Pontiac — Part I Ch. 24 Human Relations and Social Services § 24-1

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
Age means the chronological age of a person who is at least 40 years old, except with regard to any practice described in 775 ILCS 5/2-102, insofar as that practice concerns training or apprenticeship programs. In the case of training or apprenticeship programs, for the purposes of 775 ILCS 5/2-102, the term "age" means the chronological age of a person who is 18 years old but not yet 40 years old.
Commission means the city human relations commission.
Contractor means a person who contracts with the city in a total amount greater than $10,000.00 for any single contract in the current or preceding fiscal year.
Disability means a determinable physical or mental characteristic of a person, including, but not limited to, a determinable physical characteristic which necessitates the person's use of a guide, hearing or support dog, the history of such characteristic, or the perception of such characteristic by the person complained against, which may result from disease, injury, congenital condition of birth or functional disorder and which characteristic: (1)
With regard to employment, is unrelated to the person's ability to perform the duties of a particular job or position pursuant to 775 ILCS 5/2-104; provided, however, that a person's illegal use of drugs or alcohol is not a disability;
(2) With regard to real estate transactions, is unrelated to the person's ability to acquire, rent or maintain a housing accommodation;
(3) With regard to financial credit, is unrelated to a person's ability to repay;
(4) With regard to public accommodations, is unrelated to a person's ability to utilize and benefit from a place of public accommodation;
(5) With regard to other civil rights violations, also includes any mental, psychological, or developmental disability, including autism spectrum disorders.
Dwelling means any building or structure or portion thereof within the city which is arranged, designed or used as a home, residence or living quarters for one or more individuals.
Employ means to use or be entitled to the use and benefit of the services of a person as an employee.
Employee includes any individual performing services for remuneration within this state for an employer, an apprentice and an applicant for any apprenticeship, but does not include: (1)
Domestic servants in private homes.
(2) Individuals employed by persons who are not employers.
(3) Elected public officials or the members of their immediate personal staffs.
(4) Principal administrative officers of the state or of any political subdivision, municipal corporation or other governmental unit or agency.
(5) A person in a vocational rehabilitation facility certified under federal law who has been designated an evaluee, trainee or work activity client.
Employer includes: (1)
Any person employing 15 or more employees within the state during 20 or more calendar weeks within the calendar year of or preceding the alleged violation;
(2) Any person employing one or more employees, when a complainant alleges civil rights violation due to unlawful discrimination based upon his physical or mental handicap unrelated to ability;
(3) The state and any political subdivision, municipal corporation or other governmental unit or agency, without regard to the number of employees;
(4) Any party to a public contract, without regard to the number of employees;
(5) A joint apprenticeship or training committee, without regard to the number of employees;
but does not include any religious corporation, association, educational institution, society or nonprofit nursing institution conducted by and for those who rely upon treatment by prayer through spiritual means in accordance with the tenets of a recognized church or religious denomination with respect to the employment of individuals of a particular religion to perform work connected with the carrying on by such corporation, association, educational institution, society or nonprofit nursing institution of its activities.
Employment means the state of being employed as an employee by an employer.
Employment agency includes both public and private employment agencies and any person, labor organization or labor union having a hiring hall or hiring office regularly undertaking, with or without compensation, to procure opportunities to work, or to procure, recruit, refer or place employees.
Familial status means one or more individuals who have not attained the age of 18 years being domiciled with a parent or person having legal custody of such individual or the designee of such parent or other person having such custody, with the written permission of such parent or other person. The protections afforded by this chapter against discrimination on the basis of familial status apply to any person who is pregnant or is in the process of securing legal custody of any individual who has not attained the age of 18 years.
Gender means the status of being male or female or as otherwise defined by state law or regulation.
Hire means to engage or contract for or attempt to engage or contract for the services of any person as an employee.
Housing accommodations includes any improved or unimproved real property or part thereof which is used or occupied or is intended, arranged or designed to be used or occupied as the home or residence of one or more individuals.
Labor organization includes any organization, labor union or craft union or any voluntary unincorporated association designed to further the cause of the rights of union labor which is constituted for the purpose, in whole or in part, of collective bargaining or of dealing with employers concerning grievances, terms or conditions of employment, or apprenticeships or applications for apprenticeships, or of other mutual aid or protection in connection with employment, including apprenticeships or applications for apprenticeships.
Lease includes sublease, assignment, and rent or rental, and includes any contract to do any of such acts.
Lending institution means any bank, insurance company, savings and loan association or other person in the business of buying or selling loans or instruments for the payment of money which are secured by title to or a security interest in real estate.
Marital status means the legal status of being married, single, separated, divorced or widowed.
Military status means a person's status on active duty in or status as a veteran of the armed forces of the United States, status as a current member or veteran of any reserve component of the armed forces of the United States, including the United States Army Reserve, United States Marine Corps Reserve, United States Navy Reserve, United States Air Force Reserve, and United States Coast Guard Reserve, or status as a current member or veteran of the Illinois Army National Guard or Illinois Air National Guard.
Minority, with regard to employment practices, means American Indians, Asians, Blacks, or Hispanics, or to such protected classes as youth, elderly, women, or persons with disabilities.
National origin includes the national origin of an ancestor.
Order of protection status means a person's status as being a person protected under an order of protection issued pursuant to the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986, 750 ILCS 60/101 et seq., or an order of protection issued by a court of another state.
Owner means any person who holds legal or equitable title to or owns any beneficial interest in any dwelling or housing, or who holds legal or equitable title to shares of or holds any beneficial interest in any real estate cooperative which owns any dwelling or housing.
Pregnancy means pregnancy, childbirth, or medical or common conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth.
Purchase includes any contract to purchase.
Real estate agent means any real estate broker, any real estate salesman and any other person who, as employee or agent or otherwise, engages in the management or operation of any dwelling or housing.
Real estate broker or salesman means a person, whether licensed or not, who, for or with the expectation of receiving a consideration, lists, sells, purchases, exchanges, rents or leases real property, or who negotiates or attempts to negotiate any of these activities, or who holds himself out as engaged in these activities.
Real estate transaction includes the sale, exchange, rental or lease of real property. The term "real estate transaction" also includes the brokering or appraising of residential real property and the making or purchasing of loans or providing other financial assistance for purchasing, constructing, improving, repairing or maintaining a dwelling or secured by residential real estate.
Religion, with regard to employers, includes all aspects of religious observance and practice, as well as belief; except that, with respect to employers, it includes all aspects of religious observance and practice, as well as belief, unless an employer demonstrates that he is unable to reasonably accommodate an employee's or prospective employee's religious observance or practice without undue hardship on the conduct of the employer's business.
Sale includes any contract to sell or exchange or to convey, transfer or assign legal or equitable title to or a beneficial interest in real estate.
Sexual harassment means any unwelcome sexual advances or requests for sexual favors or any conduct of a sexual nature when: (1)
Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment;
(2) Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual; or
(3) Such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment.
Sexual orientation means actual or perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, or gender-related identity, whether or not traditionally associated with the person's designated gender at birth. The term "sexual orientation" does not include a physical or sexual attraction to a minor by an adult.
Unfavorable military discharge includes discharges from the armed forces of the United States, their reserve components or any National Guard or Naval Militia which are classified as RE-3 or the equivalent thereof, but does not include those characterized as RE-4 or "dishonorable."
Unlawful discrimination includes any difference in treatment based on race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, gender, marital status, order of protection status, disability, military status, sexual orientation, pregnancy or unfavorable discharge from military status.
Vendors means persons who have sold more than $10,000.00 in worth of goods or services to the city in the current or preceding fiscal year.