A civil right is an enforceable right or privilege, which if interfered with by another gives rise to an action for injury. Examples of civil rights are freedom of speech, press, and assembly; the right to vote; freedom from involuntary servitude; and the right to equality in public places. Discrimination occurs when the civil rights of an individual are denied or interfered with because of their membership in a particular group or class. Statutes have been enacted to prevent discrimination based on race, sex, religion, age, previous condition of servitude, physical limitation, national origin, and in some instances sexual preference. Civil rights attorneys handle cases involving the rights of individuals to be free from unequal treatment (or discrimination) based on legally-protected characteristics such as race, gender, disability, national origin, age, sexual orientation, and religion. Civil rights cases can arise in a number of settings -- including employment, housing, lending, and education.
Castaic, California is an unincorporated community in Los Angeles County, California, USA. It is in northern of Santa Clarita and is a few miles from Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park. It is approximately 39 miles (63 km) from the downtown Los Angeles Civic Center. As of the 2000 Census, it had a population of 22,173. The community has a ZIP Code of 91384 and area code of 661. Today it is a growing community near the San Fernando Valley and Greater Los Angeles Area and has many new suburban one and two story houses in new developments. It began life in 1915 at the opening of the original Ridge Route which brought travelers looking for gasoline, water, food, and lodging. Many early day residents of Castaic were involved in providing for travelers' needs along the Ridge Route. Today travelers still enjoy stopping at Castaic for their needs but also enjoy nearby amenities including Castaic Lake and Pyramid Lake where boating and swimming are favorite pastimes. Castaic Lake is the terminus of the west branch of the State Water Project and an 1175 MW pumped storage hydroelectric plant located at the north end of Lake Castaic captures the energy from the falling water. From Castaic the water is delivered by pipelines to the Los Angeles area. The Castaic Town Council meets regularly to solve the challenges of the growing community. It covers 100 square miles (259 km) of area, and includes the Val Verde and Chiquito Canyon areas. Castaic Middle School is a school that serves grades 6-8 for the region. Some of the earliest businesses started in Castaic are Castaic Brick (founded 1927) and George Dunn's Wayside Dairy (founded 1929). Sam's Place (Sam Parson, proprietor) on the Ridge Route has long since gone and is now a memory. Station 149 of the Los Angeles County Fire Department serves the community and is located one block from the lake. The origin of the name Castaic - misspelled by many over the decades - is the Chumash Native American word Kashtuk, meaning "eyes."