State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > New-york > Edn > Title-1 > Article-7 > 313

§ 313. Unfair  educational  practices. (1) Declaration of policy.  (a)  It is hereby declared to be the policy of the state  that  the  American  ideal  of  equality  of  opportunity  requires  that students, otherwise  qualified, be admitted to educational institutions and be  given  access  to all the educational programs and courses operated or provided by such  institutions  without  regard  to  race,  color,  sex,  religion, creed,  marital status, age,  sexual  orientation  as  defined  in  section  two  hundred ninety-two of the executive law or national origin, except that,  with  regard  to  religious  or denominational educational institutions,  students, otherwise qualified,  shall  have  the  equal  opportunity  to  attend  therein  without  discrimination  because  of  race, color, sex,  marital status, age,  sexual  orientation  as  defined  in  section  two  hundred  ninety-two  of  the  executive law or national origin.  It is a  fundamental American right for members of various  religious  faiths  to  establish and maintain educational institutions exclusively or primarily  for students of their own religious faith or to effectuate the religious  principles  in furtherance of which they are maintained.  Nothing herein  contained shall impair or abridge that right.    (b) It is hereby further declared to be the policy of the  state  that  individuals  who withdraw from postsecondary educational institutions in  order to serve on active duty in the armed forces of the  United  States  in  time  of war and who seek to return to such educational institutions  shall be allowed to  do  so  without  the  imposition  of  any  penalty,  academic  or  financial,  for  their withdrawal, and that any express or  implied contractual provision which imposes any such  penalty  shall  be  void and unenforceable as against public policy.    (2)  Definitions.  (a)  Educational  institution means any educational  institution  of  post-secondary  grade  subject   to   the   visitation,  examination  or  inspection  by  the state board of regents or the state  commissioner of education and any business or trade school in the state.    (b) Religious  or  denominational  educational  institution  means  an  educational institution which is operated, supervised or controlled by a  religious  or denominational organization and which has certified to the  state commissioner of education that it is a religious or denominational  educational institution.    (3) Unfair educational practices. It shall be  an  unfair  educational  practice  for  an  educational  institution  after  September fifteenth,  nineteen hundred forty-eight:    (a) To exclude or limit or otherwise discriminate against  any  person  or  persons  seeking admission as students to such institution or to any  educational program or course operated or provided by  such  institution  because  of  race,  religion,  creed,  sex,  color, marital status, age,  sexual orientation as defined in section two hundred ninety-two  of  the  executive  law  or  national origin; except that nothing in this section  shall be deemed to affect, in any way,  the  right  of  a  religious  or  denominational   educational   institution   to   select   its  students  exclusively or primarily from members of such religion  or  denomination  or  from  giving preference in such selection to such members or to make  such selection of its students as is calculated by such  institution  to  promote  the  religious  principles  for  which  it  is  established  or  maintained. Nothing herein contained shall impair or abridge  the  right  of  an  independent institution, which establishes or maintains a policy  of educating persons of one sex exclusively, to admit students  of  only  one sex.    (b)  To  penalize  any  individual  because  he  or she has initiated,  testified, participated  or  assisted  in  any  proceedings  under  this  section.(c)  To  accept any endowment or gift of money or property conditioned  upon teaching the doctrine of supremacy of any particular race.    (d)  With  respect  to any individual who withdraws from attendance to  serve on active duty in the armed forces of the United States in time of  war, including any individual who withdrew from attendance on  or  after  August  second,  nineteen  hundred ninety to serve on active duty in the  armed forces of the United States in the Persian Gulf conflict:  (i)  to  deny  or limit the readmission of such individual to such institution or  to any educational program  or  course  operated  or  provided  by  such  institution because of such withdrawal from attendance or because of the  failure  to  complete  any  educational  program  or  course due to such  withdrawal; (ii) to impose any academic penalty on such  person  because  of such withdrawal or because of the failure to complete any educational  program  or  course due to such withdrawal; (iii) to reduce or eliminate  any financial aid award granted to such individual which  could  not  be  used,  in  whole  or  part, because of such withdrawal or because of the  failure to complete any  educational  program  or  course  due  to  such  withdrawal; or (iv) to fail to provide a credit or refund of tuition and  fees  paid  by  such  individual  for  any semester, term or quarter not  completed because of such  withdrawal  or  because  of  the  failure  to  complete any program or course due to such withdrawal.    (e) It shall not be an unfair educational practice for any educational  institution  to  use  criteria  other  than  race, religion, creed, sex,  color, marital status, age, sexual orientation as defined in section two  hundred ninety-two of the  executive  law  or  national  origin  in  the  admission  of  students to such institution or to any of the educational  programs and courses operated or provided by such institution.    (4) Certification of religious  and  denominational  institutions.  An  educational   institution   operated,  supervised  or  controlled  by  a  religious  or  denominational  organization  may,  through   its   chief  executive  officer, certify in writing to the commissioner that it is so  operated, controlled or supervised, and that it elects to be  considered  a  religious or denominational educational institution, and it thereupon  shall be deemed such an institution for the purposes of this section.    (5) Procedure. (a) Any person  seeking  admission  as  a  student  who  claims  to  be  aggrieved  by  an  alleged  unfair educational practice,  hereinafter referred to as the petitioner, may himself, or by his parent  or guardian, make, sign and file with the commissioner  of  education  a  verified  petition  which  shall  set  forth the particulars thereof and  contain such other information as may be required by  the  commissioner.  The  commissioner  shall  thereupon cause an investigation to be made in  connection therewith; and after such investigation if he shall determine  that  probable  cause  exists  for  crediting  the  allegations  of  the  petition,   he   shall   attempt  by  informal  methods  of  persuasion,  conciliation or mediation to induce  the  elimination  of  such  alleged  unfair educational practice.    (b)  Where the commissioner has reason to believe that an applicant or  applicants have been discriminated  against,  except  that  preferential  selection  by  religious  or  denominational institutions of students of  their own religion or denomination shall not be  considered  an  act  of  discrimination, he may initiate an investigation on his own motion.    (c)  The  commissioner shall not disclose what takes place during such  informal efforts at persuasion, conciliation or mediation nor  shall  he  offer  in  evidence in any proceeding the facts adduced in such informal  efforts.    (d) A petition pursuant  to  this  section  must  be  filed  with  the  commissioner  within  one  year  after  the  alleged  unfair educational  practice was committed.(e) If such informal methods fail to induce  the  elimination  of  the  alleged  unfair  educational practice, the commissioner shall have power  to refer the matter to the board of regents which shall issue and  cause  to be served upon such institution, hereinafter called the respondent, a  complaint  setting forth the alleged unfair educational practice charged  and a notice of hearing before the board of regents, at a place  therein  fixed  to  be  held  not less than twenty days after the service of said  complaint.    Any complaint issued pursuant to this section must  be  issued  within  two years after the alleged unfair educational practice was committed.    (f) The respondent shall have the right to answer the original and any  amended  complaint  and  to  appear  at such hearing by counsel, present  evidence and examine and cross-examine witnesses.    (g) The commissioner and the board of regents shall have the power  to  subpoena  witnesses,  compel  their  attendance,  administer oaths, take  testimony under oath and require the production of evidence relating  to  the  matter  in  question  before it or them. The testimony taken at the  hearing, which shall be public shall be under oath and shall be  reduced  to writing and filed with the board of regents.    (h)  After the hearing is completed the board of regents shall file an  intermediate report  which  shall  contain  its  findings  of  fact  and  conclusions  upon  the  issues  in the proceeding. A copy of such report  shall be served on the parties to the proceeding. Any such party  within  twenty  days  thereafter,  may  file  with the regents exceptions to the  findings of fact and conclusions, with a brief in  support  thereof,  or  may file a brief in support of such findings of fact and conclusions.    (i)  If,  upon  all the evidence, the regents shall determine that the  respondent has engaged in an unfair educational  practice,  the  regents  shall  state  their findings of fact and conclusions and shall issue and  cause to be served upon such respondent a  copy  of  such  findings  and  conclusions  and  an  order requiring the respondent to cease and desist  from such unfair educational practice, or such other order as they  deem  just and proper.    (j)  If,  upon  all  the  evidence,  the  regents  shall  find  that a  respondent has not engaged  in  any  unfair  educational  practice,  the  regents  shall  state  their  findings of fact and conclusions and shall  issue and cause to be served on the petitioner and respondent, a copy of  such findings and conclusions, and an order dismissing the complaint  as  to such respondent.    (6) Judicial review and enforcement. (a) Whenever the board of regents  has  issued  an  order  as  provided in this section it may apply to the  supreme court for the enforcement of such order by a proceeding  brought  in  the  supreme  court within the third judicial district. The board of  regents shall file with the court a transcript  of  the  record  of  its  hearing,  and the court shall have jurisdiction of the proceeding and of  the questions determined therein, and shall have power to make an  order  annulling   or   confirming,   wholly  or  in  part,  or  modifying  the  determination reviewed. The order of the supreme court shall be  subject  to  review  by the appellate division of the supreme court and the court  of appeals, upon the appeal of any party to the proceeding, in the  same  manner  and  with  the same effect as provided on an appeal from a final  judgment made by the court without a jury.    (b) Any party to the proceeding, aggrieved by a  final  order  of  the  board  of  regents, may obtain a judicial review thereof by a proceeding  under article seventy-eight of the civil practice law and  rules,  which  shall  be brought in the appellate division of the supreme court for the  third judicial department.(7) Regents empowered to promulgate rules and regulations. The regents  from time to time may adopt, promulgate,  amend  or  rescind  rules  and  regulations to effectuate the purposes and provisions of this section.    (8)  The  commissioner  shall  include  in  his  annual  report to the  legislature (1) a resume of  the  nature  and  substance  of  the  cases  disposed of through public hearings, and (2) recommendations for further  action to eliminate discrimination in education if such is needed.

State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > New-york > Edn > Title-1 > Article-7 > 313

§ 313. Unfair  educational  practices. (1) Declaration of policy.  (a)  It is hereby declared to be the policy of the state  that  the  American  ideal  of  equality  of  opportunity  requires  that students, otherwise  qualified, be admitted to educational institutions and be  given  access  to all the educational programs and courses operated or provided by such  institutions  without  regard  to  race,  color,  sex,  religion, creed,  marital status, age,  sexual  orientation  as  defined  in  section  two  hundred ninety-two of the executive law or national origin, except that,  with  regard  to  religious  or denominational educational institutions,  students, otherwise qualified,  shall  have  the  equal  opportunity  to  attend  therein  without  discrimination  because  of  race, color, sex,  marital status, age,  sexual  orientation  as  defined  in  section  two  hundred  ninety-two  of  the  executive law or national origin.  It is a  fundamental American right for members of various  religious  faiths  to  establish and maintain educational institutions exclusively or primarily  for students of their own religious faith or to effectuate the religious  principles  in furtherance of which they are maintained.  Nothing herein  contained shall impair or abridge that right.    (b) It is hereby further declared to be the policy of the  state  that  individuals  who withdraw from postsecondary educational institutions in  order to serve on active duty in the armed forces of the  United  States  in  time  of war and who seek to return to such educational institutions  shall be allowed to  do  so  without  the  imposition  of  any  penalty,  academic  or  financial,  for  their withdrawal, and that any express or  implied contractual provision which imposes any such  penalty  shall  be  void and unenforceable as against public policy.    (2)  Definitions.  (a)  Educational  institution means any educational  institution  of  post-secondary  grade  subject   to   the   visitation,  examination  or  inspection  by  the state board of regents or the state  commissioner of education and any business or trade school in the state.    (b) Religious  or  denominational  educational  institution  means  an  educational institution which is operated, supervised or controlled by a  religious  or denominational organization and which has certified to the  state commissioner of education that it is a religious or denominational  educational institution.    (3) Unfair educational practices. It shall be  an  unfair  educational  practice  for  an  educational  institution  after  September fifteenth,  nineteen hundred forty-eight:    (a) To exclude or limit or otherwise discriminate against  any  person  or  persons  seeking admission as students to such institution or to any  educational program or course operated or provided by  such  institution  because  of  race,  religion,  creed,  sex,  color, marital status, age,  sexual orientation as defined in section two hundred ninety-two  of  the  executive  law  or  national origin; except that nothing in this section  shall be deemed to affect, in any way,  the  right  of  a  religious  or  denominational   educational   institution   to   select   its  students  exclusively or primarily from members of such religion  or  denomination  or  from  giving preference in such selection to such members or to make  such selection of its students as is calculated by such  institution  to  promote  the  religious  principles  for  which  it  is  established  or  maintained. Nothing herein contained shall impair or abridge  the  right  of  an  independent institution, which establishes or maintains a policy  of educating persons of one sex exclusively, to admit students  of  only  one sex.    (b)  To  penalize  any  individual  because  he  or she has initiated,  testified, participated  or  assisted  in  any  proceedings  under  this  section.(c)  To  accept any endowment or gift of money or property conditioned  upon teaching the doctrine of supremacy of any particular race.    (d)  With  respect  to any individual who withdraws from attendance to  serve on active duty in the armed forces of the United States in time of  war, including any individual who withdrew from attendance on  or  after  August  second,  nineteen  hundred ninety to serve on active duty in the  armed forces of the United States in the Persian Gulf conflict:  (i)  to  deny  or limit the readmission of such individual to such institution or  to any educational program  or  course  operated  or  provided  by  such  institution because of such withdrawal from attendance or because of the  failure  to  complete  any  educational  program  or  course due to such  withdrawal; (ii) to impose any academic penalty on such  person  because  of such withdrawal or because of the failure to complete any educational  program  or  course due to such withdrawal; (iii) to reduce or eliminate  any financial aid award granted to such individual which  could  not  be  used,  in  whole  or  part, because of such withdrawal or because of the  failure to complete any  educational  program  or  course  due  to  such  withdrawal; or (iv) to fail to provide a credit or refund of tuition and  fees  paid  by  such  individual  for  any semester, term or quarter not  completed because of such  withdrawal  or  because  of  the  failure  to  complete any program or course due to such withdrawal.    (e) It shall not be an unfair educational practice for any educational  institution  to  use  criteria  other  than  race, religion, creed, sex,  color, marital status, age, sexual orientation as defined in section two  hundred ninety-two of the  executive  law  or  national  origin  in  the  admission  of  students to such institution or to any of the educational  programs and courses operated or provided by such institution.    (4) Certification of religious  and  denominational  institutions.  An  educational   institution   operated,  supervised  or  controlled  by  a  religious  or  denominational  organization  may,  through   its   chief  executive  officer, certify in writing to the commissioner that it is so  operated, controlled or supervised, and that it elects to be  considered  a  religious or denominational educational institution, and it thereupon  shall be deemed such an institution for the purposes of this section.    (5) Procedure. (a) Any person  seeking  admission  as  a  student  who  claims  to  be  aggrieved  by  an  alleged  unfair educational practice,  hereinafter referred to as the petitioner, may himself, or by his parent  or guardian, make, sign and file with the commissioner  of  education  a  verified  petition  which  shall  set  forth the particulars thereof and  contain such other information as may be required by  the  commissioner.  The  commissioner  shall  thereupon cause an investigation to be made in  connection therewith; and after such investigation if he shall determine  that  probable  cause  exists  for  crediting  the  allegations  of  the  petition,   he   shall   attempt  by  informal  methods  of  persuasion,  conciliation or mediation to induce  the  elimination  of  such  alleged  unfair educational practice.    (b)  Where the commissioner has reason to believe that an applicant or  applicants have been discriminated  against,  except  that  preferential  selection  by  religious  or  denominational institutions of students of  their own religion or denomination shall not be  considered  an  act  of  discrimination, he may initiate an investigation on his own motion.    (c)  The  commissioner shall not disclose what takes place during such  informal efforts at persuasion, conciliation or mediation nor  shall  he  offer  in  evidence in any proceeding the facts adduced in such informal  efforts.    (d) A petition pursuant  to  this  section  must  be  filed  with  the  commissioner  within  one  year  after  the  alleged  unfair educational  practice was committed.(e) If such informal methods fail to induce  the  elimination  of  the  alleged  unfair  educational practice, the commissioner shall have power  to refer the matter to the board of regents which shall issue and  cause  to be served upon such institution, hereinafter called the respondent, a  complaint  setting forth the alleged unfair educational practice charged  and a notice of hearing before the board of regents, at a place  therein  fixed  to  be  held  not less than twenty days after the service of said  complaint.    Any complaint issued pursuant to this section must  be  issued  within  two years after the alleged unfair educational practice was committed.    (f) The respondent shall have the right to answer the original and any  amended  complaint  and  to  appear  at such hearing by counsel, present  evidence and examine and cross-examine witnesses.    (g) The commissioner and the board of regents shall have the power  to  subpoena  witnesses,  compel  their  attendance,  administer oaths, take  testimony under oath and require the production of evidence relating  to  the  matter  in  question  before it or them. The testimony taken at the  hearing, which shall be public shall be under oath and shall be  reduced  to writing and filed with the board of regents.    (h)  After the hearing is completed the board of regents shall file an  intermediate report  which  shall  contain  its  findings  of  fact  and  conclusions  upon  the  issues  in the proceeding. A copy of such report  shall be served on the parties to the proceeding. Any such party  within  twenty  days  thereafter,  may  file  with the regents exceptions to the  findings of fact and conclusions, with a brief in  support  thereof,  or  may file a brief in support of such findings of fact and conclusions.    (i)  If,  upon  all the evidence, the regents shall determine that the  respondent has engaged in an unfair educational  practice,  the  regents  shall  state  their findings of fact and conclusions and shall issue and  cause to be served upon such respondent a  copy  of  such  findings  and  conclusions  and  an  order requiring the respondent to cease and desist  from such unfair educational practice, or such other order as they  deem  just and proper.    (j)  If,  upon  all  the  evidence,  the  regents  shall  find  that a  respondent has not engaged  in  any  unfair  educational  practice,  the  regents  shall  state  their  findings of fact and conclusions and shall  issue and cause to be served on the petitioner and respondent, a copy of  such findings and conclusions, and an order dismissing the complaint  as  to such respondent.    (6) Judicial review and enforcement. (a) Whenever the board of regents  has  issued  an  order  as  provided in this section it may apply to the  supreme court for the enforcement of such order by a proceeding  brought  in  the  supreme  court within the third judicial district. The board of  regents shall file with the court a transcript  of  the  record  of  its  hearing,  and the court shall have jurisdiction of the proceeding and of  the questions determined therein, and shall have power to make an  order  annulling   or   confirming,   wholly  or  in  part,  or  modifying  the  determination reviewed. The order of the supreme court shall be  subject  to  review  by the appellate division of the supreme court and the court  of appeals, upon the appeal of any party to the proceeding, in the  same  manner  and  with  the same effect as provided on an appeal from a final  judgment made by the court without a jury.    (b) Any party to the proceeding, aggrieved by a  final  order  of  the  board  of  regents, may obtain a judicial review thereof by a proceeding  under article seventy-eight of the civil practice law and  rules,  which  shall  be brought in the appellate division of the supreme court for the  third judicial department.(7) Regents empowered to promulgate rules and regulations. The regents  from time to time may adopt, promulgate,  amend  or  rescind  rules  and  regulations to effectuate the purposes and provisions of this section.    (8)  The  commissioner  shall  include  in  his  annual  report to the  legislature (1) a resume of  the  nature  and  substance  of  the  cases  disposed of through public hearings, and (2) recommendations for further  action to eliminate discrimination in education if such is needed.

State Codes and Statutes

State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > New-york > Edn > Title-1 > Article-7 > 313

§ 313. Unfair  educational  practices. (1) Declaration of policy.  (a)  It is hereby declared to be the policy of the state  that  the  American  ideal  of  equality  of  opportunity  requires  that students, otherwise  qualified, be admitted to educational institutions and be  given  access  to all the educational programs and courses operated or provided by such  institutions  without  regard  to  race,  color,  sex,  religion, creed,  marital status, age,  sexual  orientation  as  defined  in  section  two  hundred ninety-two of the executive law or national origin, except that,  with  regard  to  religious  or denominational educational institutions,  students, otherwise qualified,  shall  have  the  equal  opportunity  to  attend  therein  without  discrimination  because  of  race, color, sex,  marital status, age,  sexual  orientation  as  defined  in  section  two  hundred  ninety-two  of  the  executive law or national origin.  It is a  fundamental American right for members of various  religious  faiths  to  establish and maintain educational institutions exclusively or primarily  for students of their own religious faith or to effectuate the religious  principles  in furtherance of which they are maintained.  Nothing herein  contained shall impair or abridge that right.    (b) It is hereby further declared to be the policy of the  state  that  individuals  who withdraw from postsecondary educational institutions in  order to serve on active duty in the armed forces of the  United  States  in  time  of war and who seek to return to such educational institutions  shall be allowed to  do  so  without  the  imposition  of  any  penalty,  academic  or  financial,  for  their withdrawal, and that any express or  implied contractual provision which imposes any such  penalty  shall  be  void and unenforceable as against public policy.    (2)  Definitions.  (a)  Educational  institution means any educational  institution  of  post-secondary  grade  subject   to   the   visitation,  examination  or  inspection  by  the state board of regents or the state  commissioner of education and any business or trade school in the state.    (b) Religious  or  denominational  educational  institution  means  an  educational institution which is operated, supervised or controlled by a  religious  or denominational organization and which has certified to the  state commissioner of education that it is a religious or denominational  educational institution.    (3) Unfair educational practices. It shall be  an  unfair  educational  practice  for  an  educational  institution  after  September fifteenth,  nineteen hundred forty-eight:    (a) To exclude or limit or otherwise discriminate against  any  person  or  persons  seeking admission as students to such institution or to any  educational program or course operated or provided by  such  institution  because  of  race,  religion,  creed,  sex,  color, marital status, age,  sexual orientation as defined in section two hundred ninety-two  of  the  executive  law  or  national origin; except that nothing in this section  shall be deemed to affect, in any way,  the  right  of  a  religious  or  denominational   educational   institution   to   select   its  students  exclusively or primarily from members of such religion  or  denomination  or  from  giving preference in such selection to such members or to make  such selection of its students as is calculated by such  institution  to  promote  the  religious  principles  for  which  it  is  established  or  maintained. Nothing herein contained shall impair or abridge  the  right  of  an  independent institution, which establishes or maintains a policy  of educating persons of one sex exclusively, to admit students  of  only  one sex.    (b)  To  penalize  any  individual  because  he  or she has initiated,  testified, participated  or  assisted  in  any  proceedings  under  this  section.(c)  To  accept any endowment or gift of money or property conditioned  upon teaching the doctrine of supremacy of any particular race.    (d)  With  respect  to any individual who withdraws from attendance to  serve on active duty in the armed forces of the United States in time of  war, including any individual who withdrew from attendance on  or  after  August  second,  nineteen  hundred ninety to serve on active duty in the  armed forces of the United States in the Persian Gulf conflict:  (i)  to  deny  or limit the readmission of such individual to such institution or  to any educational program  or  course  operated  or  provided  by  such  institution because of such withdrawal from attendance or because of the  failure  to  complete  any  educational  program  or  course due to such  withdrawal; (ii) to impose any academic penalty on such  person  because  of such withdrawal or because of the failure to complete any educational  program  or  course due to such withdrawal; (iii) to reduce or eliminate  any financial aid award granted to such individual which  could  not  be  used,  in  whole  or  part, because of such withdrawal or because of the  failure to complete any  educational  program  or  course  due  to  such  withdrawal; or (iv) to fail to provide a credit or refund of tuition and  fees  paid  by  such  individual  for  any semester, term or quarter not  completed because of such  withdrawal  or  because  of  the  failure  to  complete any program or course due to such withdrawal.    (e) It shall not be an unfair educational practice for any educational  institution  to  use  criteria  other  than  race, religion, creed, sex,  color, marital status, age, sexual orientation as defined in section two  hundred ninety-two of the  executive  law  or  national  origin  in  the  admission  of  students to such institution or to any of the educational  programs and courses operated or provided by such institution.    (4) Certification of religious  and  denominational  institutions.  An  educational   institution   operated,  supervised  or  controlled  by  a  religious  or  denominational  organization  may,  through   its   chief  executive  officer, certify in writing to the commissioner that it is so  operated, controlled or supervised, and that it elects to be  considered  a  religious or denominational educational institution, and it thereupon  shall be deemed such an institution for the purposes of this section.    (5) Procedure. (a) Any person  seeking  admission  as  a  student  who  claims  to  be  aggrieved  by  an  alleged  unfair educational practice,  hereinafter referred to as the petitioner, may himself, or by his parent  or guardian, make, sign and file with the commissioner  of  education  a  verified  petition  which  shall  set  forth the particulars thereof and  contain such other information as may be required by  the  commissioner.  The  commissioner  shall  thereupon cause an investigation to be made in  connection therewith; and after such investigation if he shall determine  that  probable  cause  exists  for  crediting  the  allegations  of  the  petition,   he   shall   attempt  by  informal  methods  of  persuasion,  conciliation or mediation to induce  the  elimination  of  such  alleged  unfair educational practice.    (b)  Where the commissioner has reason to believe that an applicant or  applicants have been discriminated  against,  except  that  preferential  selection  by  religious  or  denominational institutions of students of  their own religion or denomination shall not be  considered  an  act  of  discrimination, he may initiate an investigation on his own motion.    (c)  The  commissioner shall not disclose what takes place during such  informal efforts at persuasion, conciliation or mediation nor  shall  he  offer  in  evidence in any proceeding the facts adduced in such informal  efforts.    (d) A petition pursuant  to  this  section  must  be  filed  with  the  commissioner  within  one  year  after  the  alleged  unfair educational  practice was committed.(e) If such informal methods fail to induce  the  elimination  of  the  alleged  unfair  educational practice, the commissioner shall have power  to refer the matter to the board of regents which shall issue and  cause  to be served upon such institution, hereinafter called the respondent, a  complaint  setting forth the alleged unfair educational practice charged  and a notice of hearing before the board of regents, at a place  therein  fixed  to  be  held  not less than twenty days after the service of said  complaint.    Any complaint issued pursuant to this section must  be  issued  within  two years after the alleged unfair educational practice was committed.    (f) The respondent shall have the right to answer the original and any  amended  complaint  and  to  appear  at such hearing by counsel, present  evidence and examine and cross-examine witnesses.    (g) The commissioner and the board of regents shall have the power  to  subpoena  witnesses,  compel  their  attendance,  administer oaths, take  testimony under oath and require the production of evidence relating  to  the  matter  in  question  before it or them. The testimony taken at the  hearing, which shall be public shall be under oath and shall be  reduced  to writing and filed with the board of regents.    (h)  After the hearing is completed the board of regents shall file an  intermediate report  which  shall  contain  its  findings  of  fact  and  conclusions  upon  the  issues  in the proceeding. A copy of such report  shall be served on the parties to the proceeding. Any such party  within  twenty  days  thereafter,  may  file  with the regents exceptions to the  findings of fact and conclusions, with a brief in  support  thereof,  or  may file a brief in support of such findings of fact and conclusions.    (i)  If,  upon  all the evidence, the regents shall determine that the  respondent has engaged in an unfair educational  practice,  the  regents  shall  state  their findings of fact and conclusions and shall issue and  cause to be served upon such respondent a  copy  of  such  findings  and  conclusions  and  an  order requiring the respondent to cease and desist  from such unfair educational practice, or such other order as they  deem  just and proper.    (j)  If,  upon  all  the  evidence,  the  regents  shall  find  that a  respondent has not engaged  in  any  unfair  educational  practice,  the  regents  shall  state  their  findings of fact and conclusions and shall  issue and cause to be served on the petitioner and respondent, a copy of  such findings and conclusions, and an order dismissing the complaint  as  to such respondent.    (6) Judicial review and enforcement. (a) Whenever the board of regents  has  issued  an  order  as  provided in this section it may apply to the  supreme court for the enforcement of such order by a proceeding  brought  in  the  supreme  court within the third judicial district. The board of  regents shall file with the court a transcript  of  the  record  of  its  hearing,  and the court shall have jurisdiction of the proceeding and of  the questions determined therein, and shall have power to make an  order  annulling   or   confirming,   wholly  or  in  part,  or  modifying  the  determination reviewed. The order of the supreme court shall be  subject  to  review  by the appellate division of the supreme court and the court  of appeals, upon the appeal of any party to the proceeding, in the  same  manner  and  with  the same effect as provided on an appeal from a final  judgment made by the court without a jury.    (b) Any party to the proceeding, aggrieved by a  final  order  of  the  board  of  regents, may obtain a judicial review thereof by a proceeding  under article seventy-eight of the civil practice law and  rules,  which  shall  be brought in the appellate division of the supreme court for the  third judicial department.(7) Regents empowered to promulgate rules and regulations. The regents  from time to time may adopt, promulgate,  amend  or  rescind  rules  and  regulations to effectuate the purposes and provisions of this section.    (8)  The  commissioner  shall  include  in  his  annual  report to the  legislature (1) a resume of  the  nature  and  substance  of  the  cases  disposed of through public hearings, and (2) recommendations for further  action to eliminate discrimination in education if such is needed.