The D.C. Office of Human Rights, the city agency charged with enforcing the expansive 1977 Human Rights Act, said today that it handled 341 cases in fiscal 2012. Of those cases, 279 cases—82 percent—dealt with discrimination in employment.

Under the Human Rights Act, 19 traits—ranging from gender and sexuality to race and place of residence—are protected classes in housing, employment, public accommodations, and educational institutions. If, say, you’re denied a job or rental unit based on the color of your skin, you can file a report with the Office of Human Rights.

According to the 2012 report, the majority of claims filed in employment cases had to do with retaliation (129), followed by disability (90), race (79), and gender (65). Of the 31 housing cases the office dealt with, 16 were for disability, seven for race, six for national origin, and three for retaliation. Of the 21 dealing with public accommodations, 11 were based on race, four on disability, three on color, and three on retaliation. (One of those cases involved a controversial sign about Asians at The Pug on H Street NE.)

According to the 2012 report, the 348 cases brought to the office were mediated, with complainant benefits totaling over $2.7 million as a result of the settlements. Another 23 were adjudicated by the Commission on Human Rights.

In 2012 the Office of Human Rights kicked off a number of public service campaigns, including one on housing discrimination, another on language access and a first-of-its-kind ad campaign promoting the rights of transgender residents.

The D.C. Council recently debated a bill that would have made ex-convicts a protected class under the Human Rights law, offering them stronger protections when looking for jobs or housing. The bill did not pass.