Discrimination based on a person’s national origin is illegal in Texas and violates both state and federal law.  National origin discrimination may include the following:

Derogatory comments about an employee’s country of origin, ethnicity, or accent;

Failing to hire an individual based on that individual’s country of origin, ethnicity, or accent;

Denying an employee a pay raise or promotion based on that individual’s country of origin, ethnicity, or accent; or

Providing an employee with negative performance reviews based on that individual’s country of origin, ethnicity, or accent.

State and federal law prohibit employers from retaliating against an employee who complains about national origin discrimination.  It is also illegal for an employer to discriminate against an employee because of that employee’s association with a person of a particular national origin.

A victim of national origin discrimination can be from any part of the world or appear to be of a certain ethnic background.  The harasser can be any other employee that you work with, including a co-worker or supervisor.  If you believe that you have been discriminated against based on your country of origin, ethnicity, or accent, it is important to complain internally to human resources or other individual(s) designated by your employer to handle employee complaints.  It is also important to document any and all events that you believe constitute national origin discrimination to best protect your rights.

There are certain time limitations for filing a complaint based on national origin discrimination.  Under state law, the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act, an individual must file a complaint no later than 180 days after the most recent occurrence of national origin discrimination.  Under federal law, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, an individual must file a complaint no later than 300 days after the most recent occurrence of national origin discrimination.  Therefore, it is imperative that you contact a knowledgeable employment attorney as soon as practicable.