Our role under the law is to gather facts about the situation and then determine whether there is cause to believe that discrimination occurred. The Commission will ask for a written response to the charge. A Commission Investigator will investigate the complaint by gathering more evidence, interviewing witnesses, or conducting site visits. It can take some time to complete a thorough investigation. Whenever appropriate, the Commission will meet with both sides to explore mediating and settling the case.
Settlement is often a quicker and more satisfactory way to resolve the complaint.
Upon completion of the investigation, the Commission will issue a finding. If the Commission finds that there is reasonable cause to believe discrimination occurred, we will seek conciliation of the complaint. Appropriate remedies in the conciliation process may include back pay, reinstatement, rent refunds, or training to eliminate the unfair practice. If conciliation fails, the complaint may be turned over to the Attorney General's office for hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. The Commissioners may grant reconsideration if the party can show that there was a misapplication of the law, or that relevant information provided during the investigation was not considered in the finding.