Human Rights Commissions

The New York State Human Rights Law covers all New Yorkers across the state and is enforced by the New York State Division of Human Rights. In addition to the State Human Rights Law, several counties, cities, and towns have their own laws prohibiting discrimination as well as local human rights commissions responsible for promoting those laws. Who to File a Complaint With? The laws enforced by these local commissions may be different than the State Human Rights Law and vary on a case by case basis. There may be different deadlines for filing a complaint, different standards for determining whether you are protected by these laws, and different types of relief available to victims of discrimination. Often, an individual can only file a claim of discrimination once and can be precluded from proceeding with more than one agency. Please contact the Division at 1-888-392-3644 or [email protected] or one of the commissions below to discuss.