Minneapolis expands civil rights protections effective August 1st
The Minneapolis City Council enacted a new ordinance that significantly expands civil rights protections, adding safeguards against discrimination based on housing status, criminal history, height, and weight. The law takes effect August 1st, 2025.
Minneapolis residents and workers now have broader legal protections against discrimination under a new city ordinance approved by the City Council. Starting August 1st, 2025, the law prohibits discrimination based on four new categories: housing status, justice-impacted history (a person's prior involvement with the criminal justice system), height, and weight.
Beyond these new protections, the ordinance also strengthens existing civil rights safeguards. The law expands how the city defines race, familial status, and disability to provide more comprehensive coverage. It also increases protections for pregnant workers and people observing religious practices, ensuring employers and schools cannot discriminate based on these factors.
The ordinance applies to employers, educational institutions, and other covered entities throughout Minneapolis. City officials are advising these organizations to review the new law carefully to ensure they comply with its requirements. The expanded protections reflect the city's effort to address discrimination in areas that were previously not explicitly covered under civil rights law.
The changes represent one of the most significant updates to Minneapolis's civil rights ordinance in recent years, broadening the scope of who is protected and on what grounds. Community members and advocacy groups have long pushed for protections in these areas, particularly regarding housing status and criminal history, which can create barriers to employment and housing for vulnerable populations.
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[0:01] As of August 1st, 2025, anyone living, working
or visiting Minneapolis has new civil rights
[0:08] protections: You can’t be discriminated
against because of: Your housing status,
[0:13] if you are justice impacted (which means
having a criminal record or history), or
[0:18] your height or weight. According to the new law,
“Housing Status” means whether you have a stable,
[0:24] regular place to sleep at night or not. The
ordinance doesn’t stop organizations from making
[0:29] certain distinctions or asking questions about
housing status if federal or state law requires
[0:35] it, or if there’s a good business reason that’s
allowed by law. “Justice Impacted” means having a
[0:42] criminal record or history—like an arrest, charge,
conviction, jail time, or probation. That said,
[0:50] employers can consider how someone’s criminal
history relates to the job. Employers should
[0:55] consider the following when making decisions
about justice-impacted individuals: If there was a
[1:00] conviction; How long ago the offense or conviction
occurred; The severity and nature of the crime;
[1:05] The person’s age at the time; and Evidence of
rehabilitation. Employers cannot discriminate
[1:11] based on arrests that didn’t lead to convictions,
except for pending cases. State and federal
[1:17] licensing rules still apply. Schools need to think
about how a criminal history might affect the
[1:23] student’s ability to get licensed for certain
professions. “Height” means how tall you are,
[1:28] and “weight” means how much you weigh.
This includes actual numbers and how
[1:33] people see you—like tall or short, heavy or
light. For education, employment, housing,
[1:39] and public accommodations—places like stores and
restaurants, any decisions that take into account
[1:45] height or weight must be reasonably necessary
for the normal operation of the job or service.
[1:52] That means there can’t be any other way to do it
without causing significant problems, changing
[1:57] the main purpose of the program, or putting
anyone’s health or safety at risk. Other new
[2:03] protections include expanded definitions of race,
familial status, and disability...and increased
[2:09] protections for pregnant workers and people’s
religious observances. Employers and educational
[2:14] institutions should review the ordinance to
understand what they now need to consider. Visit
[2:20] our website to learn more or to file a complaint
if you think you’ve been discriminated against.
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