Credit Status

Sec. 16-58. Unlawful credit practices.
It shall be unlawful credit or loan practice:

(a) Any financial organization governed by the provisions of Title 19 of the General Laws, entitled "Financial Institutions", or any other credit granting, reporting, appraising, or approving institution, agency, business or association:

(1) To discriminate in the granting, reporting, approval, or extension of any form of loan or credit, or of the privileges or capacity to obtain any form of loan or credit, on the basis of the applicant's race or color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability, age, or country of ancestral origin;

(2) To directly or indirectly print or publish or cause to be printed or published, circulated, broadcasted, issued, used, displayed, posted, or mailed any written, printed or painted oral communication, notice, or advertising relating to loans or the extension of credit indicating any preference, denial, limitation, specification, qualification, or discrimination based upon race or color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability, age, or country of ancestral origin;

(3) To discriminate or to use any form of loan or credit application which contains questions or entries directly or indirectly pertaining to race or color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability, age, or country of ancestral origin;

(4) To establish, announce or follow a pattern, practice, or policy of denying, excluding, or limiting the extension of loans or credit to any group because of the race or color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability, age, or country of ancestral origin of such group;

(b) For any person to discriminate in any manner against any individual or deny that individual because he or she has opposed any practice forbidden by this article, or because he or she has made a charge, testified, or assisted in any manner in any investigation, proceeding or hearing under this article;

(c) For any person, whether or not acting for monetary gain, to aid, abet, incite, compel or coerce the doing of any act declared by this section to be an unlawful credit or loan practice, or to obstruct or prevent any person from complying with the provisions of this article, or any regulation or order issued thereunder, or to attempt directly or indirectly to commit any act declared by this section to be an unlawful credit or loan practice.
(Ord. 1979, ch. 79-1, § 8, 1-22-79; Ord. 1985, ch. 85-77, § 8, 9-5-85, Ord. No. 1995, ch. 95-20, 8-17-95)