FAQ > Civil Rights FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions

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Can you tell me what the Civil Rights Section of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office does?
The Civil Rights Section litigates discrimination cases on behalf of the Ohio Civil Rights Commission. The majority of the section's cases involve allegations of discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. 

When a discrimination complaint is issued by the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, will the Attorney General’s Office represent me?

The Attorney General’s Office represents the Ohio Civil Rights Commission. Thus, the attorney assigned to the Commission’s case cannot represent you. You have the right to retain your own legal counsel.

From a business's perspective, what should I do if someone files a charge against my company?
You may want to notify your human resources department or legal counsel for assistance. Most importantly, do not ignore the Commission’s requests for information. The Commission investigator’s role is to receive both sides of the story, so if the Respondent (in this example, the employer) does not provide information, then the Commission only has the charging party’s side of the story to rely on. Also, please be aware that Ohio’s laws against discrimination prohibit unlawful retaliation, so be careful not to retaliate against the individual who filed the charge, or individuals who participate in the Commission’s investigatory process.

Does the assigned Assistant Attorney General or the Ohio Attorney General’s Office represent me?
The Ohio Attorney General’s Office represents the Ohio Civil Rights Commission and cannot provide legal advice to individuals.  You do have the right to retain your own legal counsel.


I believe that I have been denied access to a higher educational institution, such as a university or college, because of my disability. What should I do?

If you feel that you have been denied access to a higher educational institution for discriminatory reasons, contact the Ohio Civil Rights Commission to file a higher education charge of discrimination. For more information, contact the Ohio Civil Rights Commission at 888-278-7101.

I believe that I have been denied credit at a bank because of my race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, marital status, or military status. What should I do?

If you feel that you have been denied credit for discriminatory reasons, contact the Ohio Civil Rights Commission to file a credit charge of discrimination. For more assistance, contact the Ohio Civil Rights Commission at 888-278-7101.

I believe that I have been denied service or access to a place of public accommodation – such as a restaurant, theater, or park – because of my race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, or disability. What should I do?

If you feel that you have been discriminated against in a place of public accommodation in Ohio, contact the Ohio Civil Rights Commission to file a public accommodations charge of discrimination. For more information, contact the Ohio Civil Rights Commission at 888-278-7101.

I believe that I have been denied the opportunity to buy or rent a home, evicted, or treated differently by my landlord because of my race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, ancestry, disability, or military status. What should I do?

If you feel that you are the victim of housing discrimination because of your familial status or any other protected class, e.g. race, color, sex, disability, etc. under Ohio law, contact the Ohio Civil Rights Commission to file a housing charge of discrimination. For more assistance, contact the Ohio Civil Rights Commission at 888-278-7101.

I believe that I have been fired, demoted, suspended, etc., because of my race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, or military status. What should I do?

If you feel that you have been discriminated against in violation of Ohio law, contact the Ohio Civil Rights Commission to file an employment charge of discrimination. For more information, contact the Ohio Civil Rights Commission at 888-278-7101.

I believe that I have been retaliated against because I have filed a previous charge of discrimination. What should I do?

If you feel that you have been retaliated against for filing a previous charge of discrimination, contact the Ohio Civil Rights Commission to file a retaliation charge of discrimination. For more information, contact the Ohio Civil Rights Commission at 888-278-7101.

I have filed a charge of discrimination with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission. What happens now?

The Ohio Civil Rights Commission has one year to investigate your case after your charge is filed. Often the Commission will first attempt to assist you in reaching an amicable resolution with the person or entity against which the charge has been filed. In cases that are not mediated, the Commission will decide whether to dismiss the charge or to continue the process with a finding of “probable cause.” A “probable cause” finding merely means the Commission will then attempt to resolve the case between the opposing parties.

If mediation is unsuccessful, the Commission will then issue a complaint and send the case to the Civil Rights Section of the Attorney General’s Office for resolution. An attorney will be assigned to represent the Ohio Civil Rights Commission in proceeding with the Commission’s matter.

I want to talk with a lawyer about violations of my civil rights. Who do I call?
You may want to contact a local bar association to assist you with finding an attorney. The Ohio Supreme Court maintains a list of attorney referral services (http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/AttySvcs/LawyerReferral/referral/LRIS.pdf) which may be helpful to find an attorney in your geographic location. The Attorney General's Civil Rights Section cannot provide individuals with legal advice nor recommend attorneys.

The Ohio Civil Rights Commission issued a discrimination complaint after it investigated a charge of discrimination. What happens now?

After a “probable cause” finding has been made by the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, and if its attempt to mediate the case has been unsuccessful, the Commission then issues a complaint. That legal complaint triggers the case file to be sent to the Civil Rights Section of the Attorney General’s Office for resolution.

After the case is assigned, the Assistant Attorney General handling the case will attempt to contact the parties involved. The Civil Rights Section of the Attorney General’s Office can be reached at 614-466-7900.

What employers are subject to Ohio’s laws against discrimination?
The state of Ohio, any political subdivision of the state, any person employing four or more people within Ohio and any person acting directly or indirectly in the interest of the aforementioned employer are subject to these laws.


What happens after I file a charge of discrimination with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission?
After filing a charge, the Ohio Civil Rights Commission provides the charging party and the respondent with an opportunity to mediate the alleged conflict.  If the parties elect not to mediate – or are unable to reach a resolution – the Commission assigns an investigator to gather information from each side, interview witnesses, and evaluate the allegations in the charge.  At the conclusion of the investigation, the Commission will notify the parties of its finding, usually either “no probable cause” or “probable cause.” 


What happens after the Ohio Civil Rights Commission finds “probable cause” of discrimination?
If the Ohio Civil Rights Commission finds “probable cause,” it will attempt to conciliate, meaning that it will attempt to eliminate the unlawful discriminatory practice.  If the Commission is unable to conciliate the matter, it issues a Complaint and sends the case to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, where it is assigned to an Assistant Attorney General.  Both parties then receive a letter identifying the attorney who has been assigned to represent the Ohio Civil Rights Commission in the proceeding.

What is covered by Ohio’s Laws against Discrimination?
The Ohio Civil Rights Commission has jurisdiction to investigate allegations of unlawful discrimination in employment, places of public accommodations, housing, credit and institutions of higher education. Unlawful discrimination under the Ohio Revised Code includes discrimination based on certain “protected classes.” Protected classes may include factors such as race, color, national origin, religion, disability, age, familial status and military status.


What is the difference between the Civil Rights Section of Ohio Attorney General’s Office and the Ohio Civil Rights Commission?
The OCRC investigates charges of discrimination and makes a determination whether to forward a case to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office for prosecution of alleged discrimination.  The Civil Rights Section of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, represents the OCRC, and litigates cases on its behalf.


What should I do if I think I’m the victim of unlawful discrimination?
You may want to file a charge of discrimination with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission. A charge of discrimination is a document that outlines the discriminatory act you are alleging. The Ohio Civil Rights Commission has several regional offices across the state. For more information, contact the Ohio Civil Rights Commission at 888-278-7101. Please note that in all cases except for housing discrimination, Ohio Revised Code 4112.05(B)(1) requires that a charge be filed within six months after the alleged unlawful discriminatory practice was committed. If you are alleging housing discrimination, then the charge must be filed within one year after the alleged unlawful discriminatory practice was committed.

Where can I find Ohio’s laws against discrimination?

The Ohio laws and administrative rules against discrimination can be found in Ohio Revised Code Section 4112 and Ohio Administrative Code Section 4112, respectively.