Minneapolis Expands Civil Rights Protections August 1st
Minneapolis will implement expanded civil rights protections beginning August 1st, 2025, adding housing status, criminal history and physical appearance to the city's anti-discrimination ordinance.
The new protections prohibit discrimination based on housing status, defined as whether someone has a stable place to sleep at night. Justice-impacted individuals, those with criminal records or history including arrests, charges, convictions or probation, also receive protection under the ordinance. Additionally, discrimination based on height and weight is now prohibited.
Employers retain the ability to consider criminal history as it relates to specific job requirements, according to the ordinance. Factors including conviction status, time elapsed since the offense, crime severity and evidence of rehabilitation must be considered in employment decisions. Employers cannot discriminate based on arrests that did not result in convictions, except for pending cases.
The ordinance applies to employment, education, housing and public accommodations including stores and restaurants. Any decisions considering height or weight must be reasonably necessary for normal operations, with no alternative methods available that would not compromise health, safety or program objectives.
The expanded protections also include broader definitions of race, familial status and disability, along with increased protections for pregnant workers and religious observances. Employers and educational institutions are advised to review the ordinance for compliance requirements.
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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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New Civil Rights Protections in Minneapolis
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