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.
University Park, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States, and is the location of the flagship campus of the Pennsylvania State University This campus is colloquially referred to, among the general Penn State student population, as "UP" and "main campus. " Currently, University Park is considered a "Public Ivy" because it "offers an Ivy League education" but is considered a public school. In Richard Moll's original nine Public Ivies (1985) University Park fell just short of the list, but was a runner-up that was closely considered. Currently, the Public Ivies list has expanded to include 30 state schools throughout the nation. University Park sits within the State College Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Centre County. Most of University Park sits within the borough of State College, while the northeastern part of campus is within College Township. While most of this campus of the Pennsylvania State University is located in the borough of State College, Pennsylvania, the campus post office was designated University Park, Pennsylvania in 1953 when university president Milton Eisenhower changed the name of the Pennsylvania State College to the present Pennsylvania State University. Most campus buildings have a mailing address of University Park, PA. The ZIP code of University Park, Pennsylvania is 16802. The University Park Airport, although on property owned by the university, has a mailing address of State College, Pennsylvania. The campus is served by the Penn State University Police. The ZCTA for ZIP code 16802 had a population of 9,172 at the 2000 census. Federally, University Park is part of Pennsylvania's 5th congressional district, represented by Republican Glenn "G.T. " Thompson, elected in 2008. The state's senior member of the United States Senate is Democrat Arlen Specter, elected in 1980 as a Republican. The state's junior member of the United States Senate is Democrat Bob Casey, elected in 2006. The Governor of Pennsylvania is Democrat Ed Rendell, elected in 2002; he is term-limited and therefore will not seek re-election in 2010.