When the Virginia General Assembly passed the Values Act, which expanded the scope of the Virginia Human Rights Act to prohibit discrimination in employment and housing on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, it fundamentally changed the legal rights and remedies available to employees who sue their employers. Not only does it expand protected classifications under Virginia’s Human Rights Act, but it also subjects most Virginia employers to vastly expanded damage awards, including punitive damages and uncapped attorneys’ fees. The Values Act represents a seismic shift away from federal employment discrimination cases toward state courts. Join Shenandoah University Business Law Professor John Winn as he reviews the 2020 Virginia Values Act and shares best practices for employers to avoid discrimination claims of all types.

Speaker: John Winn, J.D., LLM, Professor of Business Law, Shenandoah University School of Business, is the recipient of numerous teaching awards including Shenandoah University’s Teacher of the Year.  Dr. Winn also publishes extensively in the fields of human resources management (HRM), health care compliance, and academic law.