The Year's Work in Case Processing

During this fiscal year, the agency was able to maintain its gain in managing the number of cases in its inventory. There were 2,188 newly-filed complaints, which was close to the numbers filed in the previous three fiscal years. There were 2,211 cases resolved, which again helped to prevent any increase in the backlog.

The "backlog" has traditionally been a measure of a civil rights enforcement agency's efficiency. The backlog is defined as cases awaiting assignment for investigation. In our agency, these cases have already been screened and mediation attempted, before put in line for investigation. At the end of FY 98, our backlog numbered 40 cases, down from 474 cases four years ago.



Employment complaints continued to be the largest area of complaints received, 85%, down slightly from last year. Slight increases thus occurred in the numbers of public accommodations and housing complaints.

Disability continued to be the most-frequently named basis, or reason for discrimination, 35.2%. This was followed by sex, 33.8%, and race, 23.3%. These percentages were all slightly less than last year, with slight increases in the numbers of cases filed on age, retaliation, and national origin.

However, in housing complaints, race was the most frequently-named basis for discrimination, 56.3%, an increase from 46% last year. This was followed by familial status, 27.7%, and disability, 23.0%. Complaints based on sex were 11.9%, down from 20.3% last year.

Complaints Filed, by Area

Area # %
Employment 1853 85
Public Accommodations 175 8
Housing 126 6
Education 31 1.4
Credit 3 <1

 

Complaints Filed, by Basis

Basis # %
Disability 823 35.2
Sex 792 33.8
Race 593 23.3
Age 450 19.2
Retaliation 393 16.8
National Origin 135 5.8
Religion 36 1.5
Familial Status 34 1.4
Color 5 <1
Creed 2 <1
Marital Status 1 <1

 

Housing Complaints Filed, by Basis

Basis # %
Race 71 56.3
Familial Status 29 27.7
Disability 29 23.0
Sex 15 11.9
National Origin 4 3.1
Religion 3 2.3
Retaliation 3 2.3
Color 1 <1

 

Complaints Filed, by Incident

Incident # %
Termination 836 37.8
Terms and Conditions 569 25.7
Failure to Accommodate 354 16.0
Harassment 351 15.9
Sexual Harassment 259 11.7
Failure to Hire 196 8.9
Forced to Quit 150 6.8
Failure to Promote 145 6.5
Unequal Pay 101 4.6
Demotion 96 4.3
Layoff 71 3.2
Suspension 66 3.0
Discipline 61 2.7
Denied Benefits 22 1.0
Failure to Train 20 .9
Failure to Recall 19 .8
Failure to Represent (union) 7 .3
Involuntary Retirement 2 <1
Improper Testing 2 <1
Failure to Refer 1 <1
Unfavorable Reference 1 <1

 

Housing Complaints Filed, by Incident

Incident # %
Failure to Rent 56 44.4
Terms and Conditions 43 34.1
Eviction 42 33.3
Harassment 17 13.5
Failure to Accommodate 7 5.5
Sexual Harassment 1 <1

 

Complaints Filed, by Respondent Type

Respondent Type # %
Private Employer 1577 72.0
Other (non-employment) 242 11.0
State/Local Government 223 10.2
Public. Elem./Sec. School 55 2.5
Public College/University 32 1.5
Private College/School 22 1.0
Union 12 <1
Employment Agency 5 <1

 

Complaints Filed, by Agency

Agency #
Iowa Civil Rights Commission 1761
Des Moines Human Rights Commission 80
Davenport Civil Rights Commission 65
Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission 57
Equal Employment Opportunity Comm. 55
Dubuque Human Rights Commission 35
Mason City Human Rights Commission 32
Iowa City Human Rights Commission 27
Waterloo Human Rights Commission 25
Council Bluffs Human Rights Commission 22
Sioux City Human Rights Commission 11
Fort Dodge Human Rights Commission 9
Clinton Human Rights Commission 3
Ames Human Rights Commission 2
Housing & Urban Development 2
Cedar Falls Human Rights Commission 1

 

Case Resolutions

Resolution Type #
Probable Cause 16
No Probable Cause 227
To Hearing 1
Screen Out 980
Right-to-Sue 299
Administratively Closed, Other 127
Mediated 206
Conciliated 10
Withdrawl 33
EEOC Administratively Closed 108
Local Administratively Closed 185
Local Probable Cause 14
Local to Hearing 5

 

Annualized Benefits

Annualized benefits, monies paid to Complainants as a result of settlement agreements or final agency decisions, reached a record setting $1,963,300. The average settlement amount was $9,089.

 

Complaints Filed, By County, FY 98

 

County

Complaints

Rank

 Adair

 2

  

Adams

3

  

Allamakee

0

  

Appanoose

9

  

Audubon

0

  

Benton

7

  

Black Hawk

122

4

Boone

8

  

Bremer

9

  

Buchanan

4

  

Buena Vista

8

  

Butler

6

  

Calhoun

0

  

Carroll

6

  

Cass

4

  

Cedar

5

  

Cerro Gordo

43

10

Cherokee

7

  

Chickasaw

2

  

Clarke

8

  

Clay

7

  

Clayton

4

  

Clinton

46

 9

Crawford

7

  

Dallas

12

  

Davis

4

  

Decatur

6

  

Delaware

9

  

Des Moines

18

  

Dickinson

7

  

Dubuque

65

7

Emmet

5

  

Fayette

12

  

Floyd

3

  

Franklin

2

  

Fremont

1

  

Greene

0

  

Grundy

2

  

Guthrie

5

  

Hamilton

9

  

Hancock

1

  

Hardin

9

  

Harrison

2

  

Henry

15

  

Howard

4

  

Humboldt

4

  

Ida

7

  

Iowa

8

  

Jackson

5

  

Jasper

14

  

Jefferson

18

  

Johnson

91

5

Jones

7

  

Keokuk

1

  

Kossuth

4

  

Lee

40

Linn

160

3

Louisa

3

  

Lucas

3

  

Lyon

0

  

Madison

5

  

Mahaska

10

  

Marion

19

  

Marshall

34

  

Mills

3

  

Mitchell

4

  

Monona

4

  

Monroe

4

  

Montgomery

4

  

Muscatine

30

  

O'Brien

1

  

Osceola

2

  

Page

15

  

Palo Alto

1

  

Plymouth

4

  

Pocahontas

4

  

Polk

599

1

Pottawattamie

62

8

Poweshiek

11

  

Ringgold

1

  

Sac

2

  

Scott

252

2

Shelby

3

  

Sioux

2

  

Story

36

  

Tama

8

  

Taylor

4

  

Union

10

  

Van Buren

1

  

Wapello

39

  

Warren

8

  

Washington

10

  

Wayne

0

  

Webster

23

  

Winnebago

4

  

Winneshiek

7

  

Woodbury

73

6

Worth

6

  

Wright

5

  

 

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