About the Division

Attorney General Matt Denn created the Office of Civil Rights and Public Trust in January 2015 to provide legal firepower to ensure that these important issues are addressed and to provide a point of contact for members of the public.

Attorney General Denn charged the new office with protecting individual rights and liberties of Delawareans, enforcement of laws designed to ensure citizen trust in government, and conducting investigations where the Department of Justice’s other responsibilities might present the appearance of a conflict of interest. In 2020, Attorney General Kathy Jennings successfully advocated for legislation elevating the Office to a permanent Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust.

The Division can be reached via email at publictrust@delaware.gov or by calling (302) 577-5400.

Delawareans wishing to file a complaint with the Division MUST fill out the complaint form and include all relevant information and contact information. The complaint form will automatically be sent to the Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust. Please note that the Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust cannot provide individual legal advice and in some instances, hiring a private attorney may be necessary.

The Division’s four main areas of responsibility are:

• Enforcement of Delaware laws protecting the individual rights and liberties of Delawareans, including but not limited to rights secured by the Delaware and United States constitutions, Delaware’s public accommodations laws, housing discrimination laws, employment discrimination laws, and laws protecting the educational rights of children and the rights of Delawareans with disabilities.
• Enforcement of laws designed to ensure citizen trust in government, including election laws, laws governing the use of public funds, and laws governing the conduct of public employees and officials. In these areas, the Division will work collaboratively with the Elections Commissioner, Public Integrity Commission and State Auditor.
• Investigations where the Department of Justice’s other responsibilities might present the appearance of a conflict, such as investigations of use of force by law enforcement officers and investigations of deaths or near-deaths of children under state supervision.
• Investigation of law enforcement officer involved shootings. The investigations determine whether a law enforcement officer’s use of force constitutes a criminal act.  The investigations do not establish or enforce internal police policies concerning the proper use of force by law enforcement officers.  Law enforcement agencies are responsible for establishing and enforcing guidelines for the use of force by their officers and for determining whether an officer’s actions were consistent with such guidelines in a given case. View available reports.