Who can file a complaint of discrimination

Anyone who is experiencing or has experienced discrimination because of their protected class within the:

• City of Minneapolis
• Last 365 days

Protected class refers to elements of a person’s identity they cannot or should not be asked to change, such as:

• Race
• Gender
• Religion

Why you should file a complaint of discrimination

The takes discrimination seriously. If you believe you have experienced discrimination, we encourage you to file a complaint

When you file:

• The Civil Rights Department documents your complaint.
• The City becomes aware of possible discrimination.
• There is no cost. Filing a complaint and the process that follows are free services.
• We conduct a neutral, impartial investigation.

Our complaint form is available in multiple languages: English, Spanish, Somali, Hmong, Lao and Oromo.

File a complaint 

Location and timing

We can investigate a complaint of discrimination if it is:

• Within Minneapolis city limits
• Filed within 365 days of the alleged incident

What are protected classes

We investigate discrimination based on what is considered a protected class.

Under City law, protected classes include:

Where are you protected

You can file a complaint if you experience discrimination in any of these common areas:

Information about filing a discrimination complaint

It’s important to document the discrimination:

• Write down details: Write down details close to the time it occurred, while it’s fresh in your memory.
• Keep track of dates and times: Try to keep track of the dates and times of events.
• Keep documentation: Keep relevant emails, text messages, voicemails, letters, photos and videos.
• Get witness information: If there are witnesses to your experience:
  • Ask them to write down what they saw.
  • Get their contact information.

What to expect after you file a complaint

We review your complaint

• An intake officer will contact you to follow up on your complaint. Please include all required contact information on your form.
• Civil Rights staff may be able to help draft a charge of discrimination. This is a legal document that explains your experience
• If we can’t investigate your case, the intake officer will help connect you to other resources.

Your complaint may become a charge

If we draft a charge of discrimination, the alleged discriminator must either:

• Attend a mediation session, where you could reach a resolution together, or
• Submit a response to the charges filed against them, so we can investigate