What can a person do if he or she is being discriminated against by a place of public accommodation on the basis of his or her HIV status?
A person who believes that he or she is being discriminated against may file a complaint with the Department of Justice. Complaints may be directed to the Department of Justice at the address below.
The Department of Justice is authorized to investigate complaints and to bring lawsuits in cases of general public importance, or where there is a pattern or practice of discrimination. The Department may seek injunctive relief (such as having the public accommodation correct its discriminatory practices), monetary damages, and civil penalties. Due to resource limitations, the Department is unable to investigate every complaint that it receives.
Individuals are also entitled to bring private lawsuits against places of public accommodation. If a person files a private lawsuit, he or she may not seek monetary damages. However, the person may seek injunctive relief and reasonable attorney’s fees and costs.
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