Click here to fill out and submit an electronic pre-interview information form. IMPORTANT: Filling out this form does not mean you have filed a formal charge of discrimination.
If you have reasonable belief that you have been discriminated against or are about to suffer from discriminatory behavior in employment, housing, education, or places that provide goods and/or services to members of the public (these are places of public accommodation, some examples include: shopping malls, bars, restaurants, etc.); please contact our office to speak with a Commission staff.
The Commission takes walk-ins, and also conducts counseling sessions over the phone. Please see our posted hours of operation before you come in. Note that the Commission has an in-house legal update and review every Monday morning from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The office doors are closed during this time.
Metro's office is located on the 6th floor, Room 680, of the City-County Building, located at One East Main Street in downtown Fort Wayne.
Pre-Complaint (Intake) Interview
Your initial conversation with Staffis called an intake interview and provides an opportunity for the Commission to interact with you to gain the information sufficient to draft a complaint of discrimination if one needs to be filed, or if you insist on filing one.
Please note that while every resident has the right to file a complaint, you do not hve the right to file frivolous complaints, or complaints you know have no reasonable basis. Businesses have the right to be protected from unfounded allegations of discrimination. So, while you have a right to file a complaint, the Commission, as an enforcement agency, has the right to determine how your allegations are investigated, or if they are to be investigated at all. Once a decision is made to investigate your complaint, the Commission will undertake a thorough investigation as the facts dictate.
If you have any documents you wish to submit during the Intake Interview, an investigator will make copies of your documents and return (where necessary) the originals to you. The Commission's investigation process will also be explained to you at this time. there are a number of forms to fill out and much information to be shared and discussed during this initial process. This entire Intake Interview process can take any where from 45 minutes to an hour. Please plan accordingly when you come in.
The investigator will need certain information in order to begin the investigatory process. You must be able to provide the name of the company (employer, school, housing provider, or place of public accommodation), the most recent date of discrimination and the basis for discrimination (i.e. the action taken against you was because of your sex, religion, race, national origin, color, ancestry, age, familial status). These three things are necessary in order for the investigation to proceed. Any questions or concerns about these can be discussed with an investigator.
If you believe that you suffered some form of unlawful discrimination, do not wait too long to contact our office in order to assess whether a charge/complaint needs to bfiled. There are strict time limits imposed by the various laws. The shortest time limit being 180 days from the last (or most recent) date of harm. However, in other instance you may have a longer period of time in whihc to file your charge. It is best to speak with an investigator to determine what time frame is available for you to file your charge of discrimination.
