Final Orders

A Final Order is the decision issued by the Commissioner of the Division of Human Rights about a complaint after a public hearing on the case. Final Orders issued after public hearings are public documents. A list of Final Orders is available below.

A public hearing is similar to a court trial. If your case goes to a public hearing, an Administrative Law Judge will conduct the hearing based on the allegations in your complaint, and both sides will be able to present evidence to support their positions. Learn more about public hearings and find a list of upcoming hearings on our Public Hearings page.

After a public hearing, the Administrative Law Judge will make a recommendation to the Commissioner of the Division of Human Rights about how the judge thinks the case should be resolved. All parties to a case will have an opportunity to review and comment on the judge’s recommendation before it is submitted to the Commissioner.

The Commissioner then reviews the allegations, the evidence, and the Recommended Order from the Administrative Law Judge. Based on this information, the Commissioner then issues a Final Order deciding the outcome of the case.

If the Commissioner’s ruling is in favor of the party who reported discrimination and filed the complaint, the Final Order will direct the Respondent to stop the discriminatory practice and provide remedies. These remedies could include reinstatement to a job; back pay with interest and benefits; changes in policies; attorney’s fees; compensation for emotional pain and suffering; civil fines and penalties; and a variety of other forms of compensation and remediation.

If the Commissioner’s ruling is in favor of the Respondent and against the party that reported discrimination and filed the complaint, then the complaint will be dismissed. Any Party may appeal a Commissioner’s Final Order to the New York State Supreme Court within 60 days of the Order being issued. The Commissioner’s Final Order will include information about how to appeal the decision.