18 Seward Avenue
Middletown, NY 10940

Phone:  (845) 615-3680      Fax:  (845) 346-1223

Hours:  Monday through Friday,  9:00 am - 5:00 pm

The Orange County Human Rights Commission was established in 1970 to serve the citizens of Orange County. Its primary objectives are:

..To foster mutual respect and understanding among all racial, religious and nationality groups in the County.
..To inquire into incidents of tension and conflict among or between various racial, religious and nationality groups and to act to relieve this tension.
..To conduct and recommend programs in education to increase good will among the diverse inhabitants of the County.
..To receive complaints of alleged discrimination because of race, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, arrest and/or conviction record and to attempt to resolve such conflicts.

You may file a complaint with the Orange County Human Rights Commission staff if you are a resident of Orange County or are employed in Orange County and believe that you have been the victim of discrimination either in your employment, housing or a public accommodation because of your race or color, national origin, creed, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest and/or conviction record or your genetic predisposition or carrier status.

Complaints must be filed within one year of the alleged unlawful discriminatory act and must fall within the jurisdiction of the New York State Human Rights Law.

For a copy of New York State’s Executive Law Article 15 "Human Rights Law" contact the New York State Division of Human Rights at their Web address: www.dhr.state.ny.us

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSIONERS

Members of the Orange County Human Rights Commission are volunteers who are appointed by the County Executive and confirmed by the County Legislature.

Nolly Climes,  Chairperson
Kathleen Francese,  First Vice Chairperson

Members: Fred Cook, Kara Dorsey, Chris Farlekas, Angel Figueroa, Dr. Hubert Lee, Daniel McMann, Christine Sadowski, Rev. Father William Scafidi, Rabbi Joel Schwab, Mary Simmons 

Related Documents
Human Rights Brochure (pdf - 46 Kbytes)
Human Rights Brochure-Spanish (pdf - 40 Kbytes)
Useful Links on Human Rights Issues (pdf - 18 Kbytes)
Keynote Address at Human Rights Employment Summit (pdf - 53 Kbytes)
Human Rights Poster (pdf - 177 Kbytes)
2010 Media Release - Honorees Announced (pdf - 27 Kbytes)
Orange County Human Rights Commission Awards 2010 Scholarship (pdf - 29 Kbytes)