The Ohio Civil Rights Commission takes our mission to investigate charges of discrimination and harassment very seriously. We also take seriously our responsibility as a state agency to protect the safety and security of all Ohioans.

In order to prevent and contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the Ohio Civil Rights Commission is suspending in-person charge filing at all of our regional offices. We encourage all Ohioans who wish to file a charge to file online or call their regional office.

We appreciate your patience during this difficult time. Please watch this space for any updates to this policy.

Please direct any questions to pace@civ.ohio.gov.

What is Employment Discrimination?

The Ohio Civil Rights Commission investigates charges of discrimination in employment within the State of Ohio. The investigations cover all aspects of employment, including but not limited to:

•   the job advertisement
•   the hiring process,
•   terms and conditions of work,
•   harassment,
•   discipline,
•   layoff/recall,
•   promotion/demotion,
•   termination

Charges of discrimination can be filed against employers with four (4) or more employees. The act of discrimination must have occurred no more than two years prior to the date of filing.

Can I File a Charge of Discrimination?

To determine if your issue can be investigated by the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, please answer the following questions:

• Is the act of discrimination related to employment that occurred within the state of Ohio?
• Did the act of discrimination happen within two years from the date you are filing the charge?
• Do you think the action taken is related to your race, color, sex, religion, disability, national origin, ancestry, age    (40 years old or older), military status or in retaliation for engaging in a protected activity (protesting discrimination)?

If you answered yes to all three questions above, you can file a charge of discrimination with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission. If you did not answer yes to all three questions, you can still file a charge and the Commission will determine if the matter is jurisdictional and will proceed accordingly.

*Charges are not considered officially filed until they are properly signed, notarized and received by the Ohio Civil Rights Commission.

(Our employment discrimination online charge form has a new look, but all questions are the same.)