Tennessee employees are protected against racial and sex-based workplace discrimination by both Tennessee work statutes (Tennessee Human Rights Act and Tennessee Equal Pay Act) and, in most cases, by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

While it is not illegal for supervisors or Tennessee companies to unfairly terminate their employees, it is illegal for a Tennessee company to do so for reasons of one's race or sex. Both race and gender are known as "protected classes," as are nation of origin, religion, veterans status, disability, and age (click for more on age discrimination laws). Employment decisions (hiring, firing, promotions, etc.) based solely on one's protected status qualify as discrimination and are illegal.

You may be entitled to lost pay, promotions, and other recoveries of financial losses (moneys you should have earned) if your Tennessee employer discriminated against you because of your race, sex, or other protected status.

Evidence of Tennessee Workplace Discrimination

Unfortunately, and despite the injustice you may rightfully feel, not all instances of sex- or race-based discrimination will have their day in Tennessee court. A single inappropriate, hurtful racist or sexist joke is rarely serious enough or evidence enough cause a racial or sexual discrimination case to be heard in Tennessee court.

Most discrimination cases involving sexual or racial discrimination (and HHP and other respectable Tennessee workplace discrimination lawyers will represent) involve financial losses (denied promotion, pay reduction, termination, etc.). Additionally, evidence of discrimination in the form of written communications (memos, emails, notes, etc.), credible witnesses, a history of racism or sexism at a workplace, or other documentation of negative employment practices based on sex or race will be needed. Also, if others of the same protected class (others of your race or gender) were employed but did not suffer discrimination, you likely do not have a race- or sex-based discrimination case in the State of Tennessee.

(The conditions for establishing sexual harassment in TN court are slightly different. Click to read HHP's page on workplace sexual harassment.)

Taking Action with a Nashville Discrimination Lawyer

Higgins, Himmelberg & Piliponis lawyers will work with the Tennessee Human Rights Commission or the EEOC as well as independently with Tennessee clients discriminated on the basis of their sex or race to reach a resolution that is fair and will compensate them for the financial losses and other hardships they have suffered from discrimination at the workplace.

Fill out our Tennessee workplace discrimination form or call our Nashville law offices at 800-705-2121 to provide us details about your suspected race/sex workplace discrimination. Our Nashville discrimination attorneys practice throughout Tennessee and handle most workplace discrimination cases on a contingency basis.