Code of Virginia: Employment Discrimination Prohibited (§ 15.2-1500.1)

As implemented under The Virginia Values Act, Virginia law prohibits local government entities, including departments, agencies, and boards, from engaging in employment discrimination on a broad range of protected grounds. These grounds include race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy and related factors, such as age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and military status. The statute defines key terms, for example, “age,” which applies to individuals 40 or older, “military status,” which encompasses service members, veterans, and certain dependents, and “religion,” which expressly includes outward expressions of faith such as dress, grooming, and the display of symbols. The law does permit exceptions where sex or age is a bona fide occupational qualification, and it allows local governments to extend employment preference to veterans.