Virginia Human Rights Act

This act prohibits discrimination across the major areas of civil life — employment, housing and other real property, public accommodations, public services, education, credit, and business dealings — and includes specific protections for people with disabilities, along with defined exemptions for religious organizations, certain small landlords and owner-occupied housing, and other narrowly drawn circumstances. It establishes a state human rights agency headed by a commissioner, empowered to receive and investigate grievances, hold hearings, and issue enforceable orders, and it authorizes local human rights commissions to operate alongside it. Aggrieved parties may also bring private suits in district court, with provisions for judicial review and enforcement of agency orders, attorney's fees and costs, protection against reprisals, limits on waiver of rights, and liability for aiding and abetting discriminatory practices.

Editorial summary generated from the text of this act. It is not part of the statute — read the sections below for the operative language.