Tennessee Human Rights Act
Tennessee Human Rights Act (THRA) is comparable to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a federal law. The THRA declares it unlawful for a person employing eight or more persons within the State of Tennessee to “fail or refuse to hire or discharge any person or otherwise to discriminate against an individual with respect to compensation, terms, conditions or privileges of employment because of such individual’s race, creed, color, religion, sex, age or national origin.” Tenn. Code § 4-21-401(a). The comparable provision of Title VII declares it unlawful for an employer with 15 or more employees “to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin”. 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2(a)(1). The primary differences in coverage between THRA and Title VII is that the THRA applies to private employers with just eight or more employees – versus the 15 or more required by Title VII – and THRA adds creed and age as protected categories.
A person wishing to bring a claim under THRA must either file a complaint with the Tennessee Human Rights Commission with 180 days of the unlawful employment action or file a lawsuit under the Act within one year of the discriminatory event.
- Age Discrimination
- Americans with Disability Act (ADA)
- Civil Servants – dismissal from employment without cause
- Employment Contracts
- ERISA / Employee Benefits
- Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) claims – overtime; wage and hour
- Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
- Harassment Based on an Employee’s Race, Color or National Origin
- Malicious Interference with Employment Relationship
- National Origin / Ethnicity Discrimination
- Non-Compete and Non-Solicitation Issues
- Polygraph Disputes with Employers
- Pregnancy Discrimination
- Race/Color Discrimination
- Religious Discrimination
- Retaliatory Discharge and Other Forms of Retaliation Against Employees
- Separation Agreements / Severance Packages
- Sex/Gender Discrimination
- Sexual Harassment
- Tennessee Human Rights Act
- Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) – military leave claims
- Whistleblower / Illegal Activity Claims
- Workers' Compensation Retaliation Claims
If you or someone you know in the North Mississippi/West Tennessee area is in need of representation or legal advice from an experienced employment lawyer, contact the attorneys of Stroud & Harper, P.C., by making a toll-free call to (866) 359-4878. Or, if you prefer, complete the Free Online Case Evaluation form, which you can find on the Areas of Practice page.