Filing a Race Discrimination Claim in Nashville: What to Know

Guide to Filing a Race Discrimination Claim in Nashville

Discrimination based on race is against both federal law and Tennessee law, along with other protected characteristics like age, color, creed, disability, national origin, religion, or sex. If you experienced workplace racial discrimination in Nashville, you could be entitled to file a race discrimination claim to protect your rights and pursue compensation. But before you act, it’s wise to consult an experienced attorney.

Taking legal action against your employer can be a complicated and sensitive process. Getting legal guidance can provide clarity and peace of mind as you decide your next steps. At the Employment and Commerce Law Group, our Nashville race discrimination lawyers are dedicated to holding employers accountable for legal violations that harm their workers.

Whether you need assistance with filing a discrimination complaint in Tennessee or with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, we can help. Contact us online or call us today to explore your legal options during a free consultation.

What Is Race Discrimination in the Workplace?

Workplace racial discrimination involves treating an employee or job applicant unfavorably because of personal characteristics associated with their race, such as skin color, complexion, hair, or facial features. Race discrimination can also include unfair treatment at work because an employee’s spouse is of a certain race or color.

Racial discrimination is illegal under the Tennessee Human Rights Act and Title VII of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Recognizing Signs of Racial Discrimination

Signs of racial discrimination in the workplace can take many forms, including:

Unequal treatment in recruiting, hiring, and advancement – Your employer may be engaging in discriminatory recruitment, hiring, and promotion practices if there is a lack of diversity at your workplace or in management positions.
Inconsistent workplace policies – If your workplace inconsistently applies its employment policies to employees of different racial groups, it could be a sign of discrimination.
Unequal compensation and employment privileges – Employers cannot pay workers with similar qualifications and job performance different wages because of their race. Employers also cannot offer different educational opportunities, training, or advancement opportunities to a particular racial group.
Harassment – Racial harassment may include making racial jokes, engaging in racial stereotyping, making offensive or derogatory comments, using racial slurs, engaging in verbal or physical intimidation, or creating a hostile work environment.
Segregation – Employers cannot physically separate employees by race, physically isolate them due to race, or restrict them from interacting with customers or clients because of race. Segregation can also include exclusion from work activities, such as meetings and gatherings.
Retaliation – The law prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who file race discrimination complaints or discrimination lawsuits. Retaliation includes firing, demoting, laying off, or reducing a worker’s pay.

Steps to Take When Facing Racial Discrimination

There are several steps you should take if you believe you are the victim of racial discrimination at work:

Gather evidence – Save any texts, emails, voicemails, or other communications documenting incidents of discrimination. Keep a journal detailing the date, time, place, and what happened. Note the names of any co-workers who may have witnessed the discriminatory action or who were also discriminated against.
Report the race discrimination – You should report the discrimination to your employer. Inform your boss or supervisor (unless they are the person discriminating against you) and notify the Human Resources Department.
File a complaint – If your employer does not stop the discrimination, you should file a complaint with the Civil Rights Enforcement Division of the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office (CRED) or the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Our race discrimination lawyers can assist you with filing a complaint regarding race discrimination.

Filing a Race Discrimination Claim in Nashville

Anti-discrimination laws give you several avenues for seeking compensation. In Tennessee, you have 180 days from the alleged discriminatory act to file race and ethnicity discrimination claims against your employer. You can file online, email CRED@ag.tn.gov, or call (615) 741-5825 to request a paper copy.

Note: The Attorney General is not your lawyer, just the office that handles the complaints. If you hire a private race discrimination attorney in Nashville, you must inform CRED, and the agency will contact your lawyer directly.

You may also file your race discrimination complaint with the EEOC. This step is typically necessary if you intend to sue under both federal and state discrimination laws. In these cases, the deadline is 300 days from the date of the discriminatory incident.

Potential Outcomes for Your Case

No lawyer can guarantee an outcome for a race discrimination case. However, an employment attorney can discuss potential outcomes so that you can make an informed decision about how you wish to proceed.

At the Employment and Commerce Law Group, our Nashville race discrimination lawyers strive to recover compensation so that you are in roughly the same financial position you would have been in had you not been discriminated against. Possible outcomes for your case may include:

Job reinstatement – If your employer terminated or demoted you because of your race or in retaliation, we can seek to have your position reinstated if you wish.
Compensatory damages – Compensatory damages are the monetary losses you suffered because of the discrimination. We can seek this type of compensation for lost wages and employment benefits, job search costs, mental and emotional suffering, inconvenience, and more.
Punitive damages – Punitive damages may be awarded if the employer’s conduct was intentional or malicious.

Many cases of racial discrimination settle outside of court. However, if your workplace refuses to treat your complaint fairly, we can file a discrimination lawsuit in civil court and seek compensation at trial.

Get Legal Help from a Nashville Workplace Discrimination Lawyer

The Employment and Commerce Law Group focuses exclusively on employment law, advocating for workers affected by unlawful discrimination, wage violations, and unethical business practices. Our attorneys have successfully represented clients in claims against major corporations, insurance companies, government agencies, and Fortune 500 employers.

While past results do not guarantee future outcomes, we’re proud to have helped recover millions of dollars for individuals harmed by unlawful employment practices.

Our Nashville workplace discrimination lawyers understand that it can be intimidating to go up against your employer, but we’re here to make the process as seamless as possible. Let us help you build your case and pursue the compensation you may be entitled to. Contact us online or call today to schedule a free consultation.