Chapter 4.04 HUMAN RIGHTS


Section 4.04.160 Public meetings, records, and confidentiality.

    1. All meetings of the commission shall be public meetings except when Iowa law allows for a closed session.  The commission may hold a closed session only by an affirmative public vote of either two-thirds of the members of the commission or all of the members present.
    2. All records of the commission shall be public, except:
         a. Complaints of discrimination, reports of investigations, statements and other documents or records obtained in investigation of any charge shall be closed records, unless a public hearing is scheduled, right to sue letter is issued or district court action is commenced as provided in this chapter.  Records shall then be made available to a party or party’ s attorney upon receipt of a written request.
        b. The minutes of any session which is closed under the provisions of this chapter shall be closed records.
    3. No member or employee of the commission or of the city shall disclose to any person, other than the respondent, the filing of a charge, the information gathered during the investigation, or the endeavors to eliminate such discriminatory or unfair practice by conference, conciliation, or persuasion, unless such disclosure is made in connection with the investigation, scheduling of a public hearing upon a complaint, the holding of the public hearing, after the commission has held a public hearing, or after district court action is commenced as provided in this chapter.  This subsection does not prevent any complainant, respondent, witness, or other person from publicizing the filing of a complaint or the matter therein complained of.  Nor does it prohibit disclosure of any conciliation agreement without use of the names of parties involved.  Nothing in this section shall prevent the commission from releasing such information concerning alleged or acknowledged discriminatory practices to the state civil rights commission, the United States civil rights commission, the federal equal employment opportunity commission , and other agencies or organizations whose primary purpose is the enforcement of civil rights legislation. Violation of these provisions by a member of the commission or its staff shall constitute grounds for removal. (Ord. 2008-0235)