The new Civil Rights Enforcement Division (CRED) within Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti’s Office is officially open and accepting discrimination complaints under the Tennessee Human Rights Act and the Tennessee Disability Act.
During the recent legislative session of the Tennessee General Assembly, lawmakers passed a measure reassigning the responsibility of handling key complaints from the Tennessee Human Rights Commission to the Tennessee Attorney General.
The bill, filed as HB 0910, was sponsored by State Representative Johnny Garrett (R-Goodlettsville).
As of Tuesday, the Human Rights Commission has been dissolved and its duties have been transferred to Skrmetti’s office.
The new Civil Rights Enforcement Division marks a fresh start for antidiscrimination enforcement in Tennessee. Our office takes this new responsibility seriously and aims to enforce our laws with excellence, integrity, and efficiency. I started my career as a civil rights… pic.twitter.com/tkCdRQkuof
— TN Attorney General (@AGTennessee) July 1, 2025
CRED, according to Skrmetti’s office, will “serve as a specialized unit committed to combating illegal discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and education in Tennessee.”
In April, Skrmetti suggested during an episode of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show that the effort at the time to transfer a majority of responsibilities from the Human Rights Commission to his office was aimed at improving Tennessee’s efficiency in handling civil rights complaints.
Skrmetti, who spent nearly a decade as a civil rights attorney for the Department of Justice, shared similar remarks on Tuesday to mark the official launch of CRED.
“The new Civil Rights Enforcement Division marks a fresh start for antidiscrimination enforcement in Tennessee,” Skrmetti said.
“Our office takes this new responsibility seriously and aims to enforce our laws with excellence, integrity and efficiency. I started my career as a civil rights prosecutor and am honored that the General Assembly and Governor Lee have trusted this office to protect civil rights and deliver real results for Tennesseans,” he added.
Tennesseans seeking to file complaints related to discrimination in housing, employment, public accommodations, and education can do so through CRED’s website at www.tn.gov/attorneygeneral/cred/.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti” by Tennessee Attorney General.
