In our most recent litigation one of the mostly contested and litigated issues was whether the Regents of the University of California (“Regents”) is considered a “business establishment” under California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act (“Act”)?

Since there is no direct case law on the issue, Regents tends to frequently make the argument that it is not and should not be considered a “business establishment” under the Unruh Civil Rights Act. Although the case that we have been litigating is not final, and no direct case law has been established yet that specifically addresses the issue, a San Diego Superior Court Judge denied the Regents’ multiple attempts at arguing that it should not be held liable because it is not a “business establishment.”

This is an extremely important holding because it exposes Regents to potential statutory damage awards each time they violate the Act. If you are an attorney or a victim of the Regents’ violative acts make sure you get in contact with us.