Our Mission
The New York State Division of Human Rights is a state government agency that protects your human rights by investigating discrimination, holding violators of the law accountable, and helping those whose rights have been violated. Our work and mission are to eliminate discrimination, hate, and bias; remedy injustice; and promote equal opportunity, access, and dignity for all New Yorkers.
What We Do
We are responsible for handling all claims of discrimination reported to the Division by New Yorkers.
Our work includes investigating, prosecuting and making a formal decision about whether discrimination cases filed with us violate the New York State Human Rights Law or not. When we find discrimination, we can order those who broke the law to provide financial compensation, make changes to policies, reverse discriminatory decisions, and more. The Division also provides support and resources outside of the formal complaint process for individuals and communities impacted by hate and bias.
Additionally, our work:
- Educates individuals, businesses, and others across the state about their rights and obligations under the New York State Human Rights Law;
- Builds community-centered approaches to preventing and responding to discrimination, hate, and bias; and
- Proposes new policy measures to enhance the Human Rights Law’s protections, keep New Yorkers safe, and advance equal opportunity for everyone.
Learn more about the Division's teams by clicking The Division's Units and Their Work button below.
Learn more about the Division's Executive Team and leadership by clicking the Meet the Executive Team button below.
Agency History
The New York State Division of Human Rights is the agency charged with enforcing the New York State Human Rights Law—the oldest and one of the most comprehensive civil rights laws anywhere in the country.
The Division’s story began in 1945, when Governor Thomas E. Dewey signed the Ives-Quinn Anti-Discrimination Act, which prohibited discrimination in employment based on race, creed, color, and national origin. This landmark law laid the groundwork for future civil rights protections across the country, reflecting New York State’s decades of leadership in the fight for equality.
In its earliest years, the agency responsible for enforcing our anti-discrimination law was known as the State Commission Against Discrimination. In 1968, the agency’s name was changed to the New York State Division of Human Rights, and the Ives-Quinn Anti-Discrimination Law was renamed the New York State Human Rights Law.
As discrimination has evolved over the decades, so has the Division and the law we enforce. The Human Rights Law has been significantly expanded, and the Division’s mandate has grown to provide protections not only in employment but also housing, public accommodations, educational institutions, and credit. New protected classes have also been added, including age, disability, sex, military status, gender identity or expression, and much more.
Today, the Division of Human Rights continues to investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate thousands of complaints of discrimination across the state every year. The agency also engages in outreach and education initiatives to promote knowledge of the Human Rights Law and combat hate, bias, and discrimination in communities throughout New York. The mission is clear: to ensure that every New Yorker can live, work, and thrive in our great state.
Contact Us
For more information on how to contact the agency, visit our Contact Us page.