Legal Definitions - class-based animus

Class-Based Animus

Class-Based Animus refers to a prejudicial disposition towards a particular group of people, usually a group that is constitutionally protected. It is a form of ill will or animosity towards a specific class of people.

For example, if a landlord refuses to rent an apartment to someone because of their race, that would be considered class-based animus. Similarly, if an employer refuses to hire someone because of their gender, that would also be class-based animus.

Class-Based Animus is an essential element of a civil-rights conspiracy case, as it involves discrimination against a protected class of people.

• A restaurant owner refuses to serve customers who are of a certain race.
• An employer refuses to hire someone because of their sexual orientation.
• A landlord refuses to rent an apartment to someone because of their religion.

These examples illustrate how class-based animus can manifest in different forms of discrimination against protected classes of people.