Yes, states also have laws that protect employees from unlawful discrimination. Many of these state laws are based on the federal laws. For example, Tennessee has an employment discrimination law known as the Tennessee Human Rights Act of 1978. That law was based on major federal anti-discrimination laws such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Age Discrimination Act of 1967.

Your lawyer can give you guidance on whether to sue for employment discrimination under a federal law, state law or both. The lawyer can tell you, for instance, whether your state anti-discrimination law offers more or less protection than the federal law.