What Are My Rights After a Wrongful Termination Involving Racial Discrimination in Texas?
Start a free AI-assisted chat and connect with an experienced Texas attorney, with no obligation.
Reviewed & verified by A. Jason Velez, Esq.*
Managing Attorney, 1LAW · Last reviewed January 1, 2026
Legal Inquiry
Consumer Legal Issue
I believe I was wrongfully terminated and experienced racial discrimination at work.
Attorney Answer
Texas is generally an at-will employment state, meaning an employer can usually fire someone for almost any reason or no reason at all, but race is not a legal reason. If your termination was motivated by race, that is illegal under both federal and Texas law, and there is a real, but short, deadline to act.
Federal law, through Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibits employers with 15 or more employees from firing someone because of race. Texas has its own version of this protection under the Texas Labor Code, Chapter 21, the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act, enforced by the Texas Workforce Commission's Civil Rights Division. Both laws require you to file an administrative charge before you can sue in court, and both are aimed at the same core question: was race a motivating factor in the decision to fire you.
Evidence matters a great deal in these cases. Useful things to gather include your personnel file, performance reviews, any written termination notice or explanation, emails or texts related to your job performance or the firing, and information about how coworkers outside your race were treated in similar situations, since comparisons like that are often central to proving discrimination.
Because these charges have a real deadline that starts running from the date of termination, this is not something to sit on while you decide what to do.
What to do next
1. Write down a timeline of events, including performance reviews, warnings, and the termination itself, while your memory is fresh. 2. Gather any documents you already have, such as emails, texts, and your termination paperwork. 3. File a charge with the Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as soon as possible. In Texas, this generally must happen within 180 days of the termination to preserve your state law claim, though the EEOC deadline can extend to 300 days. 4. Consult an employment attorney now, ideally before filing, since they can help make sure your charge is filed correctly and on time.
This is general legal information, not legal advice about your specific termination. A Texas employment attorney can review the facts of your case and help you meet the filing deadlines that apply.
*Attorney review is supported by AI-assisted drafting and legal research algorithms. Use of this Chat does not create an attorney-client relationship.
By using this service you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.
Courts & Legal Aid in Texas
- File or look up a case through the Texas Judicial Branch, which serves Texas and the surrounding area.
- Get free civil legal help from TexasLawHelp.
- Use the LSC — Find Legal Aid to find a local legal-aid office by ZIP code.
- Use the LawHelp.org to browse free legal information and self-help resources.
- Use the ABA Lawyer Referral Directory to get matched with a local attorney through your state bar.
- Visit EEOC — File a Charge to report workplace discrimination or harassment.
- Visit U.S. Department of Labor — Wages to learn about unpaid wages and worker protections.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a discrimination claim after being fired in Texas?
Generally 180 days from the date of termination to file a charge with the Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division. If you go through the EEOC instead, the deadline can extend to 300 days because of Texas's work-sharing agreement with that agency.
Do I need to file with an agency before I can sue my employer?
Yes, both Texas and federal discrimination law require you to file an administrative charge and typically get a right-to-sue notice before filing a lawsuit. An attorney can help you navigate this required first step.
What evidence helps prove racial discrimination in a termination case?
Documents like performance reviews, the stated reason for termination, and communications about your work are helpful, but so is information about how similarly situated coworkers of a different race were treated. Comparisons like that are often central to these cases.
