The process of filing a charge begins by contacting the Civil Rights Division by mail, telephone or in person at 1200 Front Street, Suite 101, Raleigh, NC 27609, and (919) 733-0431. A charge is not considered filed until the Civil Rights Division receives a signed official charge form.

After the information is received from the employer the CRD Investigator begins the fact finding process and interviews witnesses, etc.

Any State or County government employee (current or former) who is/was subject to the provisions of the State Personnel Act, Chapter 126 of the North Carolina General Statutes, is eligible to file a charge with the Civil Rights Division. This includes non-exempt State Government employees; non-exempt UNC employees; and County Social Services, Mental Health, Public Health and Civil Preparedness employees.

In an employment situation, a charge can be filed against an employer, labor organization, or employment agency. For sexual harassment in employment, a charge can be filed against the individual harasser and/or the employer.

A charge may be filed by mail or in person at the nearest EEOC office. Individuals may consult their local telephone directory (U.S. Government listing) or call 1-800-669-4000 (voice) or 1-800-669-6820 (TTY) to contact the nearest EEOC office for more information on specific procedures for filing a charge. Individuals who need an accommodation in order to file a charge (e.g.

The EEOC will notify the employer within 10 days of receiving a charge. Notification normally includes a copy of the charge briefly identifying the charging party, the basis (e.g., race, religion, sex, etc.) and issue(s) (e.g., hiring, promotion, discharge, etc.) of the allegation, and the date(s) of the alleged discrimination.

If the evidence obtained in an investigation does not establish that discrimination occurred, this will be explained to the charging party. A notice of determination is issued, by the Director of the CRD, to both charging party and the employer closing the case and giving the charging party 90 days, after receiving the notice of a "right to sue" from the EEOC, in which to file a lawsuit on his or her own behalf.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion or national origin. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), which protects individuals who are 40 years of age or older. Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), which prohibits employment discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities in the private sector, and in state and local governments.

Any individual who believes that his or her employment rights have been violated may file a charge of discrimination with EEOC. In addition, an individual, organization, or agency may file a charge on behalf of another person in order to protect the aggrieved person's identity.

The charge is assigned to a Board Agent for investigation. The Board Agents speaks with the parties involved and reviews any written documentation provided. When necessary, the Board Agent may ask for additional documentation or witness statements. If the investigation reveals an issue of law or fact, the Executive Director will issue a Complaint and Notice of Hearing, setting the matter for hearing before an administrative law judge of the Agency.

A complainant may request an amendment of the charge, if the amendment is timely, to make a correction, add new allegations, and/or add/delete parties (persons or organizations) involved. At IDHR’s discretion, new allegations may be placed into a new charge rather than an amendment. <Go to Top>

The employer is notified that the charge has been filed. From this point there are a number of ways a charge may be handled: A charge may be assigned for priority investigation if the initial facts appear to support a violation of law. When the evidence is less strong, the charge may be assigned for follow up investigation to determine whether it is likely that a violation has occurred.

All laws enforced by EEOC, except the Equal Pay Act, require filing a charge with EEOC before a private lawsuit may be filed in court. There are strict time limits within which charges must be filed: A charge must be filed with EEOC within 180 days from the date of the alleged violation, in order to protect the charging party's rights. This 180-day filing deadline is extended to 300 days if the charge also is covered by a state or local anti-discrimination law.

The basic dictionary definition of discrimination is: the act or ability of making or perceiving differences and distinctions. A showing of favoritism in treatment. However, the word has a different and more precise definition for the Nevada Equal Rights Commission. We use the definition as; different treatment given or received because of a person's race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, and or disability.

Many of the cases with the Commission are automatically filed with the federal agency responsible for enforcing the federal anti-discrimination laws. The EEOC enforces the fair employment laws and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) enforces the fair housing laws.

Once the Commission accepts a charge under one or more of the laws cited above, the case is assigned to a staff investigator and an impartial investigation takes place. The investigator gathers evidence to determine whether or not a violation of the law(s) likely has been committed. After the investigation is completed, a Commissioner makes a preliminary ruling based on the evidence presented. If the Commissioner rules No Probable Cause, then the case will be dismissed.