NJ DCR About Us

Click on a box to learn more about each Bureau

Overview

The Division on Civil Rights (DCR) is part of the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety (L&PS) and is the agency responsible for investigating discrimination complaints and eradicating illegal discrimination in New Jersey. We've fought discrimination for more than 50 years. New Jersey was the first state in the nation to investigate civil rights complaints and continues to be in the forefront of civil rights protection with one of the most comprehensive anti-discrimination laws in the country. See our Mission Statement below.

The Division's work is focused in three major areas: employment, housing and public accommodation discrimination. The Division also enforces the New Jersey Family Leave Act. If you are interested in filing a discrimination complaint, or have any questions concerning the Division's work, please visit one of our five regional offices, or call (609) 292-4605 for additional information (TTY User Information).

In addition to investigating discrimination complaints, the Division is also responsible for educating the public on matters concerning discrimination. The Division's publications addressing such topics as age, race, sex, disability, pregnancy, marital status and domestic partnership status discrimination are available upon request. The Division sponsors free seminars, workshops and other outreach activities to educate the general public.

For additional information on the Division's outreach programs, please call (609) 292-2918. You can also email us with inquiries. We welcome your comments and suggestions on how we may better serve you.

To view the full Civil Rights statute
Click Here
and choose Title 10 from the directory

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Our Mission Statement

The Division on Civil Rights (Division) is charged with enforcing the Law Against Discrimination (LAD) within the State of New Jersey. Accordingly, the mission of the Division is the eradication of illegal discrimination based on race, religion, color, national origin, handicap, age, nationality, ancestry, marital status, domestic partnership status, familial status, affectional or sexual orientation, and sex, in areas such as employment, public accommodations, and housing. The Division serves as a fair and impartial forum for addressing claims that the LAD has been violated. Thus, fostering sensitivity, tolerance, acceptance and respect is at the core of the Division's work. The Division maintains that if illegal discrimination negatively affects any one individual in New Jersey, it negatively affects every individual in New Jersey.

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Director's Office

Director's Office Page

J. Frank Vespa-Papaleo, Esq., Director
Office of the Director
140 East Front Street
PO Box 090
Trenton, NJ 08625-0090
HOW TO FIND US
Telephone: 609-292-4605
Fax: 609-984-3812
TTY: 609-292-1785

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The Bureau of Enforcement (BOE)

The BOE receives, investigates, and processes complaints filed with the Division that allege unlawful discrimination under the LAD or violations of the FLA. The Bureau satisfies all obligations of the Division under its work-sharing agreement with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In addition, the Bureau conducts conciliation in all cases in which findings of probable cause have been issued, and also conducts discovery requested by parties. The BOE staff includes investigators, supervisors, managers, and clerical staff located in each of the Division’s five regional offices throughout the State. Some of the major responsibilities of the BOE are Case Inventory, Monetary Awards, and Special Investigations.

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The Bureau of Policy (BOP)

The BOP monitors all legal matters involving the LAD and the FLA and provides technical advice and training to the Division and the public. The BOP prepares Director’s Orders and other legal decisions in cases pending before the Division. Additionally, the BOP prepares and promulgates regulatory initiatives to maintain and update the Division’s administrative rules, which promote compliance with the law by explaining the LAD and the FLA. The BOP is also responsible for reviewing all requests for Bona Fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ) authorization numbers in connection with employment advertisements, and is also responsible for administering compliance with the Division’s Multiple Dwelling Reporting Rule (MDRR) and maintaining the State’s database of housing patterns.

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The Bureau of Prevention & Community Relations (BPCR)

The BPCR is responsible for all Division outreach initiatives, press and community relations, publications, and training. The Bureau of Prevention and Community Relations plays a key role in the development and formulation of programs designed to assure compliance with the LAD and the FLA. Additionally, the Bureau is responsible for the design and maintenance of the Division’s web site, and the coordination and distribution of Division publications, including the Family Leave Act Report. The Bureau of Prevention and Community Relations also serves as a liaison to the New Jersey Commission on Civil Rights. Some of the major responsibilities of the BPCR are Training & Outreach, Media Response and Bureau Highlights.

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Case Management, Mediation & Information Systems

Case Management
The Case Management Unit is an integral part of the Division’s aggressive goals regarding backlog and caseload reduction and effective case processing time lines. The Case Management Unit reports to the Director’s Office, and is charged with identifying the location and status of every case. The unit then determines the steps necessary to conclude each case, advises the BOE regarding implementation of those steps, and monitors the case to ensure efficient resolution of the complaint. The Case Management Unit also focuses on reducing the average case processing time for concluding investigations to 18 months or less. As a result of the efforts of the Case Management Unit, the Division anticipates that the average age of cases in the Division will become significantly lower and that no case under active investigation will have a date of incident older than 18 months. All cases that exceed that limit will be tracked by regional management on a computerized report and expedited as the region’s highest priority.

Mediation
The Mediation Unit was established in 2001 to offer parties an opportunity to resolve complaints amicably in the early stages of the administrative process. In this program, the parties to a complaint may voluntarily agree to meet with an impartial, professionally trained mediator shortly after the complaint is filed. Since March 2001, the Division has conducted mediation in 140 cases. Of these, 88 cases where successfully resolved through mediation. The total monetary amount obtained for complainants as a result of successful mediations reached over $260,000, in addition to other non-monetary benefits obtained through mediation and annualized damages. The Division anticipates that the success of the Mediation Unit will continue to play an important role in the Division's case management activities.

Information Systems
The primary function of the Information Systems Unit is to gather statistical information related to Division activities, to provide reports, analysis and support to the Director, and other unit managers and their staff. The unit is responsible for two major operational systems and several minor systems. The Case Tracking Systems (CTS) is the Division's primary docketing and case management system. It is a mainframe application operated by the Office of Information Technology (OIT). The Charge Data System (CDS) is used to provide information to the US Equal Employment Commission (EEOC), necessary to comply with the terms of the work-sharing agreement between EEOC and the Division.

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