Virginia Civil Rights Laws
Civil rights are the rights of individuals to receive equal treatment under the law, protected by both federal and state laws.
Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors | Last reviewed June 20, 2016
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Most civil rights protections come from the federal government, particularly the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender, skin color, age, and other characteristics. In addition to federal protections, Virginia civil rights law prohibits discrimination against employees on the basis of marital status.
The basics of Virginia's civil rights laws, including statutes of limitation and code sections, are listed in the following chart. See FindLaw's Civil Rights section to learn more.
| Code Section | 36-96.1, et seq. (Housing); 40.1- 28.6 (Equal Pay); 2.2-3900, et seq. (Generally) |
| Agency | Housing: Fair Housing Board and Real Estate Board; Equal Pay: None; Generally: Human Rights Council |
| Administrative Preemption | No |
| Private Action Permitted? | Yes |
| Attorney Fees Recoverable by Plaintiff? | Housing: Yes; Equal Pay: No; Generally: Yes |
| Statute of Limitations | Housing: 1 yr./agency, 2 yr./private; Generally: 180 days |
Note: State laws are constantly changing -- contact a Virginia employment law attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.
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