Human Rights Commission

The HRC is a 9-member municipal commission that serves Oklahoma City residents in areas relating to human rights. The HRC is empowered to educate the public about human rights and to act for the benefit of all residents to eliminate unlawful discrimination based on race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender, national origin, age, familial status, genetic information or disability, in employment, housing and public accommodations, as defined by applicable laws. See Oklahoma City Municipal Code, Ordinance No. 27,109.

The HRC was formed on July 20, 2022, and began operating in January 2023.

The Commission supports the policy of Oklahoma City to seek to protect all persons within its borders so all may lawfully enjoy everything this City has to offer, without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender, national origin, age, familial status, genetic information, or disability, regarding employment, housing, and public accommodations. See Oklahoma City Municipal Code, Ordinance No. 27,109, Section 25-1(c).

The HRC meets 6 times a year — every other month during the calendar year. The places and times of the meetings vary so that residents have a variety of opportunities to attend a meeting with convenient access. The meetings generally are scheduled to begin at 9:00am, noon, or 6:00pm. The venues for the meetings generally are near bus stops. The date, place and time of each meeting are posted ahead of the meeting, and the official notice and agenda for each meeting can be found on the City’s Public Meeting Calendar.

Yes, anyone can come to the HRC meetings and all are welcome! Each HRC meeting is open to the public and is conducted in accordance with the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act. At each meeting, the Commission conducts organizational business and often has a speaker or panel of speakers addressing human rights issues affecting Oklahoma City residents.

If you wish to make remarks to the Commission at a meeting, you can sign up to do so at the beginning of the meeting. More information about HRC meetings can be found in our agenda. Before each meeting, agendas are published on the Public Meeting Calendar. Select the event on the calendar and the agenda will be hyperlinked.

Anyone with a disability who requires an accommodation, a modification of policies or procedures, or an auxiliary aid or service (including an ASL translator) to participate in an HRC meeting can contact the City’s ADA department coordinator at 405.297.2345 to request an accommodation. You should do so as soon as possible but not later than 48 hours (not including weekends or holidays) before the scheduled meeting.

The HRC is authorized to receive complaints of unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations within Oklahoma City. If a complaint is not within the HRC’s jurisdiction under the terms of the Ordinance, the HRC Compliance Officer may, if appropriate, refer the person to another federal, state or local agency formed to receive complaints of discrimination. An initial intake form is available on the HRC website and at the City Clerk’s office. The form is available in English and in Spanish. It can be submitted online or in person at the City Clerk’s Office, 200 N Walker Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73102.

When we receive a complaint, the Compliance Officer conducts an initial review — using the Initial Intake Form filled out by the person who has a complaint — and then responds to let them know that the complaint has been received. During the initial review, the Compliance Officer determines if the matter is within the HRC’s jurisdiction or not. If the complaint is clearly outside of our jurisdiction (e.g., alleged discrimination occurred more than 90 days from date of complaint, place of alleged discrimination is not Oklahoma City, etc.), then the Compliance Officer will notify the individual that their complaint cannot be addressed by the HRC. When applicable, the Compliance Officer will refer the individual to another entity that might be able to better assist them.

If the complaint is within our jurisdiction or it is unclear, the Compliance Officer will seek more information either by asking the individual to submit a complete intake form (if not already completed) or trying to contact the individual to get additional information. For a more detailed review of the process, please see the Human Rights Commission Complaint Process(PDF, 262KB).

If you have questions about an existing complaint, please reach out to hrc@okc.gov.

The HRC provides conciliation and mediation services for those involved in a disputed claim of discrimination. The HRC helps the parties work out a fair and equitable agreement to resolve the dispute. The HRC does not have the authority to require payment of money or other legal remedies. The HRC’s sole remedy is to empower the individuals involved to resolve the dispute on their own agreed-upon terms. The HRC will provide a facilitator/mediator to help the parties come to an agreement.

No, participation in an HRC complaint and conciliation process is entirely voluntary for all involved.

Commissioners are selected primarily according to the City Ward in which they reside. They go through an appointment process involving the Mayor and City Council Ward Representatives and are approved by the City Council. Current Commissioners serving on the HRC are:

• Valerie Couch, At-Large, Chair
• Ralph Crawford, Ward 1
• Cindy Nguyen, Ward 2
• Barbara Peck, Ward 3
• Leslie Shaw VanBuskirk, Ward 4
• Stephanie Holloway, Ward 5
• Ana ‘Deisy’ Escalera, Ward 6
• Marsha Herron, Ward 7, Vice Chair
• Rhonda Hooper, Ward 8

An application for residents to apply to one of the City’s boards, trusts, commissions, and committees can be found on our Apply to Serve on a City Board, Trust or Commission page.

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