The City of New Haven's Commission on Equal Opportunities (CEO) is the oldest municipal civil rights agency in the United States. In 1963, Mayor Richard C. Lee, upon his return from a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors with President John F. Kennedy, decided that the social turmoil of the times, especially around racial equality and other human rights, demanded local action. Mayor Lee thus established a fact-finding committee on human rights, which held numerous public hearings regarding civil and human rights issues challenging the public and private sectors.

The Committee's findings included a recommendation that the City establish a Commission on Equal Opportunities that would combat racial and other types of discrimination and that would promote intergroup harmony. The Committee then drafted an ordinance for that purpose and submitted it to the New Haven Board of Alders. In 1964, the Board of Alders adopted the ordinance, establishing the Commission.

Today, the Commission's mandate has expanded as society's understanding of who we are has grown.

The ordinance recognizes the following as a potential cause of discrimination:

• Race
• Color
• Religion
• Creed
• Sex
• Gender identity or expression
• Marital status
• Sexual orientation
• Age
• Familial status
• National origin
• Ancestry
• Disability
• Citizenship status

The ordinance cites Connecticut law in this regard as well, including the longstanding prohibition against discrimination based on "lawful source of income."

In accordance with state law, the Commission has jurisdiction in cases involving discrimination regarding the association of licensed persons, employment practices, public accommodations (including housing), and credit.