Can white men file discrimination claims under federal employment law?

Yes. Federal employment discrimination laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, protect all employees from discrimination based on race or sex—including white men.

In North Carolina, a white male employee may file an EEOC charge if he can show that an adverse employment action (such as termination, demotion, or denial of promotion) occurred because of race or sex. Courts do not apply a lower or higher standard based on the employee’s identity. The legal question is whether unlawful discrimination occurred—not who the claimant is.