The law currently requires state discrimination claims under the Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act to be filed administratively with the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities Commission before the claims may be filed in court.

Any experienced attorney litigating discrimination cases understands that it would be malpractice to litigate discrimination claims administratively instead of through the court for numerous reasons:

  1. Inadequate Remedies: The CHRO is not authorized to punitive damages, or contingent attorney’s fees.
  2. No Jury Trial
  3. Lack of meaning discovery process
  4. Lack of resources to conduct administrative hearings in contested cases
  5. Inability to litigate other claims outside of CHRO’s jurisdiction