Civil rights are personal rights guaranteed and protected by the U.S. Constitution and statutes such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Iowa Civil Rights Act, and the Davenport Civil Rights Ordinance. Civil Rights include the equal treatment of all people with respect to the enjoyment of life, liberty, and property and freedom from unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodation, credit and education.

The Davenport Civil Rights Commission (DCRC) enforces the Davenport Civil Rights Ordinance which prohibits discrimination against person because of age, creed, marital status, race, sex, sexual orientation, disability, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, gender identity or familial status in the areas of employment, education, public accommodations, credit and housing.

To view or download 2.58 of the Davenport Municipal Code
CLICK HERE.

The following table shows the protected classes under the Davenport Civil Rights Ordinance. 

Protected Classes	Areas of Protection
	Employment	Housing	Public Accommodation	Education	Credit
Age
Race
Creed
Color
Religion
Sex
Gender Identity
Sexual Orientation
National Origin
Mental or Physical Disability
Marital Status
Familial Status

Areas of Protection:

Education

Under the Davenport Civil Rights Ordinance students, faculty, and staff are protected from discrimination in elementary and secondary schools as well as colleges.  Discrimination is defined as: the unequal treatment or denial of normal privileges to persons because of their immutable characteristics or personal choices. Education discrimination cases must be filed with the commission no later than 300 days from the date of the alleged incident.

Employment

It is unlawful to fail or refuse to hire, discharge any individual, or to discriminate against any individual with respect to the individual's compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment. Employment discrimination complaints must be filed with the commission no later than 300 days from the date of the alleged incident.

Credit

Every day, countless individuals and families are denied access to mainstream credit.  Despite a reduction in the most blatant forms of discrimination, there is evidence that creditors commit more subtle discrimination against minority groups throughout the lending process. Discrimination occurs in: advertising and outreach, handling of pre-application inquiries, the loan approval or disapproval decision, loan pricing, and loan administration. Credit discrimination cases must be filed with the commission no later than 300 days from the date of the alleged incident.

Housing

It is unlawful to fail to rent or sell property because of a protected class, or advertise a preference or limitation, or impose different terms or conditions during tenancy based on a protected class.  It is also unlawful to fail to provide, or impose different terms and conditions, in home loans and insurance because of a protected class. Housing discrimination complaints must be filed with the commission no later than (1) year from the date of the alleged incident.

Factsheet Harassment in Housing

Public Accommodation

Public Accommodations are facilities whose goods, services or premises are offered to the public for a fee. Examples of public accommodations are: restaurants, hotels, retail stores, shopping centers, bars, museums, theaters, stadiums, parks, bus stations, airports, health clubs, and hospitals. Under City ordinance 2.58, it is illegal to deny a person access or treat them unequally, in a public accommodation because of their protected class. Public Accommodation discrimination complaints must be filed with the commission no later than 300 days from the dated of the alleged incident.

•  Lea sobre los derechos civiles en español.
• Tìm hiểu về Quyền công dân bằng tiếng Việt .

Complaints are required to be filed within three hundred (300 days of the alleged discriminatory incident for employment, public accommodation, education and credit complaints, and no later than one (1) year from the alleged discriminatory incident for housing complaints. The Davenport Civil Rights Commission complaint process is set forth below:

INTAKE PROCESS
1.   A person wishing to file a complaint with the Davenport Civil Rights Commission [DCRC] may contact our office either in person, by telephone, fax, or letter. The DCRC will provide the person [Complainant] with a complaint form, a questionnaire, and a mediation request form. Due to the emergency nature of housing complaints, an intake appointment is scheduled immediately and the complaint form is completed during the intake interview.
2.   A complaint is not filed until the completed and signed complaint form is received in the DCRC office.
3.   Complaints are reviewed on a weekly basis for a jurisdictional determination or sooner where circumstances warrant. When necessary, a jurisdictional review interview appointment is scheduled with the Complainant.
4.   If the DCRC does not have jurisdiction over a complaint, the office will make a referral either to an agency appropriate to handle the matter or to a private attorney, and the complaint is closed.
5.   If the DCRC has jurisdiction over a complaint, notice of the complaint and requests for information [interrogatories] are sent to all parties.
6.   When appropriate, the complaint is cross-filed with state and federal civil rights agencies.

MEDIATION
1.   Our office encourages parties to participate in mediation also referred to as conciliation as a means for the parties to arrive at a satisfactory and early resolution of the dispute. Mediation, however, is a voluntary process. Thus, both parties have to agree to participate in the process.
2.   If the Complainant wishes to mediate, the notice letter advises the Respondent that the Complainant has agreed to mediation and asks the Respondent if it will agree to participate in mediation.
3.   If the Respondent agrees to mediate, mediation is scheduled and the parties are advised at this time that they may want to consult an attorney to inform them about their legal rights.
4.   If the Respondent declines mediation, the DCRC sends a notice letter to the Complainant advising that mediation will not occur at this time.
5.   Mediation or conciliation is offered and encouraged throughout the complaint process.
6.   If the parties are able to resolve their dispute through mediation, a settlement agreement is entered and the complaint is dismissed.
7.   If the parties are unable to resolve the dispute through mediation or conciliation or if either party declines to participate in the process, the investigation will continue.

COMPLAINT INVESTIGATION
1.   Each party is asked to complete interrogatories specific to the claim. The Respondent is asked to submit a position statement in addition to the interrogatories.
2.   Witness letters and questionnaires are sent to all identified witnesses. The investigation can include interviews with witnesses, requests for production of documents, fact-finding interviews with the parties, and on-site inspections and examination of documents. 3.   After all the facts and evidence are gathered, the director will issue a determination of either "Probable Cause" or "No Probable Cause."
4.   If the director issues a determination of "No Probable Cause," the Complainant may request the DCRC to reconsider its determination or may request the Iowa Civil Rights Commission to conduct a review of the DCRC finding.
5.   If the director finds there is "Probable Cause" to believe that unlawful discrimination occurred, the Commission notifies the parties of the determination and advises the Respondent of the right to engage in conciliation.
6.   If conciliation is successful, a conciliation agreement is entered and the complaint is closed.
7.   If attempts to conciliate fail, the director reports the failure to the Commission for its determination as to whether the complaint should proceed to a public hearing.
8.   If the Commission determines that the complaint should proceed to a public hearing, it will order the director to schedule the hearing.

PUBLIC HEARING
1.   Notice of a public hearing is sent to all parties and published in the newspaper at least five (5) days prior to the date of the hearing. 2.   When a "Probable Cause" determination is issued in a housing case, a party may elect to have the claims heard in a civil action in district court instead of a public hearing.
3.   A public hearing is presided over by a hearing officer who, after the presentation of all the evidence, will issue a recommended decision as to whether discrimination occurred.
4.   The Commission can adopt, modify, or reject the hearing officer's recommended decision or remand the case to the hearing officer for additional evidence.
5.   After reviewing the hearing officer's recommended decision, the Commission will issue its determination and order.
6.   Relief in an employment complaint can include reinstatement, front pay, back pay, compensatory damages for emotional distress, attorney fees, and any other relief that the Commission finds will make the Complainant whole and effectuate the purposes of the Davenport Civil Rights Ordinance.
7.   Relief in credit, education and public accommodation complaints can include compensatory damages for emotional distress, attorney fees, and any other relief that the Commission finds will make the Complainant whole and effectuate the purposes of the Davenport Civil Rights Ordinance.
8.   In cases involving housing complaints, the Commission may order injunctive relief, actual and punitive damages, reasonable attorney fees, and any other relief appropriate to effectuate the purposes of the Davenport Civil Rights Ordinance.

• For the above description in document form CLICK HERE.
• For the flowchart of the Complaint Process CLICK HERE.
  
  

1. What are civil rights?  
   Civil rights are personal rights guaranteed and protected by the U.S. Constitution and statutes such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Iowa Civil Rights Act, and the Davenport Civil Rights Ordinance. Civil Rights include the equal treatment of all people with respect to the enjoyment of life, liberty, and property and freedom from unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodation, credit and education. The Davenport Civil Rights Commission (DCRC) enforces the Davenport Civil Rights Ordinance which prohibits discrimination against person because of age, creed, marital status, race, sex, sexual orientation, disability, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, gender identity or familial status in the areas of employment, education, public accommodations, credit and housing.  
2. Is there a timeframe for filing a complaint with DCRC?  
   Employment, Credit, Public Accommodation and Education complaints must be filed within 300 days from the date of the alleged discriminatory act. Housing complaints must be filed 
   within one (1) year from the date of the alleged discriminatory act.  
3. What information is needed for one to file a complaint?  
   Your name, address and telephone number or some means of contacting you; The name of the business, entity, or individual against whom the complaint is to be filed along with the 
   address and telephone number of that business, entity, or individual; The date of the alleged discriminatory incident.  
4. What happens with my complaint once the DCRC receives it?  
   Please see Complaint Process above.
5. When does the business, entity, or individual learn that I filed a complaint?  
   They become aware of your complaint when either one of two actions by you occur:  
   1. You sign a request and release for mediation;  
   2. The formal complaint of discrimination is filed at the DCRC. The law forbids the DCRC to release your name or the contents of the complaint to any party that is not involved in or 
   necessary to the investigation of the allegations of unlawful discrimination.  
6. How does the DCRC conduct an investigation of my complaint?  
   Once it is clear that DCRC has jurisdiction to handle your complaint, the investigator will gather information by interviewing witnesses, obtaining relevant documentation, and if 
   necessary making on site visits. You may be interviewed again as information is gathered.  
7. What kind of notification do I receive when DCRC has completed an investigation?  
   At the conclusion of an investigation, DCRC issues its Findings at to whether there has been a violation of the Davenport Civil Rights Ordinance.  
8. Am I able to initiate a private court action?  
   Under the law, a complainant may initiate private court action after filing a complaint with DCRC. In employment, a person can file directly in court within two (2) years of the alleged discriminatory action. If you are interested in doing so, you should consult an attorney as soon as possible to ensure that the action will be timely filed. The right-to-sue request 
   should be directed to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.  
9. What happens if the DCRC cannot help me?  
   The DCRC will try to identify the appropriate referral for you.  
10. Do I have to be a minority person in order to have "civil rights"?  
    A common misconception is that Civil Rights laws only protect racial minorities. Civil Rights laws provide protection to all persons from discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, 
    national origin, disability, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, gender identity and family status. Laws prohibiting discrimination protect ALL persons.  
11. Can DCRC represent me in my complaint?  
    No. The DCRC is a neutral investigative agency. Our charge is to ensure that the laws under our jurisdiction are not violated and to eliminate unlawful discrimination within the City of Davenport. You should consult an attorney for legal advice. Delay in doing so may foreclose your rights.  
12. If DCRC can't represent me, who can?  
    You need to consult the attorney of your choice. You may contact an Attorney by calling the Iowa referral office at (563)324-1772.  
13. What are the federal laws prohibiting job discrimination?  
    Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964(Title VII), which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin; *The Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA), which protects men and women who perform substantially equal work in the same establishment from sex-based wage discrimination; *The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), which protects individuals who are 40 years of age or older; *Title I of 
    the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), which prohibits employment discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities in the private sector, and in state 
    and local governments; *Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities who work in the federal government; and *The Civil Rights Act of 1991, which provides monetary damages in cases of intentional employment discrimination. See the "Related Civil Rights site" for additional information.

For the document version of the above CLICK HERE.

Mediation is an informal and confidential way for people to resolve disputes with the help of a neutral third party who is trained to help people discuss their differences. The mediator does not decide who is right or wrong, but instead, helps the parties work out their own solutions to the problem. Mediation is encouraged and offered as soon as the complaint is filed and all throughout the investigative process.

Mediation is not only nationally recognized as an excellent way to resolve complaints, but mediation is FREE, CONFIDENTIAL, QUICK and SUCCESSFUL. It also allows for creative settlement options and a method for both parties to be part of the solution and control the final resolution.

The decision to mediate is completely voluntary.  If both parties agree to mediate, a time and date will be scheduled and the mediation will be conducted by a trained and experienced mediator. If an agreement is reached, it is a binding agreement enforceable in court.  If an agreement is not reached, the charge will be investigated like any other charge.

Mediation is a FREE service offered through our office. If you are interested in taking advantage of the mediation process or have further questions regarding mediation, please contact our Mediation Coordinator at 563-326-7888.