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Know Your Rights

  • ICRC
  • Current: Know Your Rights

Know Your Civil Rights in Indiana

Civil rights laws help ensure that individuals are treated fairly and have equal access to opportunities in important areas of life.

The Indiana Civil Rights Commission (ICRC) enforces laws that protect individuals from discrimination in several key areas, including housing, employment, education, public accommodations, and credit.

Understanding your rights can help you recognize discrimination and know what steps you may take if you believe your rights were violated.

What is Discrimination?

Discrimination occurs when someone is treated unfairly because of certain protected characteristics.

Civil rights laws prohibit discrimination in specific areas of life when it is based on protected classes such as race, religion, sex, disability, or national origin.

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Protected Classes:

Civil rights laws protect individuals from discrimination based on certain characteristics known as protected classes.

Examples of protected classes may include:

  • Race
  • Color
  • Religion
  • Sex
  • Disability
  • National origin
  • Ancestry
  • Age
  • Military or veteran status
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Areas Protected by Civil Rights Laws

Housing

Housing laws help ensure individuals have equal access to housing opportunities without discrimination.

Learn about housing discrimination, reasonable accommodations, assistance animals, and tenant protections.

Employment

Employment laws protect workers and job applicants from discrimination in hiring, workplace treatment, and employment decisions.

Learn about employment discrimination, workplace harassment, accommodations, and retaliation protections.

Education

Students have the right to learn in environments free from discrimination.

Learn about education discrimination, disability rights in schools, discriminatory harassment, and student protections.

Public Accommodations

Businesses and public spaces must provide equal access to goods and services without discrimination.

Learn about public accommodation discrimination, service animals, accessibility, and equal access in public places.

Credit

Individuals have the right to apply for loans and financial services without discrimination.

Learn about credit discrimination, mortgage discrimination, fair treatment in credit applications, and access to credit.

File a Discrimination Complaint

If you believe you experienced discrimination in housing, employment, education, public accommodations, or credit, you may be able to file a complaint with the Indiana Civil Rights Commission.

To learn more about filing a discrimination complaint visit the How to File a Discrimination Complaint page.