Page last updated on July 18, 2023 at 2:21 pm
The Bloomington/Monroe County Human Rights Commission is designed to enforce Bloomington's Human Rights Ordinance in a fair and timely manner, to educate community members about their rights and responsibilities under various civil rights laws, to raise awareness on all human rights issues, to ensure that contractors and subcontractors on city jobs pay employees applicable common wages, to ensure that the City, as an employer, governmental entity and provider of public accommodations, complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and to provide the community with information about the ADA.
The BMCHRC can be reached at 812.349.3429 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Commission's e-mail address is human.rights@bloomington.in.gov. This Human Rights Division office is located at 401 N. Morton St., Suite 260, Bloomington, IN 47404.
The City of Bloomington strives to be a City without discrimination. We hope that you never encounter discrimination from a landlord, employer or provider of public accommodation in Bloomington, or from the City itself, but if you do, we want you to know what to do.
Fair Housing
Local, state and federal laws prohibit discrimination in housing on the basis of sex, race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, housing status or familial status. For more about fair housing, click here for a brochure. If you feel you have been discriminated against in housing on the basis of any of these protected categories, or if you have questions about your rights and responsibilities under fair housing laws, please contact the Bloomington Human Rights Commission at 812.349.3429 or human.rights@bloomington.in.gov.
You typically have 180 days from the date of the alleged discrimination to file a formal complaint, but the earlier you file, the better.
Bloomington also protects your right to rent an apartment or house that complies with the Bloomington Housing Code. If you have questions about your rights under the Code, or if you want to file a complaint about the condition of your rental space, click here for more information.
For additional Fair Housing information from the federal government, click here.
Fair Employment
Local, state and federal laws prohibit discrimination in employment on the basis of sex, race, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status or housing status. If you feel you have been discriminated against in employment on the basis of any of these protected categories, or have any questions, please contact the Bloomington/Monroe County Human Rights Commission at 812.349.3429 or human.rights@bloomington.in.gov.
As with fair housing, you typically have 180 days from the date of the alleged discrimination to file a complaint, but the earlier you file, the better.
Accessibility Issues
The Americans with Disabilities Act is a federal law that requires employers, providers of public accommodations and housing providers to take steps to make their buildings and services accessible to people with disabilities. And it requires the City to make its services, including it sidewalks and programs, accessible to people with disabilities. 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 Bloomington/Monroe County Human Rights Commission at 812.349.3429 or human.rights@bloomington.in.gov. If you want to help make Bloomington a more accessible community, please consider joining the Council for Community Accessibility (CCA). Click here for more information about the CCA. If you have questions about the City’s ADA Implementation Plan, email human.rights@bloomington.in.gov.
Title VI
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act requires recipients of federal funds, such as the City of Bloomington, to ensure that no one is excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination in any of its services or programs on the basis of a protected category. It is the City’s policy to prohibit discrimination and/or the exclusion of individuals from employment or participation opportunities in all of its facilities, programs, activities, or services on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, sex, age, low income status, limited English proficiency, religion, citizenship status, military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, housing status or any other category under any applicable law. For a copy of the City’s Title VI notice, click here. For a complaint form, click here. If you have questions about the City's Title VI Implementation Plan or to contact the City’s Title VI coordinator, email human.rights@bloomington.in.gov.
Education
These laws change with regularity, and how they are interpreted by courts changes as well. We know that it can be hard for employers, landlords, providers of public accommodation and citizens alike to keep up. If you have questions about your rights and responsibilities under these laws, or if you would like a speaker to come to your group to talk about these issues, please contact the Bloomington/Monroe County Human Rights Commission.