Final answer:
Discrimination in employment practices based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin is illegal under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, making discrimination the correct answer to the violation of U.S. laws regarding women and minorities. The correct option is (c).
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is asking which action constitutes a violation of U.S. laws concerning the treatment of women and minorities in the workplace.
According to U.S. law, specifically the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it is illegal to discriminate in employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
This includes discrimination in hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, and any other aspect of employment. Therefore, the correct answer is discrimination, as it directly violates these laws.
Affirmative action, on the other hand, is an effort to prevent past discrimination and is not illegal, although certain aggressive forms of it have been contested in courts.
Firing without cause can also be legal under certain circumstances, as long as it is not a pretext for unlawful discrimination.