About Us
The Civil Rights Division was created by law in January 2024 to enforce State and federal anti-discrimination laws. The Division employs lawyers, investigators, and paralegals who investigate civil rights violations and seek various remedies, including:
- Changing unfair policies and procedures
- Return of money or property lost as a result of discrimination
- Fines and other penalties
The Division brings claims on behalf of the people of Maryland that address discrimination affecting many people, not individual cases. Our work focuses on:
- Housing discrimination and unfair practices
- Employment and workplace discrimination
- Discrimination in public places, services, or business or recreational opportunities
- Violations of Maryland's hate crimes laws
To learn more
See Our Cases and Projects and our
FAQ and Resource Page
Report Discrimination
You can report discrimination or civil rights violations to us by:
- Filling out our
Civil Rights Complaint Form
- Emailing
civilrights@oag.state.md.us
- Calling 410-576-6300 or 888-743-0023 (toll-free)
We will review your complaint and may contact you if we need more information.
Important: We do not handle complaints against state or local government agencies. For those complaints, go to the
Maryland Commission for Civil Rights.
Walter Lomax Act
The Civil Rights Division implements the Walter Lomax Act, which helps people who were wrongfully convicted of serious crimes and sent to prison.
Those that qualify under the Act may receive:
- Financial compensation
- Life skills training
- Job training and financial education through the Department of Labor
- Health and dental care through the Department of Health
- A Maryland State ID card through the MVA
- Free college tuition and fees at public Maryland schools through the Higher Education Commission
Contact
To contact our Civil Rights Office, please email
[email protected]tate.md.us, or call 410-576-6300 or 888-743-0023 toll-free.
Note that contacting the Office of the Attorney General regarding an alleged civil rights violation does not satisfy or extend the notice or timeliness requirements of bringing a claim or complaint as set forth by the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or any other governmental agency or judicial venue.