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.
Damascus is an unincorporated community in southwestern Goshen Township in Mahoning County and northwestern Butler Township in Columbiana County in the U.S. state of Ohio. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 44619. It lies at the intersection of U.S. Route 62 and State Routes 173 and 534. The Mahoning County portion of Damascus is part of the Youngstown–Warren–Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Columbiana County portion is part of the East Liverpool–Salem Micropolitan Statistical Area.