The Vermont Human Rights Commission has jurisdiction over allegations of unlawful discrimination in housing, places of public accommodation and State employment. Places of public accommodation include schools, restaurants, stores, professional offices, government agencies and other places offering goods or services to the general public.
The five Human Rights Commissioners are appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate to staggered five-year terms. Commissioners may be re-appointed. The Commissioners meet regularly, usually monthly, to discuss and decide the merits of individual discrimination complaints, as well as to set the overall policy of the organization.
The Commission has a staff of five to carry out its mission: an Executive Director, who is also the agency's legal counsel, three Staff Attorneys, who conduct the complaint investigations and engage in education and outreach, and an Executive Staff Assistant/Case Manager, who acts as the office manager, screens potential cases, makes referrals and drafts complaints.