Civil Rights & Disputes in Tennessee

Tennessee's Human Rights Commission investigates discrimination complaints. Complaints must be filed within 180 days of the discriminatory act. Tennessee covers employers with 8 or more employees. Tennessee does not have explicit statewide protections for sexual orientation or gender identity. Tennessee does not have a general anti-SLAPP statute, though courts have applied limited protections for opinion and commentary. The defamation statute of limitations in Tennessee is six months under Tenn. Code Ann. Section 28-3-104 — the shortest defamation window in the country. Tennessee courts apply the zone-of-danger test for negligent infliction of emotional distress, generally requiring the plaintiff to have been in the zone of physical danger.