West Norriton Human Relations Commission

West Norriton Human Relations Commission We welcome anyone to follow us and to voice their concerns here.

The West Norriton Human Relations Commission is dedicated to promoting inclusiveness and non-discrimination among all the residents, visitors and workers in West Norriton Pennsylvania.

Employers may verify whether someone is authorized to work. However, employers generally should not demand that every ap...
09/10/2026

Employers may verify whether someone is authorized to work. However, employers generally should not demand that every applicant be a U.S. citizen.

Citizenship requirements may be lawful when required by law, regulation, executive order, or government contract. Employers should not prefer or reject workers based on citizenship or immigration status when prohibited by law, and retaliation for raising a concern may also be prohibited.

The U.S. Department of Justice enforces federal protections involving citizenship-status discrimination, national-origin discrimination by certain employers, unfair document practices, and retaliation during hiring and employment-verification processes.

Building Understanding. Strengthening Community.

Katie Muth invites you to the "Veterans' Expo 2026" in Oaks PA, September 12th. Visit Senatormuth.com/vetexpo to registe...
09/08/2026

Katie Muth invites you to the "Veterans' Expo 2026" in Oaks PA, September 12th. Visit Senatormuth.com/vetexpo to register.

VETERANS & EQUAL PROTECTION: CREDIT & LENDING

Is veteran status itself protected when someone applies for credit?

Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), current or prior military service is not, by itself, a protected class. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau specifically notes that military service is not one of ECOA’s protected characteristics.

That can matter when applying for a mortgage, auto loan, credit card, personal loan, or other form of credit.

But this does not mean veterans and servicemembers have no protections. Other federal or state laws may apply depending on the circumstances, and veterans remain protected from lending discrimination when the discrimination is based on a characteristic covered by applicable law.

For mortgages, for example, the federal Fair Housing Act also prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, s*x, familial status, national origin, and disability.

The distinction is important:

Military service is honored. But honor and legal protected-class status are not the same thing.

Understanding which law applies — and why someone is being treated differently — is an important part of understanding your rights.

Building Understanding. Strengthening Community.

Sources: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Equal Credit Opportunity Act guidance; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Fair Housing Act guidance.

*xpo2026

Katie Muth invites you to the "Veterans' Expo 2026" in Oaks PA, September 12th. Visit Senatormuth.com/vetexpo to registe...
09/04/2026

Katie Muth invites you to the "Veterans' Expo 2026" in Oaks PA, September 12th. Visit Senatormuth.com/vetexpo to register.

VETERANS & EQUAL PROTECTION: PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS

What happens when discrimination occurs in a place that serves the public?

Restaurants, stores, hotels, theaters, recreational facilities, and many other businesses and facilities open to the public can fall within the concept of a public accommodation.

Pennsylvania’s Human Relations Act prohibits certain discrimination in public accommodations based on protected characteristics. However, veteran status, standing alone, is not independently listed among the PHRA’s protected-class bases for public accommodations.

That distinction is important.

A veteran who is denied access or treated differently because of a disability may have protections under applicable disability and civil-rights laws. But treatment based solely on veteran status is different: the PHRA does not independently identify veteran status as the protected basis.

Veterans may therefore have civil-rights protections because of another protected characteristic even when veteran status itself is not independently protected in that setting.

The reason someone is treated differently can determine which civil-rights law applies.

Building Understanding. Strengthening Community.

Source: Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC), public-accommodation discrimination and complaint guidance.

*xpo2026

Katie Muth invites you to the "Veterans' Expo 2026" in Oaks PA, September 12th. Visit Senatormuth.com/vetexpo to registe...
09/02/2026

Katie Muth invites you to the "Veterans' Expo 2026" in Oaks PA, September 12th. Visit Senatormuth.com/vetexpo to register.

VETERANS & EQUAL PROTECTION: HOUSING

Does fair housing law protect someone simply because they are a veteran?

Under current federal law, veteran or military status is not independently listed as a protected class under the Fair Housing Act. The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, s*x, familial status, and disability.

Pennsylvania provides additional housing protections under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, but veteran status is not independently listed among the PHRA’s housing protected classes either.

That distinction matters.

A veteran who experiences housing discrimination because of a disability may be protected under federal and Pennsylvania law. But if the discrimination is based solely on veteran status, the Fair Housing Act does not provide a separate veteran-status protected class.

Veterans can have important civil-rights protections without veteran status itself being the protected characteristic. Understanding which characteristic is involved — and which law applies — is an important part of understanding your rights.

Building Understanding. Strengthening Community.

Sources: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Fair Housing Act guidance; Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC), housing discrimination guidance.

*xpo2026

Muth invites you to the "Veterans' Expo 2026" in Oaks PA, September 12th. Visit Senatormuth.com/vetexpo to register.MI...
08/31/2026

Muth invites you to the "Veterans' Expo 2026" in Oaks PA, September 12th. Visit Senatormuth.com/vetexpo to register.

MILITARY SERVICE SHOULD NEVER COST SOMEONE A JOB

Federal law provides significant employment protections for those who serve our country.

The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) protects individuals from employment discrimination because of past, present, or future service in the uniformed services. These protections can apply to hiring, promotion and retention, reemployment after military service, and retaliation for exercising USERRA rights.

Eligible servicemembers also have important rights to return to civilian employment following periods of military service. USERRA protections extend to past and present members of the uniformed services, as well as people who apply or are obligated to serve, and the law applies to virtually all U.S. employers regardless of size.

At work, military service has powerful federal protections. Knowing those rights is an important part of recognizing and preventing discrimination.

Building Understanding. Strengthening Community.

*xpo2026

Katie Muth invites you to the "Veterans' Expo 2026" in Oaks PA, September 12th. Visit Senatormuth.com/vetexpo to regist...
08/29/2026

Katie Muth invites you to the "Veterans' Expo 2026" in Oaks PA, September 12th. Visit Senatormuth.com/vetexpo to register.

IS VETERAN STATUS A PROTECTED CLASS?

The answer depends on where discrimination happens.

Veterans have important legal protections — particularly in employment. Federal law provides significant protections against employment discrimination based on military service.

But veteran status is not a universally protected class under every federal or Pennsylvania civil-rights law. Protections can differ depending on whether discrimination involves employment, housing, lending, or public accommodations.

That distinction matters. A veteran may also be protected under other civil-rights laws when discrimination is based on another protected characteristic, such as disability, race, religion, s*x, national origin, or another characteristic covered by applicable law.

Being protected in one area doesn’t automatically mean being protected in another.

Understanding where protections apply — and where gaps remain — is an important part of understanding your rights.

Building Understanding. Strengthening Community.

*xpo202

Had a wonderful day at the Black Authors and Small Business Expo sponsored by Montgomery County last week. The Pennsylva...
08/27/2026

Had a wonderful day at the Black Authors and Small Business Expo sponsored by Montgomery County last week. The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission and our local HRCs tabled and spoke to soooo many people about how to fight discrimination in MontCo. Representing the County and the West Norriton HRC are Karen Hayman, WN HRC, Joan Wurzel, MontCo Advisory Commission to the PA HRC, Tina Lawson Esq., MontCo Register of Wills, and Lori Schrieber, MontCo Clerk of Courts:

Where someone comes from should never limit opportunity.Examples of national origin discrimination may include unfair tr...
08/27/2026

Where someone comes from should never limit opportunity.

Examples of national origin discrimination may include unfair treatment because of:
• Country of birth
• Ancestry or ethnicity
• Accent
• Cultural background
• Name or appearance
• Association with someone of another national origin

Federal employment protections cover discrimination because of national origin, including some situations involving accent, ethnicity, association, or perceived background.

Building Understanding. Strengthening Community.

A strong school community is built one respectful choice, one caring action, and one inclusive moment at a time.Kindness...
08/23/2026

A strong school community is built one respectful choice, one caring action, and one inclusive moment at a time.

Kindness can be simple: including others, offering encouragement, showing respect, listening with patience, and lifting each other up. When students, families, teachers, and neighbors choose kindness, they help create a school environment where everyone feels welcome, valued, and supported.

Keep kindness going—because every small act helps strengthen belonging.

Respect • Equity • Inclusion • Belonging

The West Norriton Human Relations Commission invites residents to attend its August monthly meeting.Join us on Thursday,...
08/22/2026

The West Norriton Human Relations Commission invites residents to attend its August monthly meeting.

Join us on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at 7:00 PM at the West Norriton Township Building. Meetings are open to the public, and everyone is welcome.

Learn more about the Commission’s work, hear updates, and take part in building a welcoming and inclusive community where everyone belongs.

Date: Thursday, August 27, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: West Norriton Township Building
1630 W. Marshall Street
West Norriton, PA 19403

Building Understanding. Strengthening Community.

Address

1630 W Marshall Street
Jeffersonville, PA
19403

Telephone

+16106310450

Website

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