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Civil Rights

General

Under the Constitution and subsequently enacted laws, all citizens are protected in certain situations from discrimination and abuse based variously on their race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, and disability.

Your civil rights may be violated when you're turned down for housing because you have children, or turned away from a voting booth or public accommodation due to your race, deprived of a job or promotion because you're a woman, or denied access to a store or restaurant because you're disabled.

The Department of Justice, and several other federal agencies including, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, are responsible for investigation and remedying of civil rights complaints. Within the Department of Justice, investigations of civil rights violations such as racial or religious discrimination; color of law-use of excessive force or police misconduct;involuntary servitude or slavery; the Voting Rights Act of 1965; the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Equal Credit Opportunity Act; Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act; and the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, are performed by the FBI. Prosecution is determined by the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.

If you believe your civil rights have been violated, you may contact the agencies mentioned above as follows:

Employment

Agency - EEOC

Tel# 504.589.2329

TDD# 504.589.2958

Housing

Agency - HUD

Tel# 800.669.9777

TDD# 800.927.9275

Disability

Agency - DOJ

Tel# 800.514.0301

TDD# 800.514.0383

Race/Police Brutality

Agency - FBI

Tel# 504.816.3000

TDD# (TBA)

 

 
Updated April 22, 2015