Federal and state law prohibit Virginia employers from discriminating against employees based on certain characteristics, such as race or religion. A Virginia employee alleging discrimination under the VA HRA must file a complaint with the Division of Human Rights(DHR) before filing in court.Discrimination is when someone is denied equal rights due to a protected trait. Learn about the Equal Pay Act, Brown v. Employers generally can't discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, age (40 and older), national origin, or disability. A charge of discrimination is a signed statement asserting that an organization engaged in employment discrimination.