Employment Discrimination Lawyers for San Antonio Workers
Discrimination at work — because of your race, national origin, age, disability, religion, or sexual orientation — is illegal. And Texas may give you as little as 180 days to act. How deadlines work ↓
Protected at work
$23.5M
Settlement · 150 women · sexual harassment
$15M
Jury verdict · Hender v. Nike · gender pay discrimination · 2026
Prior results don't guarantee a similar outcome.
Reviewed by Craig J. Ackermann, admitted in Texas · Bar No. 24001620
Workplace discrimination in San Antonio — by national origin, race, disability, age, or religion — is illegal under Texas Labor Code Chapter 21 (employers with 15+) and federal law. Texas gives just 180 days to file with the Texas Workforce Commission; federal claims get 300 with the EEOC. Civilian military contractors follow this track; uniformed service members don't.
What discrimination actually looks like — and what the law calls it.
Discrimination is rarely a single dramatic act. It's the pattern — the 'jokes,' the passed-over promotion, the accommodation that never comes, the sudden performance problem after you spoke up. The legal test is whether a protected trait drove how you were treated.
The 'nicknames' are slurs. Everyone laughs, so I'm supposed to laugh too.
The law calls it → racial or national-origin harassment
- Since I started wearing a hijab, I'm suddenly 'not a culture fit' for client meetings. The law calls it → religious discrimination
- They call me 'grandpa' in standups and gave the project I built to someone half my age. The law calls it → age-based harassment and discrimination (40+)
- I asked for a simple schedule change for my disability. Months later, still nothing — and now I'm 'unreliable.' The law calls it → failure to accommodate a disability
- I reported the slurs to HR. Two weeks later my performance was suddenly a problem. The law calls it → retaliation — illegal even if the original complaint isn't proven, as long as it was made in good faith
- We're told 'English only, even on breaks' — but only the Spanish speakers get written up. The law calls it → national-origin discrimination (language rules)
These cover race and national origin, disability (and accommodations), age (40 and over), religion (and accommodations), sex and pregnancy, sexual orientation and gender identity — in any industry. If something here is familiar, you don't have to be sure before you ask.
Illustrative situations — not client accounts.
What happens after you reach out?
You don't need documents, a lawyer-ready story, or even certainty that what happened was illegal. Here's the whole process — and what we handle for you at each step.
- A free, confidential consultation. Usually 15 minutes. You tell us what happened; we tell you honestly whether you may have a case and which deadlines apply to you. If we're not the right fit, we say so.
- We build the record. We help you preserve what matters — texts, emails, schedules, reviews, witness names — and identify your available claims under Texas and federal law.
- We handle the filings. Agency complaints have strict formats and unforgiving deadlines. We draft and file with the right agency — state, federal, or both — so nothing lapses while you keep living your life.
- We negotiate from strength. Most matters resolve without a trial — through demand letters and negotiated settlements covering lost pay, emotional distress, and — where negotiable — terms addressing references and future employment.
- If they won't make it right, we litigate. We've taken cases to trial when employers won't make it right. Ask us how fees and case costs work before you decide anything.
How long do you have to file a workplace discrimination claim in San Antonio?
The controlling clock is 180 days — to file with the twc — general discrimination. Every route has its own deadline, and they start from different events:
Texas workplace discrimination filing deadlines · last reviewed 2026-06-10
- To file with the TWC — general discrimination 180 days
180 days for general discrimination/harassment (Sec. 21.202(a)); 300 days for SEXUAL HARASSMENT (Sec. 21.202(a-1), added by HB 21, eff. Sept. 1, 2021). Untimely complaints SHALL be dismissed (Sec. 21.202(b)).
Tex. Lab. Code Ann. ch. 21 - To file with the federal EEOC 300 days
300 days for Title VII claims (Texas is a deferral state — TWC Civil Rights Division is the state FEPA)
eeoc.gov - To sue after the state clears you 60 days
60 days from right-to-sue notice (Sec. 21.254); TWC must notify complainant if unresolved at 180 days (Sec. 21.208)
Tex. Lab. Code Ann. ch. 21
| Route | Deadline | The fine print | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| To file with the TWC — general discrimination | 180 days | 180 days for general discrimination/harassment (Sec. 21.202(a)); 300 days for SEXUAL HARASSMENT (Sec. 21.202(a-1), added by HB 21, eff. Sept. 1, 2021). Untimely complaints SHALL be dismissed (Sec. 21.202(b)). | Tex. Lab. Code Ann. ch. 21 |
| To file with the federal EEOC | 300 days | 300 days for Title VII claims (Texas is a deferral state — TWC Civil Rights Division is the state FEPA) | eeoc.gov |
| To sue after the state clears you | 60 days | 60 days from right-to-sue notice (Sec. 21.254); TWC must notify complainant if unresolved at 180 days (Sec. 21.208) | Tex. Lab. Code Ann. ch. 21 |
Texas Labor Code Chapter 21, "Employment Discrimination" (commonly known as the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act / TCHRA)
Tex. Lab. Code Ann. ch. 21
Covers workplace discrimination claims at employers with 15 or more employees (race, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, religion).
Full Texas workplace discrimination law: deadlines, damages & agencies →What mistakes end San Antonio cases before they start?
- The Texas 180-day TWC discrimination window is mandatory — the TWC must dismiss untimely charges.
- Civilian DoD workers at JBSA have 45 DAYS to contact an EEO counselor — the shortest, most-missed clock on this page.
- The TWC's 300-day state window is sexual-harassment-only; race, national-origin, and disability charges get 180 days at the TWC but 300 days at the federal EEOC.
- Agency first, court second — Texas allows no shortcut around the TWC.
Where do workplace discrimination claims arise in San Antonio?
The law protects workers across industries — and these are real, public enforcement actions in and around San Antonio, not hypotheticals. San Antonio's signature industries — hospitality, defense contracting, healthcare, and call centers — each carry recognized EEOC harassment risk factors.
- National origin / language EEOC v. DH San Antonio Management (La Cantera Resort & Spa) (W.D. Tex., San Antonio Division): $2,625,000 consent decree (2019) over allegations the resort harshly enforced a no-Spanish policy against Hispanic banquet staff, subjected them to national-origin abuse, and retaliated against workers who opposed the language rule. source ↗
These are government enforcement actions by the EEOC — not this firm's cases. They show how the law is enforced locally; results vary with the facts.
Where do you file a workplace discrimination claim in San Antonio?
State · TWC CRDTexas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division
Federal · EEOCEEOC San Antonio Field Office
San Antonio, TX 78229
1-800-669-4000
8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday EEOC Public Portal →
CourtBexar County Civil District Courts
100 Dolorosa
San Antonio, TX 78205
(210) 335-2300
The filing path, step by step
- Document the pattern — comments, schedules, who was promoted or kept. Texas deadlines are mandatory.
- File with the TWC Civil Rights Division via EDISS within 180 days, or the EEOC San Antonio Field Office (5410 Fredericksburg Rd) within 300.
- Civilian federal (DoD) employees at JBSA: contact your agency EEO counselor within 45 days — a separate track.
- After a right-to-sue notice: 60 days — state claims at the Bexar County Courthouse, federal in the Western District of Texas.
Real verdicts and recoveries in workplace harassment and discrimination cases.
$15 million
1 plaintiff · Gender pay & promotion discrimination — jury verdict (punitive damages under federal + Oregon law)
Athletic apparel · 2026
$1.3 million
19 Black construction workers · Racial harassment (hostile work environment)
Construction · 2021
$1 million
27 Black construction workers · Racial harassment (hostile work environment)
Construction · 2020
$725,000
14 individuals · Racial harassment (14 individual arbitrations)
Manufacturing (paint) · 2025
Dozens of additional sexual harassment matters resolved in the $100,000–$400,000 range.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
The attorney behind this page.
You'll talk to real people at our firm — not a call center. This page is reviewed by an attorney licensed in Texas.
Craig J. Ackermann
TEXAS BAR NO. 24001620
Craig Ackermann focuses on sexual and racial harassment cases, with more than two decades of employment law and class action experience.
Full bio →Our firm represents employees in San Antonio through attorneys licensed in Texas. We maintain physical offices in Beverly Hills, California and Tacoma, Washington. We do not maintain a physical office in San Antonio unless expressly stated. Consultations may be available by phone, video, or by arrangement. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Also from our San Antonio team
Facing sexual harassment instead — or both? San Antonio sexual harassment guide →
Asked by San Antonio workers.
My San Antonio employer enforces 'English-only' and lets coworkers mock my accent — is that legal?
It may be national-origin discrimination. Ridiculing an accent, ethnic slurs, or blanket English-only rules not justified by business necessity violate Chapter 21 (employers with 15+) and Title VII. File with the Texas Workforce Commission within 180 days. In a majority-Hispanic workforce these issues are common and very much actionable.
I returned from military-related treatment and my San Antonio employer won't accommodate my disability — what can I do?
Chapter 21 and the ADA require employers with 15 or more employees to reasonably accommodate disabilities — modified schedules, leave, adjusted duties. (Veterans also have separate USERRA protections.) File the state charge with the Texas Workforce Commission within 180 days; the federal claim goes to the EEOC.
At 55 I was laid off from a San Antonio call center while younger reps stayed — age discrimination?
Possibly. The ADEA and Chapter 21 protect workers 40 and older (the ADEA needs 20+ employees; Chapter 21 reaches employers with 15+). Metrics-driven layoffs that fall heaviest on older workers, or 'overqualified' comments, can support a claim. The Texas Workforce Commission deadline is 180 days — gather performance records and the ages of who stayed.
Can my San Antonio employer schedule me on my Sabbath after I asked for an accommodation?
Generally not, if accommodation is possible without real hardship. Title VII and Chapter 21 require accommodating sincerely held religious practices — Sabbath, prayer breaks, dress, grooming — and bar religious harassment. State charges go to the Texas Workforce Commission within 180 days; a lawyer can also file with the EEOC.
Talk to a team that has stood up for workers for decades.
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