Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46a § 46a-89

(Formerly Sec. 31-127a). Petition for temporary injunctive relief re discriminatory employment practices. Petition for injunctive relief, punitive damages or civil penalty re discriminatory housing or public accommodations practices.

In Force
Verified 10/26/2026 · Next check 11/2/2026
effective 9/24/2026ConnecticutRent Regulation

Operative Text

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46a § 46a-89
(a)(1) Whenever a complaint filed pursuant to section 46a-82 alleges a violation of section 46a-60 or 46a-81c, and the executive director believes that equitable relief is required to prevent irreparable harm to the complainant, the commission may bring a petition in the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford, the judicial district in which the discriminatory practice which is the subject of the complaint occurred or the judicial district in which the respondent resides, provided this subdivision shall not apply to complaints against employers with less than fifty employees.

(2) The petition shall seek appropriate temporary injunctive relief against the respondent pending final disposition of the complaint pursuant to the procedures set forth in this chapter. The injunctive relief may include an order temporarily restraining the respondent from doing any act that would render ineffectual any order a presiding officer may render with respect to the complaint.

(3) Upon service on the respondent of notice pursuant to section 46a-89a, the respondent shall be temporarily restrained from taking any action that would render ineffectual the temporary injunctive relief requested in the petition, provided nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the respondent from having any employment duties enjoined under this section and section 46a-89a, from being carried out by another employee and the notice shall so provide.

(b) (1) Whenever a complaint filed pursuant to section 46a-82 alleges a violation of section 46a-64, 46a-64c, 46a-81d or 46a-81e, and the commission believes that injunctive relief is required or that the imposition of punitive damages or a civil penalty would be appropriate, the commission may bring a petition in the superior court for the judicial district in which the discriminatory practice which is the subject of the complaint occurred or the judicial district in which the respondent resides.

(2) The petition shall seek: (A) Appropriate injunctive relief, including temporary or permanent orders or decrees restraining and enjoining the respondent from selling or renting to anyone other than the complainant or otherwise making unavailable to the complainant any dwelling or commercial property with respect to which the complaint is made, pending the final determination of such complaint by the commission or such petition by the court; (B) an award of damages based on the remedies available under subsection (c) of section 46a-86; (C) an award of punitive damages payable to the complainant, not to exceed fifty thousand dollars; (D) a civil penalty payable to the state against the respondent to vindicate the public interest: (i) In an amount not exceeding ten thousand dollars if the respondent has not been adjudged to have committed any prior discriminatory housing practice; (ii) in an amount not exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars if the respondent has been adjudged to have committed one other discriminatory housing practice during the five-year period prior to the date of the filing of this complaint; and (iii) in an amount not exceeding fifty thousand dollars if the respondent has been adjudged to have committed two or more discriminatory housing practices during the seven-year period prior to the date of the filing of the complaint; except that if the acts constituting the discriminatory housing practice that is the object of the complaint are committed by the same natural person who has been previously adjudged to have committed acts constituting a discriminatory housing practice, then the civil penalties set forth in clauses (ii) and (iii) of this subparagraph may be imposed without regard to the period of time within which any subsequent discriminatory housing practice occurred; or (E) two or more of such remedies.

(3) Upon service on the respondent of notice pursuant to section 46a-89a, the respondent shall be temporarily restrained from selling or renting the dwelling or commercial property which is the subject of the complaint to anyone other than the complainant, or from otherwise making such dwelling or commercial property unavailable to the complainant, until the court or judge has decided the petition for temporary injunctive relief and the notice shall so provide.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Connecticut General Statutes § 46a-89 authorizes the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities to seek court-ordered injunctive relief when a discrimination complaint involves employment, housing, or public accommodations. In housing and public accommodations cases, the commission may also pursue punitive damages up to $50,000 for complainants and civil penalties up to $50,000 payable to the state, depending on the respondent's prior violations. The provision is designed to preserve the status quo—such as keeping a dwelling available—while a complaint works through the administrative process.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 14, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under § 46a-89, property owners or managers facing a housing discrimination complaint may be subject to a court-issued temporary restraining order that prohibits selling or renting the property to anyone other than the complainant while the matter is pending. Compliant operators generally maintain records of all rental decisions and avoid any action that could be seen as making a unit unavailable to a complainant. Awareness of prior adjudications matters, as repeat findings can significantly increase the civil penalties a court may impose.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Section § 46a-89 provides that when a housing discrimination complaint is filed under § 46a-82, the commission can petition a superior court to temporarily block a landlord from renting or selling the disputed property to others while the complaint is resolved. The provision also allows the commission to seek punitive damages on a complainant's behalf and civil penalties against the respondent. Tenants who believe they have experienced discriminatory housing practices may contact the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities or a local tenant-rights organization to learn about available options.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Sep 24, 2026
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Purpose

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