By Alyssa Riphon
City of Madison

The City of Madison believes discrimination must be eliminated. It therefore charged the Equal Opportunities Division (EOD) of the Department of Civil Rights with the mission of enabling the community to live and work free of discrimination. The EOD is the primary City of Madison agency responsible for resolving discrimination complaints filed by members of our community. This agency has the authority to enforce Madison General Ordinance Sec. 39.03, the Equal Opportunities Ordinance. This ordinance was adopted by the Common Council in 1963 and prohibits discrimination in housing, employment, as well as the use of public accommodations and city facilities. The ordinance covers 29 protected classes, making the City of Madison the second most protected city against discrimination in the United States.

If a member of the public feels they have been discriminated against, they may file a complaint. In order for the EOD to open an investigation of discrimination, the act of discrimination must have occurred within the City of Madison within the last 300 days (365 days for housing discrimination). The individual must also belong to a protected class and be able to show that what happened occurred because of their protected class membership.

However, the EOD believes prevention is always preferable to litigation. It therefore provides technical assistance to the City of Madison community about their rights and responsibilities under the law. The agency is committed to reaching advocacy agencies, community-based organizations, employers, property owners, civic groups and individuals through its outreach program. By providing training with the goal of eliminating discrimination, the EOD hopes to increase the awareness of members of the community and businesses toward Civil Rights protections and issues.

Questions about discrimination? Please contact our office at 266-4910 or dcr@cityofmadison.com and ask to speak to an intake worker.