Shady landlords and bosses, beware — Pittsburgh is tackling unfair treatment. The Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations (PghCHR) is the city’s leading resource for people facing discrimination. It’s a civil rights enforcement agency that investigates instances of discrimination and mediates solutions.
But, how do you know when it’s time to call on them?
What is discrimination?
Anti-discrimination laws protect people from facing unfair treatment based on protected classes, such as race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and immigration status.
PghCHR executive director Rachel Shepherd says anyone who believes they've experienced discrimination in housing, employment, public accommodations, or public services can reach out to the commission for free assistance, so long as the harm happened within city limits.
Where to report
You can reach out directly to PghCHR by submitting an inquiry on the PghCHR portal, calling their office at 412-255-2600, or emailing human.relations@pittsburghpa.gov.
Next steps
Once you've reached out, staff will set up an intake appointment, review evidence, and determine whether there are grounds to file a discrimination complaint.
Shepherd says the commission tries to resolve cases through mediation or conciliation, where you sit down with the person who caused harm, "actually address it out loud," and come up with a voluntary agreement to remedy the situation.
The commission can also hold a formal public hearing and issue a legally-binding judgement.
What to expect
Remedies can include everything from monetary damages and back wages to an apology. Sometimes, they even include policy changes to prevent future discrimination.
"We're not trying to just punish people for the sake of it," says Chris Soult, deputy director of PghCHR. "We're trying to get actual changes to occur in the way that people interact with each other and the way that people have an understanding of each other, as other human beings who deserve respect."
Want to know more about what PghCHR does? Listen to our conversation with Shepherd and Soult.
