The Seattle Office for Civil Rights (SOCR) enforces Seattle’s civil rights laws which include protections against discrimination in employment, public places, housing, and contracting. Our investigations are free, and we assist people in filing claims. Who is Protected Seattle offers some of the most expansive antidiscrimination protections in the United… [ Keep reading ]
The Seattle Office for Civil Rights’ 2023 year-end newsletter is available now! This issue features reflections our work in 2023, information about service animals in Seattle, and an update on next steps toward participatory budgeting project implementation. Also included is information about the 2023 Collective Network Request for Proposals, and a… [ Keep reading ]
SEATTLE – Seattle City Councilmember Tammy Morales (District 2 – Southeast Seattle & Chinatown-International District), Mayor Bruce Harrell, and Seattle Office for Civil Rights Director Derrick Wheeler-Smith celebrated the unanimous passage of an ordinance officially codifying the City’s Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI) into law. This will permanently solidify… [ Keep reading ]
Mediation is one of the ways to resolve a discrimination complaint at the Seattle Office for Civil Rights (SOCR).
Think you’re a civil rights expert when it comes to your protections in the City of Seattle? Our city has some of the most robust civil rights laws in the United States and our office enforces legislation around housing, employment, public places, and contracting. From service animals to protected classes… [ Keep reading ]
A federal judge has struck down a challenge to Seattle’s Fair Chance Housing Ordinance from the Rental Housing Association of Washington (RHA) and other landlords represented by the Pacific Legal Foundation. Seattle’s ordinance, born through community organizing and drafted by our office, bars landlords from asking about or adversely acting… [ Keep reading ]
Thanks to tremendous community effort, Seattle achieved one of the highest 2020 Census participation levels in the nation! What’s next? What happens with that Census data? How will the City of Seattle use this data to make decisions? How is any of this information useful to you? Get answers to these questions and more by joining our I Love Census Data virtual conversation series. UP NEXT: Food Security… [ Keep reading ]
With King County’s plan to close its jail in downtown Seattle, we have an opportunity to center the experiences of those most impacted by institutional harms and injustices, specifically the experiences of Black trans women and femmes.
At least six SPD officers attended the “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021. This rally concluded with an armed and deadly insurrection at the nation’s Capitol Building. As reports came in, Seattle received the disheartening news that no other city in the country had a… [ Keep reading ]
The Seattle Human Rights Commission was pleased to receive feedback and commitments today from council members regarding their two-year work plan. The Commission’s goals are to elevate community voices to our elected leaders, ensure there is greater public awareness for human rights concerns, and create actionable objectives for local officials…. [ Keep reading ]
