9 V.S.A. § ___ § 4555
Information; disclosure and confidentiality
Operative Text
(a)(1) Except as provided in this subsection, the Human Rights Commission’s complaint files and investigative files shall be confidential. (2) The Commission shall make the investigative file available to the charging party, the respondent, their attorneys, and any State or federal law enforcement agency seeking to enforce antidiscrimination statutes, upon reasonable request, except that the Commission may refuse to disclose: (A) the identities of nonparty witnesses to the investigation if good cause is shown to protect the witness’s confidentiality; or (B) records or information the release of which may be prohibited under State or federal law absent court order. (3) For any complaint initiated pursuant to subsection 4554(b) of this title, any resulting investigative report shall not be confidential after the Commission has issued a final determination and after the parties have been notified of the Commission’s determination, except that the Commission shall not proactively disclose any report and shall not disclose: (A) the identities of nonparty witnesses to the investigation if good cause is shown to protect the witness’s confidentiality; (B) information the release of which may be prohibited under State or federal law absent court order; and (C) the identity of the parties and any information that would identify the parties if the Commission finds that there are no reasonable grounds to believe that discrimination occurred. (4) A party or entity denied information or records under subdivision (2)(A) or (B) of this subsection may seek the information or records by subpoena. The Commission and any affected person may contest the subpoena in court. (5) Any records or information described in subdivision (2)(A) or (B) of this subsection made available to a party or entity pursuant to a confidentiality agreement or court order requiring confidentiality shall be kept confidential in accordance with the agreement or order, unless disclosure is otherwise authorized by law or court order. (b) Nothing said or done as part of conciliation efforts under this chapter may be made a matter of public record or used as evidence in a subsequent civil action without written consent of the parties. Final settlement agreements shall be public documents and the parties shall be so informed. (c) If the Commission determines that there are reasonable grounds to believe that discrimination has occurred, that determination and the names of the parties may be made public after the parties have been notified of the Commission’s determination. If the Commission finds that there are no reasonable grounds to find discrimination, the identity of the parties and any information that would identify the parties shall remain confidential. The Commission shall inform the parties about the provisions of this subsection. In all cases, even if the records are confidential, the facts may be used for educational purposes if sufficiently altered so that no person involved in a case can be identified. (Added 1989, No. 89, § 6; amended 1995, No. 172 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 2015, No. 29, § 20; 2025, No. 165 (Adj. Sess.), § 40f, eff. June 18, 2026.)
Under 9 V.S.A. ch. 141 § 4555, complaint and investigative files held by Vermont's Human Rights Commission are generally kept confidential, though the parties directly involved in a complaint and their attorneys may access the investigative file upon reasonable request. Certain information—such as the identities of nonparty witnesses protected for good cause and records restricted by law—may be withheld even from the parties, who may then seek that information through a subpoena. Once the Commission issues a final determination finding reasonable grounds for discrimination, the determination and the parties' names may be made public after the parties are notified; if no reasonable grounds are found, the parties' identities remain confidential. Conciliation discussions are never made public without written consent of all parties, though final settlement agreements are public documents.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers who are named as respondents in a Human Rights Commission complaint under 9 V.S.A. ch. 141 § 4555 generally have the right to request and review the Commission's investigative file, subject to limited exceptions for protected witness identities and legally restricted records. Compliant operators typically maintain awareness that if the Commission finds reasonable grounds for discrimination, the determination and their identity as a party may become public, while a finding of no reasonable grounds keeps their identity confidential. Operators also generally understand that anything said during conciliation cannot be used against them in later civil proceedings unless they provide written consent, but that any final settlement agreement will be a public document.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Tenants who file a housing discrimination complaint with Vermont's Human Rights Commission are entitled under 9 V.S.A. ch. 141 § 4555 to request access to the investigative file as a charging party, though the Commission may withhold certain witness identities and legally restricted records. If the Commission finds reasonable grounds to believe discrimination occurred, the determination and the names of the parties may be made public after notification—giving tenants a degree of transparency about the outcome of their complaint. Tenants who are denied access to specific records may explore seeking those records through a subpoena, and tenant-rights organizations can help explain what options are generally available under this provision.
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 18, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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