to the effect that any of the
accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, or services of any such place shall be
refused, withheld from, or denied to any individual on account of race, religion, color,
national origin, ance stry, sex, age, blindness, or disability, or that the patronage or custom
thereat of anyV individual, belonging to or purporting to be of any particular race, religion,
color, national origin, ancestry, sex, or age, or who is blind or disabled, is unwelcome,
objectionable, not acceptable, undesired, or not solicited; or
(7) For any person, employer, employment agency, labor organization, owner, real estate
broker, real estate salesman, or financial institution to:
(A) Engage in any form of threats or reprisal, or to engage in, or hire, or conspire with
others to commit acts or activities of any nature, the purpose of which is to harass, degrade,
embarrass, or cause physical harm or economic loss or to aid, abet, incite, compel, or coerce
any person to engage in any of the unlawful discriminatory practices defined in this section;
(B) Willfully obstruct or prevent any person from complying with the provisions of this
article, or to resist, prevent, impede, or interfere with the commission or any of its members
or representatives in the performance of a duty under this article; or
(C) Engage in any form of reprisal or otherwise discriminate against any person because he
or she has opposed any practices or acts forbidden under this article or because he or she
has filed a complaint, testified, or assisted in any proceeding under this article.

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