REASONABLE GROUNDS CASES

Below you will find links to investigative reports for cases where the Human Rights Commission (HRC) found reasonable grounds to believe that discrimination occurred in housing, employment, or a place of public accommodation. When the HRC finds that there are reasonable grounds to believe that unlawful discrimination occurred, the HRC statute requires that the Investigative Report, the Final Determination, and any Post-Determination Conciliation Agreement (PDCA) become public documents. If the Vermont Human Rights Commission finds that there are no reasonable grounds to believe that unlawful discrimination occurred, the Commission closes the case and the identities of the parties remain confidential.

Note that in some cases, the preliminary recommendation can be for a finding of no reasonable grounds. After deliberations, the Commission can reverse the preliminary recommendations and make final determinations of reasonable grounds. In some cases, the Commission will make a "split" decision - partial reasonable grounds and partial no reasonable grounds final determinations - where more than one claim or protected category was included in the initial allegations.

Once the Commission makes a final determination of reasonable grounds, the parties have six months to negotiate a settlement. If a case is not settled within that time period, the Commission must make a decision whether to litigate a case. The Commission may also decline to litigate a case, which is closes a case without settlement.

The documents below contain the initial investigative report and the Commission’s final determination. Cases that were closed without settlement, cases that were settled through litigation, and cases that are currently in active litigation are indicated as such.

The investigative reports for reasonable grounds cases from FY15 to the present are available in PDF format below. The investigative reports for reasonable grounds cases between FY99 and FY15 are available upon request.

2021​

• HRC Case No: PA19-0018 (May 2021) (race and color discrimination)
• HRC Case No: HV20-0028 (April 2021) (disability discrimination)
• HRC Case No: HV20-0025 (March 2021) (disability and retaliation)
• HRC Case No: HV20-0023 (January 2021) (sex and disability discrimination and retaliation)
• HRC Case No: HV20-0020 [English] (January 2021) (race, color, and national origin discrimination)
  • HRC Case No: HV20-0020 [Spanish] 

2020

• HRC Case No: PA20-0011 (2020) (Disability Discrimination)
• HRC Case No: E17-0007 (redacted) (2020) (Race and Color) 
• HRC Case No: HV20-0006 (2020) (Disability Discrimination) 
• HRC Case No: PA20-0011 - (service animal) (2020) (Disability Discrimination)

2019

• ​HRC Case No: E18-0009 (redacted) (Parental and Family Leave) (Sept 2019)
• HRC Case No: HV19-0018 (redacted) (Sept 2019) (Public Assistance Discrimination)
• HRC Case No: HV19-0002 (redacted) (July 2019) (Minor Children Discrimination)
• HRC Case No: E18-0003 (redacted) (post finding settlement) (2019) (Retaliation) 
• HRC Case No: PA18-0005 - (2018) (litigation filed 2019) (Disability Discrimination) 
• HRC Case No: PA18-0011 - (2019) (Disability Discrimination) 

2018

• HRC Case No: HV18-0016 (redacted) (2018) (Minor Children Discrimination and Retaliation) 
• HRC Case No: E17-0002 (2018) (Race and Color) 
• HRC Case No: PA15-0001 - (prolonged segregation in prison) (settled in 2018) (2016) (Disability Discrimination) 
• HRC Case No: PA17-0003 - (Settled) (Parking Access) (2018) (Disability Discrimination) 
• HRC Case No: PA16-0016 - (settled 2018) (Effective Communication in health care settings) (2017) (Disability Discrimination) 
• HRC Case No: PA16-0018 - (redacted) (lack of access to mental health treatment) (settled 2018) (2017) (Disability Discrimination)
• HRC Case No: HV17-0026 - (2018) (Sexual Orientation)
• HRC Case No: HV18-0003 - (redacted) (2018) (Disability)

2017

• HRC Case No: HV17-0011 (2017) (Disability Discrimination)
• HRC Case No: PA16-0007 & PA16-0019 (redacted) (settled 2017) (National Origin, Race and Color Discrimination)
• HRC Case No: PA16-0006 - (access to medical marijuana by person diagnosed with PTSD) (2017) (Disability Discrimination) 
• HRC Case No: PA17-0002 - (settled) (service animal) (2017) (Disability Discrimination) 
• HRC Case No: PA17-0010 - (service animal) (2017) (Disability Discrimination)

2016

• HRC Case No: E16-0004 (2016) (Parental and Family Leave)
• HRC Case No: PA15-0012 (National Origin, Race and Color Discrimination)
• HRC Case No: PA15-0021 (English) (settled 2016) (National Origin, Race and Color Discrimination)
  • HRC Case No: PA15-0021 (Spanish)
• HRC Case No: PA15-0007 (segregation and prison lack of access to care) (2016) (Disability Discrimination) 

2015

• HRC Case No: E11-0002 (Court Decision) (2015) (Equal Pay Act) 
• HRC Case No: E12-0005  (Court Decision) (2015) (Equal Pay Act) 
• HRC Case No: E12-0006  (Court Decision) (2015) (Equal Pay Act) 
• HRC Case No: PA14-0028)(Settled) (Service animal) (2015) (Disability Discrimination)