Creed (Covered Under State Law Only)

It is illegal to discriminate against someone based on his, her or their creed.

The word ‘creed’ comes from the Latin word that means “I believe.” A creed can be a formal doctrine, or system of beliefs, for a church or religious group. It also can be a philosophy, or a set of personal beliefs and the practices and observances associated with those beliefs.” Companies, societies, and disciplines might also adopt a creed — as in a political creed, a national creed, or a management creed — that lays out a particular belief-system or way of doing things. You do not need to support a particular belief or creed to be discriminated because of it. Discrimination based on creed can include the perception of those beliefs by others, and the negative perception by others may be based on your clothing or hairstyle, jewelry you wear, a book you carry or a symbol on a tee shirt

If you are denied an opportunity to rent, buy, finance or insure a home or apartment—or given false information about housing—because of your creed, you are a victim of illegal housing discrimination. It is also illegal for landlords or other housing providers to treat current residents or tenants, or their guests, unfavorably because of their actual or perceived creed.

Examples & Warning Signs of Creed Discrimination:

  • An advertisement for a rental property states that the landlords prefer “Christians;”
  • A real estate agent says that you will be happier in a nearby area because “the Jews all live there” after she learned your last name;
  • Being told by the loan officer that you would have a better chance of getting a mortgage if you were not a Rastafarian, all because you wear your hair in dreadlocks;
  • You are denied services in your apartment after the property manager saw you with a book published by a group he described as a ‘cult’.

If you believe you were discriminated against because of your creed, file a complaint.

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