Terms Used In Tennessee Code 20-14-102

  • Credible threat of violence: means a knowing and willful statement or course of conduct that would cause a reasonable person to believe that the person is under threat of death or serious bodily injury and that is intended to, and that actually causes, a person to believe that the person is under threat of death or serious bodily injury. See Tennessee Code 20-14-101
  • Employer: means any person or entity that employs one (1) or more employees and shall include the state and its political subdivisions and instrumentalities. See Tennessee Code 20-14-101
  • Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Temporary restraining order: Prohibits a person from an action that is likely to cause irreparable harm. This differs from an injunction in that it may be granted immediately, without notice to the opposing party, and without a hearing. It is intended to last only until a hearing can be held.
  • United States: includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Unlawful violence: means assault, aggravated assault, stalking, intimidation, or extortion as prohibited by §. See Tennessee Code 20-14-101

Any employer or employee who has suffered unlawful violence or a credible threat of violence from any individual, or an organization that the individual is affiliated with, which can reasonably be construed to have been carried out at the workplace, may seek a temporary restraining order and an injunction prohibiting further unlawful violence or threats of violence by that individual, or the organization that individual is affiliated with, at the workplace. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as authorizing a court to issue a temporary restraining order or injunction prohibiting speech or other activities that are protected by the constitutions of this state or the United States.