Discrimination is defined as which of the following?

• A. Any action that unlawfully or unjustly results in unequal treatment of persons or groups based on race, color, gender, national origin or religion
• B. Treating everyone the same regardless of background
• C. Promoting diversity in all promotions
• D. Favoring a group over others without merit

Answer: (A)

Discrimination involves treating people unfairly based on characteristics protected by law, such as race, color, gender, national origin, or religion. This means actions that result in unequal treatment because of those attributes, and they’re typically unlawful or unjust. The statement matches this by explicitly tying unequal treatment to those protected traits and by noting it can be unlawful or unjust, which is why it’s the best choice. Treating everyone the same describes equality, not discrimination; promoting diversity in promotions reflects positive inclusion efforts rather than discriminatory behavior; favoring a group without merit suggests bias or favoritism, which isn’t a precise definition of discrimination tied to protected characteristics.