CIVIL RIGHTS
FAIR HOUSING INVESTIGATION ESSENTIALS WORKSHOP

Develop Competent, Compliant, Confident Investigators in 5-days

Fair Housing investigations require precision, strategy, and objectivity. The Civil Rights Investigation Essentials Workshop delivers a structured, step-by-step approach to mastering intake, evidence gathering, interviewing, and report writing—ensuring your team can conduct thorough, defensible investigations.

This immersive five-day training builds on foundational skills and provides a full-scale simulated investigation, allowing participants to apply what they learn in a real-world context before finalizing case reports.

Core Learning Objectives

✅ Intake & Complaint Development – Conduct structured interviews and draft complaints that clearly establish jurisdiction.
✅ Investigation Planning & Execution – Develop investigative strategies, gather key evidence, and assess credibility.
✅ Effective Interviewing Techniques – Learn to ask the right questions and evaluate witness testimony.
✅ Simulated Investigation Case – Apply skills in a hands-on investigation from start to finish.
✅ Report Writing & Analysis – Draft objective, well-supported reports that align with Fair Housing Act (FHA) requirements.

Why Choose This Workshop?

Designed for Fair Housing Agencies – Tailored for professionals handling FHA-related discrimination cases.
Led by Industry Experts – Facilitators with deep experience in civil rights investigations.
Interactive & Hands-On – Practical exercises, role-play, and a full mock case investigation.
Compliance & Best Practices Focused – Aligns with HUD standards and federal fair housing enforcement protocols.

Expanded Five-Day Workshop Breakdown

🔹 Understanding Fair Housing Act Protections – Covered transactions, prohibited conduct, and jurisdictional scope
🔹 Elements of Jurisdiction – Subject matter, timeliness, standing, and respondent qualifications
🔹 Fair Housing Intake & Complaint Development
✔️ Conducting structured intake interviews
✔️ Identifying protected classes & applicable laws
✔️ Writing clear, factual allegations
🔹 Case Study Exercise – Participants will evaluate real-world scenarios to determine jurisdiction and refine complaint statements
🔹 Structuring an Effective Investigation Plan
✔️ Identifying key issues & discrimination theories (disparate treatment, disparate impact)
✔️ Outlining prima facie case elements
✔️ Developing a targeted evidence-collection strategy
🔹 Effective Interviewing Techniques for Complainants, Witnesses, and Respondents
✔️ The funneling method – Moving from broad to specific questions
✔️ Assessing credibility, consistency, and corroboration
✔️ Handling emotional or reluctant witnesses
✔️ Addressing respondents’ defenses and pretexts
🔹 Evidence Collection Strategies
✔️ Identifying direct vs. circumstantial evidence
✔️ Reviewing documents, financial records, and demographic data
✔️ Site inspections – when, why, and how
🔹 Case Analysis Exercise – Participants will analyze real-world fair housing complaints and develop an investigation roadmap
🔹 Investigative Techniques & Witness Interviews
✔️ Conducting neutral, structured witness interviews
✔️ Avoiding leading questions & confirmation bias
✔️ Managing hostile or uncooperative witnesses
🔹 Assessing Defenses & Analyzing Evidence
✔️ Evaluating comparative evidence – How similar cases are treated differently
✔️ Reviewing statistical & documentary evidence
✔️ Determining pretext vs. legitimate business justifications
🔹 Applying HUD’s McDonnell Douglas Framework
✔️ Understanding burden shifting in discrimination cases
✔️ Proving disparate impact claims
🔹 Mock Interview Exercise – Participants conduct witness interviews and present their findings
Participants will work in teams to conduct a full investigation from intake to analysis using a detailed case scenario.
🔹 Step 1: Case Intake & Initial Complaint Development
✔️ Review and refine the complaint & jurisdictional elements
✔️ Determine theories of discrimination & prima facie requirements
🔹 Step 2: Developing the Investigation Plan
✔️ Identify key witnesses & evidence sources
✔️ Draft interview questions and evidence requests
🔹 Step 3: Conducting Witness & Respondent Interviews
✔️ Interview the complainant, key witnesses, and respondent
✔️ Assess statements for credibility & consistency
🔹 Step 4: Evidence Review & Case Analysis
✔️ Compare witness statements, documents, and records
✔️ Identify patterns of discriminatory conduct
✔️ Determine findings based on HUD/FHA guidelines
🔹 Group Discussion & Feedback Session – Participants discuss key challenges and lessons learned
🔹 Final Investigative Report Writing
✔️ Organizing evidence logically – Chronological, allegation-based, or source-based structures
✔️ Writing objective, neutral, and well-supported findings
✔️ Avoiding biased or leading language
🔹 Analysis & Legal Reasoning
✔️ Connecting prima facie elements to factual evidence
✔️ Weighing direct, circumstantial, and comparative evidence
✔️ Addressing alternative explanations & pretexts
🔹 Making Determinations & Recommendations
✔️ Drafting clear, legally defensible conclusions
✔️ Preparing findings for enforcement or resolution
🔹 Final Report Review & Presentation Exercise
✔️ Each team will present their investigative report findings
✔️ Receive feedback from expert facilitators
🔹 Key Takeaways & Best Practices Discussion
✔️ What makes a strong investigation?
✔️ Common pitfalls & how to avoid them
✔️ Resources for continuous professional development