The landscape of civil protection and civil rights legislation relevant to work at the University of Virginia includes both state and federal laws, and these inform the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity and related policies. In general, these laws protect against discrimination and harassment on the basis of the protected characteristics identified and require equal access and opportunity in employment, education, programs and activities.
When a characteristic is “protected” it generally means that every identification within that dimension of identity is equally protected. For example, religion is a protected characteristic and that applies whether an individual’s faith practice is Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or Sikh.
The following provides a list of relevant state and federal civil rights laws, as amended.
Virginia Personnel Act – Non-Discrimination
Virginia Personnel Act – Veteran Preference
Virginia Office of Civil Rights
Website: https://www.oag.state.va.us/citizen-resources/civil-rights
Phone: (804) 225-2292
Charlottesville Human Rights Commission
Website: https://www.charlottesville.gov/963/Human-Rights-Commission
Phone: 434-970-3023
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938
Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (“PUMP”) Act of 2023
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Titles IV, VI, & VII)
Age Discrimination Act of 1967
Education Amendments Act of 1972 (Title IX)
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Sections 503 & 504)
Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
Violence Against Women Act of 1994
Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994
Genetic Information and Non-discrimination Act of 2008
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act of 2022
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Website: https://www.eeoc.gov/
Phone: 1-800-669-4000, 1-800-669-6820, 1-844-234-5122 (ASL Video Phone for Deaf/Hard of Hearing callers only)
U.S. Department of Labor Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
Website: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ofccp
Phone: 1-800-397-6251. For TTY-Based Telecommunications Relay Service, dial 7-1-1.
U.S. Department of Justice
Website: https://www.justice.gov/
Phone: 202-514-2000, 800-877-8339 (TTY for Deaf/Hard of Hearing callers only)
U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights
Website: https://www.ed.gov/about/ed-offices/ocr
Phone: 1-800-421-3481
The specific actions required of the University as a public educational institution, healthcare provider, and employer are informed by civil rights law and interpretive guidance (typically done through agencies at the state and federal levels responsible for ensuring adherence to a specific law or through precedents established by judicial decisions).
While not exhaustive, and always taken alongside the basic constitutional rights relevant to a public institution like free expression and inquiry, we hope the information helps our community understand the rich grounding of our work as we seek to ensure our community is one where people know their rights and obligations and have pathways for ensuring they and others are respected.