RYAN SAYS ALL RESIDENTS DESERVE PROTECTION OF THE COUNTY’S HUMAN RIGHTS LAW

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 20, 2007

Contact: Betsy DeSoye, Director of Communications, (914) 995-3277

County Board Chair Bill Ryan (D-IN-WF, White Plains) appeared before the Legislation Committee yesterday to urge his colleagues to approve legislation he has introduced that would give Westchester’s Human Rights Commission (County Commission) countywide jurisdiction. Ryan said the amendment was needed to ensure all residents have equal access to justice. “Currently, if you’re a victim of discrimination in Westchester, how quickly your complaint is handled depends upon where you live,” said Ryan. “That’s unfair and it needs to change immediately.”

Ryan explained that under the county’s Human Rights Law, over 400,000 residents living in municipalities with local human rights offices must file their complaints with those local offices. Yonkers, White Plains, Mt. Vernon, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, Rye City and Peekskill all have human rights offices. But, for the most part, these local offices have scant resources and limited jurisdiction. By state law, they must transfer any cases they can’t resolve through discussion or mediation to New York State’s Division of Human Rights for action, an office that is already significantly backlogged.

“The reality is that the State Division of Human Rights has a 10,000 case backlog and once a complaint hits that office, it can languish unresolved for years,” said Ryan. “By contrast, the County Commission has no backlog and can readily absorb the approximately 200 Westchester cases a year that are now routed to the state. Why should Westchester residents have to stand on line for years with the state when their complaints could be handled expeditiously by the county?”

Ryan’s proposal would give Westchester residents the option to initiate a complaint with the County Commission. Ryan noted that Westchester is one of only two human rights commissions that can handle cases from beginning to end without state involvement. “Given this, it’s only fair that all Westchester residents have access to the County Commission’s timely services,” said Ryan.

He also said extending the County Commission's jurisdiction wouldn't jeopardize the local human rights offices. “I'm not advocating the elimination of local commissions. Local budgets in recent years have cut back on the resources for the local offices, rendering them less capable of managing the caseloads coming in," said Ryan. "However, each local commission office can continue to exist as currently constituted. Their long years of expertise and ties to the community can only enhance the County Commission's work."

Mayo Bartlett, Esq., Chair of the County Commission, agreed.

"We hope to work with the local human rights offices especially in areas of education and outreach. By working side-by-side, we will be able to reach and protect more discrimination victims," said Bartlett.

Peter Stone, chair of the White Plains Human Rights Commission, confirmed that budget cuts reduced their resources and staffing to the point where the office could no longer effectively handle the claims of White Plains residents. He said everyone with a complaint was being referred to the state. Brian Wallach, a 39-year member of the White Plains Commission and its current Vice Chair, and Harry Bright, the former Executive Director of the White Plains Commission and current county commission member, concurred with Stone's assessment.

The Legislation Committee will continue discussing the amendment at its meeting next Monday, November 26.

Contact numbers for representatives from the White Plains and Yonkers Commissions:

White Plains Human Rights Commission:
Peter Stone, Chairman	(914) 831-3645
Brian Wallach, Vice Chair	(914) 949-0000
Harry Bright, former Executive Director	(914) 428-0073
Yonkers Human Rights Commission:
Judith Garcia, Executive	(914) 377-6680