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Page last updated on October 29, 2024 at 9:53 am

What is the BMCHRC?

The BMCHRC is made up of seven volunteer commissioners who investigate allegations of discrimination and civil rights violations and oversee the work of the Commission. The City of Bloomington supports the Commission with a director, an administrative assistant, and an assistant city attorney.

Commissioners serve two-year terms. Three commissioners are appointed by the Mayor, two by the City Council, and two by the Monroe County Commission.

Bloomington’s Human Rights Commission has existed since the 1970s and has conducted over 700 formal investigations.

To contact the Commission, call 812-349-3478 or email human.rights@bloomington.in.gov.

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Enforcement of the Bloomington/Monroe County Human Rights Ordinance

The BMCHRC enforces the Bloomington/Monroe County Human Rights Ordinance, which prohibits discrimination in our community. Discrimination is the unjust, unfair, or prejudicial treatment of someone based on their membership in a protected class.

If an employer, landlord, business owner, educational authority, or other organization provides you with less favorable treatment based upon your race, religion, color, sex, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, housing status, or veteran status, you have the right under Bloomington’s Code of Ordinances to seek assistance from the BMCHRC.

The alleged discrimination must have taken place within Bloomington’s city limits or within unincorporated areas of Monroe County. This excludes incidents occurring in Ellettsville or Stinesville. The BMCHRC is also unable to investigate allegations of discrimination against Indiana University, the City of Bloomington Government, or Monroe County Government (including law enforcement). These areas are served by the Indiana Civil Rights Commission (ICRC). The ICRC has statewide jurisdiction and may investigate a complaint in any part of the state of Indiana.

For more information on what discrimination is and what steps you can take, see “What is Discrimination?” or the FAQ below.

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Commission Outreach

The BMCHRC works to educate the public about civil rights laws and to promote human rights efforts in the Bloomington community. The Commission

  • Publishes a monthly newsletter, Rights Stuff, to share curated stories about local, state, and national civil rights issues. Past issues are available in PDF format.
  • Provides informational brochures on discrimination, service animals, closed captions, fair housing, and more.
  • Maintains a Facebook page to share human rights and community news.
  • Tables at local information fairs and events.
  • Publicizes data on discrimination complaints and hate crimes, available in quarterly and annual reports.
  • Recognizes an annual Human Rights Award winner. The 2024 winners were Byron Bangert (individual) and Building a Thriving Compassionate Community (organization). Candidates can be nominated via the nomination form.
  • Sponsors an annual art/essay contest for Monroe County students. The 2024 contest prompt was “What is the most important human right to you, and why?”
  • Speaks to groups about fair housing, fair employment, and relevant laws. Contact us to arrange a presentation, training, or conversation, free of charge.

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Advocacy

The BMCHRC encourages change in policy and law and has cosponsored events with the U.S. Department of Justice (United against Hate Forum), Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration Commission, and the Council for Community Accessibility.

Since July 2023, the Commission has

  • Worked with advocates from the deaf community to pass a citywide ordinance requiring local businesses to provide closed captioning on their televisions.
  • Spoken at City Council to denounce hate speech.
  • Worked with advocates from the transgender community to help pass a city resolution making Bloomington a safe haven for gender-affirming care.

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FAQ

How do I file a complaint of discrimination?

To file a complaint of discrimination within Bloomington or an unincorporated area of Monroe County, submit an online initial intake form. Alternatively, contact a staff member at human.rights@bloomington.in.gov or (812) 349-3478.

For the BMCHRC to investigate, you must file your complaint within 180 days of the alleged discrimination. Reporting the incident as soon as possible and providing documentation relating to your experience can help the investigation proceed more smoothly.

 

What kind of illegal discrimination is covered?

The BMCHRC can investigate allegations of discrimination in

  1. Employment: Working for a business or individual for wages or salary.
  2. Housing: Renting, attempting to rent, or attempting to purchase a dwelling; or attempting to add accessibility modifications to a dwelling to accommodate a disability.
  3. Public Accommodations: Visiting or patronizing any establishment that offers its goods or services to the public (such as a restaurant, store, hotel, or other business).
  4. Education: Attempting to access an equal educational opportunity.

If an employer, landlord, real estate agent, business owner, or educational authority treats you less favorably because of your race, religion, color, sex, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, housing status, or veteran status, this may constitute illegal discrimination.

Please contact us or complete an initial intake form if you are unsure whether your concern represents illegal discrimination. We can assist you in locating relevant resources.

 

What is not illegal discrimination under the ordinance?

The ordinance applies only to actions by businesses, organizations, or people working in their professional capacities. It does not apply to hateful or insulting behavior by individuals. Typically, abusive treatment by a neighbor, friend, family member, or stranger cannot be investigated as discrimination. However, this may be a crime and can be reported to the Bloomington Police Department or the Monroe County Sheriff. You can also report a hate incident.

The BMCHRC is also unable to investigate discrimination based on a characteristic not covered in our ordinance. For example, the ordinance does not prohibit landlords from refusing to rent to students or smokers.

Lastly, discrimination often relies on one person being treated differently and less favorably because of membership in a protected class. A manager who treats all their employees badly, regardless of background, is likely not discriminating against a specific group.

Please contact us or complete an initial intake form if you are unsure whether your concern represents illegal discrimination. We can assist you in locating relevant resources.

 

What happens if I file a discrimination complaint?

  1. Intake Interview: A representative of the BMCHRC will speak to you about your situation and set up a time for a formal interview. During that interview, the director will ask you questions and establish the details of the incident.
  2. Affidavit: If the director determines that your situation should proceed to a formal case, BMCHRC staff will assist you in creating a written statement, or affidavit. When you have reviewed the document and agree that it is accurate, you will sign it.
  3. Investigating Commissioner: At this point, an investigating commissioner will be assigned to your case. They will review the affidavit and interview you to understand your side of the story.
  4. Respondent’s Position Statement: The BMCHRC will contact the organization accused of discrimination and provide them with your affidavit. They have 20 days to respond to the points you raise. They will respond with a legal document providing their side of the story, or they may offer to settle the matter before investigation. In this case, BMCHRC will help negotiate a fair settlement.
  5. Investigation: The investigating commissioner and staff will review the respondent’s documents and interview them. They will also interview any witnesses and ask you to clarify your statement in places where it differs from the respondent’s statement.
  6. Determination: After conducting a thorough investigation, the investigating commissioner will issue a finding. They will determine either “probable cause” (evidence of discrimination) or “no probable cause” (insufficient evidence of discrimination).

 

What happens once the BMCHRC has issued a finding?

If the BMCHRC finds probable cause of discrimination, they will negotiate a settlement with the respondent. This may include a monetary settlement or remedies specific to your situation, such as a neutral reference from a past employer or fair housing training for staff of a leasing office.

If a settlement cannot be negotiated, the case may, very rarely, go further to an administrative hearing or a court case.

If the BMCHRC finds no probable cause of discrimination, you have the right to request an appeal.

 

Is it free? Do I need a lawyer?

It is completely free to file a complaint with the BMCHRC.

You are welcome to hire an attorney if you wish, but you are not required to. An assistant city attorney will provide legal guidance to the commission during the investigation but will not represent you directly.

 

Do I need to be a United States citizen? Do I need to speak English?

You do not need to be a United States citizen to file a complaint. Filing a complaint with the BMCHRC will not affect your immigration status.

BMCHRC staff only speak English, and final documents filed with the Commission will be in English. However, we can offer free interpretation throughout the process, including translated versions of documents.

 

¿Necesito ser ciudadano de los Estados Unidos? ¿Necesito hablar inglés?

No necesita ser ciudadano de los Estados Unidos para presentar una queja. Presentar una queja ante el BMCHRC no afectará su estado migratorio.

El personal de BMCHRC solo habla inglés, y los documentos finales presentados ante la Comisión estarán en inglés. Sin embargo, podemos ofrecer una interpretación gratuita a lo largo del proceso, incluidas las versiones traducidas de documentos.

Para obtener más información en español, ver “¿Qué es la discriminación?”.

 

How long will the process take?

The process will likely take several months or longer, as respondents often request extensions on preparing documents and interviews can be difficult to coordinate. The BMCHRC staff will respond to your initial complaint quickly and will remain available to you throughout the process.

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Hate Crimes and Bias Incidents

The Bloomington/Monroe County Human Rights Ordinance defines a hate crime as including "verbal or physical abuse directed at individuals or groups because of their religion, race, color, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, housing status or status as a veteran."

If you feel you have been a victim of a hate crime or a bias incident, we urge you to call the police at 911.

The BMCHRC collects hate incident reports and publishes anonymous data to give the community a better understanding of the prevalence of these incidents. The Commission does not investigate hate incidents but can make appropriate referrals. You can report an incident via our hate incident form either anonymously or with your contact information, or you can contact the BMCHRC via phone or email. Current and past reports can be found in the Reports.

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Fair Housing and Fair Employment

Local, state and federal laws prohibit discrimination in housing and employment on the basis of sex, race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or housing status, and additionally prohibit housing discrimination on the basis of familial status.

Contact the BMCHRC via phone or email to learn more or to file a complaint of discrimination. For more information, see “What is Discrimination?”.

The City of Bloomington protects your right to rent an apartment or house that complies with the Bloomington Housing Code. The Housing and Neighborhood Development Department investigates complaints about the condition of your rental space.

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Accessibility and Disability Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal law that requires employers, providers of public accommodations, governmental entities, and housing providers to take steps to make their buildings and services accessible to people with disabilities. The City’s ADA Transition Plan is available online for review.

If you have questions or concerns about barriers to accessibility, whether the barrier is in a private business or in a City-controlled program, please contact the City of Bloomington’s ADA Coordinator, Michael Shermis. He can be reached at cca@bloomington.in.gov or 812-349-3471.

If you want to help make Bloomington a more accessible community, please consider joining the Council for Community Accessibility (CCA).

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Contract Compliance and Affirmative Action Plans

For information on contract compliance or affirmative action plans, contact Audrey Brittingham at audrey.brittingham@bloomington.in.gov.

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Title VI

For information on Title VI of the Civil Rights Act [link forthcoming], contact Title VI coordinator, Audrey Brittingham at audrey.brittingham@bloomington.in.gov.

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Members

Stephen Coover

Appointed By:
Monroe County Commissioners
Term Expires:
2026-01-31

Autumn Crisovan

Appointed By:
Common Council
Term Expires:
2026-01-31

Susan Gray

Appointed By:
Monroe County Commissioners
Term Expires:
2025-01-31

Amy Jackson

Appointed By:
Mayor
Term Expires:
2025-01-31

Ryne Shadday

Appointed By:
Mayor
Term Expires:
2026-01-31

Emma Williams

Appointed By:
Common Council
Term Expires:
2025-01-31

Lilliana Young

Appointed By:
Mayor
Term Expires:
2026-01-31