Conciliation at Any Time
In accordance with Chapter X, Article 1, Section 10-108, Subsection 10-108.10, at any point after a complaint has been filed, beginning with the filing of the complaint, continuing during the investigation of the complaint, and ending with the filing of an order by the Human Relations Commission or dismissal of the complaint by the Director or Commission; the director or the director’s designee shall engage in conciliation with respect to the complaint to attempt to assist the complainant and the Respondent to agree to settle the matter.
The investigator is usually designated by the Director to act as the mediator between the parties during the process of reaching a conciliation agreement. Conciliation agreements are legally binding contracts which state the terms of the agreement between the respondent and the complainant; are subject to the Director’s approval; and may be enforced in District Court.
Nothing said or done in the course of attempting to reach an agreement through conciliation can be made public, or used as evidence in a subsequent proceeding, without the written consent of the persons concerned.
During the negotiation of a conciliation agreement before the completion of the investigation, the investigative process must continue until all parties have agreed to all terms of the conciliation agreement to avoid delay in the event an agreement is not reached.
Within five (5) working days after completion of the investigation, the investigator must prepare a final investigative report and present it to the Director.