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California Government Code Section 12965

Legal Research Home > California Laws > Government Code > California Government Code Section 12965

(a) In the case of failure to eliminate an unlawful practice
under this part through conference, conciliation, or persuasion, or
in advance thereof if circumstances warrant, the director in his or
her discretion may cause to be issued in the name of the department a
written accusation. The accusation shall contain the name of the
person, employer, labor organization, or employment agency accused,
which shall be known as the respondent, shall set forth the nature of
the charges, shall be served upon the respondent together with a
copy of the verified complaint, as amended, and shall require the
respondent to answer the charges at a hearing.
   For any complaint treated by the director as a group or class
complaint for purposes of investigation, conciliation, and accusation
pursuant to Section 12961, an accusation shall be issued, if at all,
within two years after the filing of the complaint. For any
complaint alleging a violation of Section 51.7 of the Civil Code, an
accusation shall be issued, if at all, within two years after the
filing of the complaint. For all other complaints, an accusation
shall be issued, if at all, within one year after the filing of a
complaint. If the director determines, pursuant to Section 12961,
that a complaint investigated as a group or class complaint under
Section 12961 is to be treated as a group or class complaint for
purposes of conciliation and accusation as well, that determination
shall be made and shall be communicated in writing within one year
after the filing of the complaint to each person, employer, labor
organization, employment agency, or public entity alleged in the
complaint to have committed an unlawful practice.
   (b) If an accusation is not issued within 150 days after the
filing of a complaint, or if the department earlier determines that
no accusation will issue, the department shall promptly notify, in
writing, the person claiming to be aggrieved that the department
shall issue, on his or her request, the right-to-sue notice. This
notice shall indicate that the person claiming to be aggrieved may
bring a civil action under this part against the person, employer,
labor organization, or employment agency named in the verified
complaint within one year from the date of that notice. If the person
claiming to be aggrieved does not request a right-to-sue notice, the
department shall issue the notice upon completion of its
investigation, and not later than one year after the filing of the
complaint. A city, county, or district attorney in a location having
an enforcement unit established on or before March 1, 1991, pursuant
to a local ordinance enacted for the purpose of prosecuting HIV/AIDS
discrimination claims, acting on behalf of any person claiming to be
aggrieved due to HIV/AIDS discrimination, may also bring a civil
action under this part against the person, employer, labor
organization, or employment agency named in the notice. The superior
courts of the State of California shall have jurisdiction of those
actions, and the aggrieved person may file in these courts. An action
may be brought in any county in the state in which the unlawful
practice is alleged to have been committed, in the county in which
the records relevant to the practice are maintained and administered,
or in the county in which the aggrieved person would have worked or
would have had access to the public accommodation but for the alleged
unlawful practice, but if the defendant is not found within any of
these counties, an action may be brought within the county of the
defendant's residence or principal office. A copy of any complaint
filed pursuant to this part shall be served on the principal offices
of the department and of the commission. The remedy for failure to
send a copy of a complaint is an order to do so. Those actions may
not be filed as class actions or may not be maintained as class
actions by the person or persons claiming to be aggrieved where those
persons have filed a civil class action in the federal courts
alleging a comparable claim of employment discrimination against the
same defendant or defendants. In actions brought under this section,
the court, in its discretion, may award to the prevailing party
reasonable attorney's fees and costs, including expert witness fees,
except where the action is filed by a public agency or a public
official, acting in an official capacity.
   (c) (1) If an accusation includes a prayer either for damages for
emotional injuries as a component of actual damages, or for
administrative fines, or for both, or if an accusation is amended for
the purpose of adding a prayer either for damages for emotional
injuries as a component of actual damages, or for administrative
fines, or both, the respondent may within 30 days after service of
the accusation or amended accusation, elect to transfer the
proceedings to a court in lieu of a hearing pursuant to subdivision
(a) by serving a written notice to that effect on the department, the
commission, and the person claiming to be aggrieved. The commission
shall prescribe the form and manner of giving written notice.
   (2) No later than 30 days after the completion of service of the
notice of election pursuant to paragraph (1), the department shall
dismiss the accusation and shall, either itself or, at its election,
through the Attorney General, file in the appropriate court an action
in its own name on behalf of the person claiming to be aggrieved as
the real party in interest. In this action, the person claiming to be
aggrieved shall be the real party in interest and shall have the
right to participate as a party and be represented by his or her own
counsel. Complaints filed pursuant to this section shall be filed in
the superior court in any county in which unlawful practices are
alleged to have been committed, in the county in which records
relevant to the alleged unlawful practices are maintained and
administered, or in the county in which the person claiming to be
aggrieved would have worked or would have had access to public
accommodation, but for the alleged unlawful practices. If the
defendant is not found in any of these counties, the action may be
brought within the county of the defendant's residence or principal
office. Those actions shall be assigned to the court's delay
reduction program, or otherwise given priority for disposition by the
court in which the action is filed.
   (3) A court may grant as relief in any action filed pursuant to
this subdivision any relief a court is empowered to grant in a civil
action brought pursuant to subdivision (b), in addition to any other
relief that, in the judgment of the court, will effectuate the
purpose of this part. This relief may include a requirement that the
employer conduct training for all employees, supervisors, and
management on the requirements of this part, the rights and remedies
of those who allege a violation of this part, and the employer's
internal grievance procedures.
   (4) The department may amend an accusation to pray for either
damages for emotional injury or for administrative fines, or both,
provided that the amendment is made within 30 days of the issuance of
the original accusation.
   (d) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), the one-year statute of
limitations, commencing from the date of the right-to-sue notice by
the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, to the person claiming
to be aggrieved, shall be tolled when all of the following
requirements have been met:
   (A) A charge of discrimination or harassment is timely filed
concurrently with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the
Department of Fair Employment and Housing.
   (B) The investigation of the charge is deferred by the Department
of Fair Employment and Housing to the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission.
   (C) A right-to-sue notice is issued to the person claiming to be
aggrieved upon deferral of the charge by the Department of Fair
Employment and Housing to the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission.
   (2) The time for commencing an action for which the statute of
limitations is tolled under paragraph (1) expires when the federal
right-to-sue period to commence a civil action expires, or one year
from the date of the right-to-sue notice by the Department of Fair
Employment and Housing, whichever is later.
   (3) This subdivision is intended to codify the holding in Downs v.
Department of Water and Power of City of Los Angeles (1997) 58
Cal.App.4th 1093.
   (e) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), the one-year statute of
limitations, commencing from the date of the right-to-sue notice by
the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, to the person claiming
to be aggrieved, shall be tolled when all of the following
requirements have been met:
   (A) A charge of discrimination or harassment is timely filed
concurrently with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the
Department of Fair Employment and Housing.
   (B) The investigation of the charge is deferred by the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission to the Department of Fair
Employment and Housing.
   (C) After investigation and determination by the Department of
Fair Employment and Housing, the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission agrees to perform a substantial weight review of the
determination of the department or conducts its own investigation of
the claim filed by the aggrieved person.
   (2) The time for commencing an action for which the statute of
limitations is tolled under paragraph (1) shall expire when the
federal right-to-sue period to commence a civil action expires, or
one year from the date of the right-to-sue notice by the Department
of Fair Employment and Housing, whichever is later.

Last modified: February 13, 2012