Employment Discrimination Demand Letter - Vermont

EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION DEMAND LETTER

Vermont Law

Vermont Fair Employment Practices Act, 21 V.S.A. Section 495 et seq.

[ATTORNEY/FIRM LETTERHEAD]

[Firm Name]
[Address Line 1]
[City, Vermont ZIP]
Tel: [Phone Number]
Fax: [Fax Number]
[Attorney Email]
[Vermont Bar No.]

VIA CERTIFIED MAIL, RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
AND VIA EMAIL TO: [recipient_email]

[Date]

[Employer Contact Name]
[Title]
[Company Legal Name]
[Company Address]
[City, State ZIP]

Re: Employment Discrimination Claim of [Client Full Name]
VHRC Complaint No.: [If filed]
EEOC Charge No.: [If filed]
CONFIDENTIAL SETTLEMENT COMMUNICATION - V.R.E. 408

Dear [Mr./Ms./Mx. Last Name]:

This firm represents [Client Full Name] ("our client") regarding [his/her/their] claims of unlawful employment discrimination against [Company Legal Name] ("[Company Short Name]" or "the Company").

I. LEGAL FRAMEWORK

A. Vermont Fair Employment Practices Act (VFEPA)

Vermont provides comprehensive protections under 21 V.S.A. Section 495 et seq.

Protected Classes Under VFEPA:

• Race
• Color
• Religion
• Ancestry
• National origin
• Sex (including pregnancy)
• Sexual orientation (protected since 1992)
• Gender identity (protected since 2007)
• Place of birth
• Age (18+ - no upper limit)
• Disability
• HIV status
• Credit history (limited circumstances)

B. Federal Anti-Discrimination Laws

C. Administrative Options

Important: Administrative exhaustion is NOT required. Plaintiffs may file directly in court.

II. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

[Client Full Name] was employed by [Company Short Name] from [Start Date] through [End Date / Present] as a [Job Title] in [City], Vermont.

III. LEGAL CLAIMS

A. Violation of Vermont Fair Employment Practices Act

[Company Short Name] violated Vermont law by discriminating against our client based on [protected class].

Key Provisions:

• Applies to employers with 1+ employees
• No administrative exhaustion required
• 3-year statute of limitations
• No damage caps
• Pioneer state for SOGI protections

IV. DAMAGES

Note: Vermont has NO CAPS on compensatory or punitive damages.

V. SETTLEMENT DEMAND

We demand that [Company Short Name] pay $[Settlement Demand Amount] to resolve all claims.

VI. RESPONSE DEADLINE

Please respond within twenty-one (21) calendar days, no later than [Response Deadline Date].

Sincerely,

[Attorney Name]
[Title]
[Firm Name]
[Vermont Bar No.]

VERMONT-SPECIFIC PRACTICE NOTES (Do Not Include in Final Letter)

Key Vermont Considerations

[ ] No Administrative Exhaustion: Can file directly in court

[ ] Pioneer SOGI State: Sexual orientation protected since 1992; gender identity since 2007

[ ] 1-Employee Threshold: Applies to virtually all employers

[ ] No Damage Caps: No statutory limits

[ ] Age from 18: Protects all workers 18+ (no upper limit)

[ ] HIV Status Protected: Explicit statutory protection

Statute of Limitations Reference