Equal Opportunity is the law, and discrimination is prohibited by the following:

  • Title VI and VII Civil Right Acts of 1964, as amended

The most prominent source of anti-bias employment rules is Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended. This statute forbids discrimination in all areas of the employer-employee relationship, from advertisement for new employees through termination or retirement, on the basis of race, color, sex (including pregnancy, and sexual harassment), religion, and national origin.

  • Equal Pay Act of 1963

The Equal Pay Act of 1963, as amended, prohibits sex discrimination in payment of wages to women and men performing substantially equal work in the same establishment.

  • Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended, protects applicants and employees 40 years of age or older from discrimination on the basis of age in hiring, promotion, discharge, compensation, terms, conditions or privileges of employment.

  • Age Discrimination Act of 1975

The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 prohibits discrimination based on age in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance.

  • Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs or activities which receive Federal assistance.

  • Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Act of 1974

38 U.S.C. 4212 of the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 prohibits job discrimination and requires affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified Vietnam era veterans and qualified special disabled veterans.

  • Executive Order 11246, as amended

The Executive Order 11246, as amended, prohibits job discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin and requires affirmative action to ensure equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment.

  • Rehabilitation Act of 1973, including Section 503 and 504

Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, prohibits job discrimination because of disabilities and requires affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities who, with reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of a job.

  • Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, as amended

Public Law 99-603 (Act of 11/6/86), which was passed in order to control and deter illegal immigration to the United States. Its major provisions stipulate legalization of undocumented aliens who had been continuously unlawfully present since 1982, legalization of certain agricultural workers, sanctions for employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers, and increased enforcement at U.S. borders.

  • Texas Labor Code, Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of the Texas Labor Code provides for the execution of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as well as their subsequent amendments for persons of this state.

  • Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA, 38 U.S.C. §§ 4301 – 4335)

USERRA is a federal law intended to ensure that persons who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, Reserves, National Guard or other uniformed services are not disadvantaged in their civilian careers because of their service, are promptly reemployed in their civilian jobs upon their return from duty, and are not discriminated against in employment based on past, present, or future military service.

  • Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990/Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended protects qualified applicants and employees with disabilities from discrimination in hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, job training, fringe benefits, classification, referral, and other aspects of employment on the basis of disability. The law also requires that covered entities provide qualified applicants and employees with disabilities with reasonable accommodations that do not impose undue hardship.

Any individual who feels he or she has been discriminated against any of the acts above should contact the Department of Human Resources at (713) 313-7521. All inquiries are confidential, to the extent permitted by law, and no person should fear retaliation.  Retaliation against a person who files a charge of discrimination, participates in an investigation, or opposes an unlawful employment practice is prohibited by all of these Federal laws as well as University policy.

For more information about the ADAAA, please see the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission enforcement guidance.