The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania
Policy on Non-Discrimination and
Equal Employment Opportunity
What does the Policy prohibit?
- The Policy prohibits state court judges, members of Pennsylvania Supreme Court committees, boards and panels, court employees, and related staff from discriminating against or harassing court users and court employees in a court facility, specifically, courthouses, court buildings and court offices, on the basis of the following characteristics:
- Race
- Color
- Sex (includes Sexual
- Harassment)·Disability
- Sexual Orientation • Religion
- Gender Identity or Expression
- National Origin
- Age
The Policy also prohibits retaliation against individuals for reporting or assisting in the investigation of a violation of this Policy.
Who is entitled to file a complaint against an individual for violating the Policy?
Anyone who experiences or witnesses discriminatory, harassing, or retaliatory conduct committed by judges, court employees, Supreme Court committees, boards or panels or related staff in a court facility may submit a complaint to report a violation of the Policy.
Against whom can a complaint be filed?
- Any "personnel of the system", including judicial officers, personal staff, administrative staff, and central staff
- Any staff or appointed members of committees, boards or court-related panels appointed by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
- Any “related staff”, including district attorneys, public defenders, sheriffs and other officers serving process or enforcing orders, registers of wills, prothonotaries, clerks of courts and the orphan’s court division, coroners, jury commissioners, probation officials and personnel of all the foregoing.
Where is a complaint to be filed?
- Magisterial or Common Pleas Court Level: Submit a complaint to the District Court Administrator of the Judicial District where the violation occurred.**
- Superior or Commonwealth Court Level: Submit a complaint to the Executive Administrator of the Court where the violation occurred.**
- Supreme Court Level: Submit a complaint to the Executive Administrator of this Court.**
- Alternatively, submit a complaint to AOPC Human Resources by calling 717-231-3309 or by emailing Human.Resources@pacourts.us, regardless of the court level at which the violation occurred.
- ** If the District Court or Executive Administrator is unavailable, involved in the violation, or fails to act, submit the complaint to the President Judge or Chief Justice of the Court where the violation occurred.
What happens after a complaint is filed?
After the complaint is filed against a state court judge or court employee, a prompt investigation will be conducted. If the investigation reveals that the individual committed a Policy violation, appropriate remedial and/or disciplinary action will be taken.
After a complaint is filed against a person classified as “related staff”, the complaint will be forwarded to an official in the office of the related staff person for review, investigation, and any further action the officials deem appropriate.
How may a complaint be submitted?
By telephone, via email, or by downloading, completing and submitting the Non-Discrimination Policy Complaint Form found at: pacourts.us/Storage/media/pdfs/20210211/023154-complaintform.pdf.