11.40 ELEMENTS OF CLAIM: MOTIVATING FACTOR (42 U.S.C. CIV. 1981) is a legal concept that provides a cause of action to individuals who have suffered discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. This is a claim that can be brought under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employers from treating employees differently because of their race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The motivating factor element of this claim requires the plaintiff to demonstrate that the employer’s discriminatory conduct was the motivating factor for the plaintiff’s adverse employment action. This claim has two types: direct and indirect. Direct claims involve a plaintiff alleging discrimination in the form of an adverse employment action while indirect claims involve a plaintiff alleging discrimination in the form of disparate treatment.