Summary

In conclusion, the Commission's chief responsibility is to eliminate unfair or discriminatory practices, as delineated in the Iowa Civil Rights Act of 1965, as amended. The compliance duties have taken a variety of forms. These include investigation and resolution of formal complaints filed by aggrieved parties, the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, and individual commissioners; and investigation of general cases that involved allegations of discriminatory practices but did not lead to formal complaints.

The Commission has been called upon also to act as a mediator or coordinating party in a number of controversies involving problems of intergroup or intercultural tension. The Commission's role in these matters has taken such forms as: clarifying the issues; explaining public policy; settling problems of communications; and keeping highly emotional and potentially explosive situations under control.