(1) The right to be free from discrimination because of race, creed,
color, national origin, sex, honorably discharged veteran or military
status, sexual orientation, or the presence of any sensory, mental,
or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service
animal by a person with a disability is recognized as and declared
to be a civil right. This right shall include, but not be limited to:
(a) The right to obtain and hold employment without
discrimination.
The WLAD also extends broad protections to "any person" engaging in
statutorily protected activity from retaliation by an employer or "other person."
RCW 49.60.210(1) provides,
(1) It is an unfair practice for any employer, employment agency,
labor union, or other person to discharge, expel, or otherwise
discriminate against any person because he or she has opposed
any practices forbidden by this chapter, or because he or she has
9 Int'l Union of Operating Enq'rs, AFL-CIO. Local 286 v. Port of Seattle.
176 Wn.2d 712, 722, 295 P.3d 736 (2013) (internal quotation marks omitted)
(quoting Antonius v. King County, 153 Wn.2d 256, 267-68, 103 P.3d 729 (2004)).
10 RCW 49.60.010.
11 RCW 49.60.020.
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filed a charge, testified, or assisted in any proceeding under this
chapter.
To establish a prima facie case of retaliation under RCW 49.60.210(1), a
plaintiff must show that (1) he or she engaged in statutorily protected activity, (2)
he or she suffered an adverse employment action, and (3) there was a causal
link between his or her activity and the other person's adverse action.12 The first
element describes opposition to "any practices forbidden by" RCW 49.60.13