Human Rights Law
The Human Rights Law prohibits discrimination based on protected classes in employment, places of public accommodations, credit lending and in instances of discriminatory harassment. Protected classes include disability, race, color, religion, ethnicity, age, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, familial status, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, and marital status.
Examples of potential claims under the Human Rights Law may include
Employment Discrimination
- If your boss or co-worker sexually harasses you in the workplace;
- If you are not hired or promoted because of discrimination protected under the Law;
- If your employment is terminated because of discrimination protected under the Law;
- If your employer fails to engage in the interactive process to provide a reasonable accommodation in connection with a disability; and
- If you are paid less than your similarly situated co-workers because of discriminatory reasons protected under the Law.
Discrimination in Public Accommodations
- If you are denied services by a restaurant, doctor’s office, movie theater, retail store or other place of public accommodations because of discriminatory reasons; and
- If you are provided with different terms and conditions by a restaurant, doctor’s office, movie theater, retail store or other place of public accommodations because of discriminatory reasons.
Discrimination in Credit Lending – Fair Lending
- If a lender refuses to make a mortgage loan to you for discriminatory reasons;
- If a lender imposes different terms and conditions in a mortgage loan or provides inferior services for discriminatory reasons; and
- If a lender discriminates in the appraisal of a property for discriminatory reasons.
Brief History of the Human Rights Law
The County’s Human Rights Law was passed by the Board of Legislators in December of 1999 and the Human Rights Commission was created in 2000.
The County’s Human Rights Law was pioneering as it included protections for sexual orientation discrimination, which were not included under state or federal law at that time.
In 2005, the County’s Human Rights Law was expanded to become the first human rights law in New York State to prohibit discrimination against victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse and stalking in both employment and housing.
On April 13, 2009, the County’s Human Rights Law further was expanded to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression. These protections were not included under state or federal anti-discrimination laws at the time.
In 2021, the County’s Human Rights Law added protections for discriminatory harassment. These protections are not included under comparable state or federal anti-discrimination laws. In 2022, the Human Rights Law was amended to require salary transparency in job postings.
The County’s Human Rights Law was amended in 2023 and the current law can be found here
Learn more about the Rules and Regulations for the Human Rights Law.
To learn more about your rights or obligations under the County’s Human Rights Law or to file a complaint, contact the Human Rights Commission at (914) 995-9500 or by email at