What Our Law Covers
Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Law
Chapter 69 of the Municipal Code of the City of Cedar Rapids, prohibits discrimination in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Individuals are protected under this ordinance in a number of areas, based on a number of protected classes.
Areas Protected:
- Employment
- Housing
- Education
- Credit
- Public Accommodation
- Age - 18+ (Parents/guardians may file on behalf of their minor child)
- Association with a person of a protected class
- Color
- Creed
- Familial Status - includes the presence of a child under 18 in the household
- Gender Identity
- Marital Status
- Mental Disability
- National Origin
- Physical Disability
- Race
- Religion
- Retaliation - for participating in a protected activity (i.e. filing a complaint)
- Sex (Gender)
- Sexual Orientation
Employment, Education, Public Accommodation and Credit cases must be filed within 300 days of the last discriminatory incident. Housing cases must be filed within one year of the last discriminatory incident.
**Please note that the complaint must be verified by this office before it can be officially filed. You will benefit by filing your claim as close to the alleged incident of discrimination as possible, when witnesses have fresh memories and evidence is more easily accessible. A typical case takes about two weeks to verify. However, the length of time needed can vary depending on a number of circumstances including the specific details, the complexity of the issues, and the number of other cases under investigation. If you wait until the last minute, you may lose the ability to file your official complaint within the time constraints established by law.
The alleged act of discrimination must have taken place in the City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
