Remarkable Settlements

 

What follows is a partial listing of civil rights cases that have settled via mediation since July 1, 1997. All of these cases were filed with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission and all were settled with the help of Civil Rights Mediators.

Civil Rights Mediators work to resolve discrimination disputes amicably, through a voluntary, no-fault settlement process called mediation. Most of the mediators working for the Commission are volunteers. Many are attorneys. All have donated their time to help the Iowa Civil Rights Commission and the people of Iowa fight discrimination.

In many of the cases settled through mediation, no money exchanges hands. The dispute is resolved when the parties communicate their positions and negotiate a compromise. Sometimes the employee is brought back to work with a clearer understanding of job expectations. Sometimes, in housing cases, the landlord and tenant are able to work out their problems just by talking it over with the help of a neutral mediator. But in some cases, money does become a necessary term of settlement.