All Title VII claims must first begin with a Charge of Discrimination filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Title VII prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin.Note set out under section 2000a of this title and Tables. State employees alleging discrimination must first file a discrimination complaint with their agency for review and potential investigation. A Virginia employee alleging discrimination under the VA HRA must file a complaint with the Division of Human Rights(DHR) before filing in court. The VHRA prohibits retaliation against employees who have engaged in protected activities such as reporting discrimination or harassment. Keep in mind, Title VII also makes it illegal to discriminate based on sex in the payment of wages and benefits. As you know, Congress did not charge the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights with the duty to study denials of equal protection of the law based on sex until. 1972. Like Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Virginia Values Act generally covers employers with 15 or more employees. Va. Code § 24.2-125 et seq.