Urbana's Human Rights Ordinance (Law)

What does the Human Rights Ordinance Cover?

The Urbana Human Rights Ordinance , Chapter 12 of the City Code, prohibits discrimination in Urbana. Individuals are protected from discrimination in many areas, based on a number of protected basis.

Areas Covered by the Human Rights Ordinance:

1. Employment: The Ordinance protects persons from discrimination in all terms and conditions of employment, including hiring, selection, promotion, transfer, pay, tenure, discharge, and discipline.
2. Housing (Real Estate Transactions): It is unlawful to discriminate in the sale or rental of residential or commercial property. Examples of such discrimination are: altering the terms, conditions or privileges or the transaction; refusing to receive or transmit a bona fide offer; refusing to negotiate or grant mortgage loans; misrepresenting that property is not available for rental or sale.
3. Financial Credit: All financial institutions doing business in the City of Urbana are prohibited from discriminating in the granting of commercial or personal loans and credit.
4. Public Accommodations: It is unlawful to discriminate in the full and equal enjoyment of facilities, goods and services by any place of public accommodation, such as a business, recreation, lodging, entertainment, or transportation facility.
5. Retaliation: You cannot be harassed or retaliated against for filing a complaint or cooperating with a complaint investigation. Specifically, Chapter 12-104 of the City Codes states, "It shall be an unlawful practice for any person...to harass, intimidate or in any other way retaliate or discriminate against, or interfere with any individual because he/she has made a complaint, testified or assisted in any proceeding under this article, whether on his/her own behalf or for another individual, or because he or she has told, objected to, or commented upon any policy, rule, action, or barrier to that which he or she in good faith believes violates this article."

Protected Basis under the Human Rights Ordinance:

1. Race
2. Color
3. Creed
4. Class
5. National origin
6. Religion
7. Sex 
8. Age
9. Marital status
10. Physical or mental disability
11. Personal appearance
12. Sexual orientation
13. Family responsibilities
14. Matriculation
15. Political affiliation
16. Prior arrest or conviction record
17. Source of income
18. Other. Any other discrimination based upon categorizing or classifying a person rather than evaluating a person's unique qualifications. 

The Ordinance requires that the complaint be filed within ninety (90) days of the occurrence of a violation or ninety (90) days after the discovery of a violation. In no event shall a complaint be filed more than one (1) year after the occurrence of the violation. The alleged act of discrimination must have taken place within the City of Urbana for a complaint to be filed with the Urbana Human Relations Commission.