Human Rights Topics In the News

December 2011

• Same-sex spouses lose big on taxes
  NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Same-sex spouses are paying as much as $6,000 a year in extra taxes because the federal government doesn't recognize gay marriage, according to an analysis conducted for CNNMoney by tax specialists. - CNN
• Sunset Commission could determine fates of state boards, agencies
  St. Paul, Minn. — The future of 25 state boards, councils and agencies is at the mercy of a group of 12 policy makers called the Minnesota Sunset Commission. - MPR
• Task force on school integration policy hears sharp debate
  Yesterday, national scholars on both sides of the debate over the constitutionality, educational value and cultural importance of the racial and ethnic integration of the schools gave testimony at the state Capitol. - MinnPost
• St. Paul leads on schools' GLBT issues
  After 17 years, Out for Equity has deep support in the district, where it is valued for its success in retaining at-risk students and its positive effects overall. - Star Tribune
• TSA unveils helpline for fliers with disabilities, medical conditions
  Travelers with disabilities or medical conditions who are nervous or uncertain about getting through airport security now have a helpline they can call for assistance.- MSNBC
• In Treating Disabled, Potent Drugs and Few Rules
  Psychologists who have worked inside the system describe a culture in which the drugs are used to control the disruptive behavior of the developmentally disabled — people with conditions like autism, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy — an approach increasingly discredited in the field. - NY Times
• Citing Koch, Dayton calls marriage amendment hypocrisy
  St. Paul, Minn. — DFL Gov. Mark Dayton said Thursday he hopes the Republican controlled-Legislature will remove a proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage from next year's ballot. - MPR
• Human Rights commissioners will be removed in Golden Valley
  Golden Valley's Human Rights Commission members were expected to be formally removed from their positions at the Dec. 20 City Council meeting. - Sun Newspapers
• Segregated Charter Schools Evoke Separate But Equal Era in U.S.
  Bloomberg — At Dugsi Academy, a public school in St. Paul, Minnesota, girls wearing traditional Muslim headscarves and flowing ankle-length skirts study Arabic and Somali. The charter school educates "East African children in the Twin Cities," its website says. Every student is black. - Business Week
• Viewpoint: Why Minnesotans should support marriage amendment
  If marriage is redefined, it would impact all of Minnesota's society and change the definition of marriage for everyone – whether they like it or not. If gay marriage activists get their way, marriage in Minnesota will become genderless. - SWC Bulletin
• Ex-dental center worker claims HIV discrimination
  DETROIT — A former dental center employee in Michigan claims that he faced discrimination at work and was fired because he has HIV, in a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. - MSNBC
• Wheelchair athlete sues MSHSL over track and field participation
  MINNEAPOLIS -- A Waterville-Elysian-Morristown High School wheelchair athlete has sued the Minnesota State High School League saying she should have the right to compete alongside runners. - KARE 11
• Editorial: African American unemployment crisis requires federal intervention
  In a new Economic Policy Institute report, "A Jobs-Centered Approach to African American Community Development," Algernon Austin, director of the Race, Ethnicity and the Economy program, explains that jobs are essential to improving African American communities. - Spokesman-Recorder
• Bank of America to pay $335M in settlement with DOJ over discriminatory lending
  Bank of America agreed to pay $335 million to resolve allegations that its Countrywide unit engaged in a widespread pattern of discrimination against qualified African-American and Hispanic borrowers on home loans. - Star Tribune
• Deaf man settles suit against Ramsey County jail for $230K A deaf St. Paul man agreed Tuesday to a $230,000 settlement with Ramsey County over his jailing after a 2006 traffic stop. - Pioneer Press
• States make daily life harder for illegal immigrants
  State legislators looking to crack down on illegal immigration in 2012 are turning away from the law enforcement laws that dominated state houses this year, and instead are pushing other measures that can make life just as difficult for illegal immigrants. - USA Today
• Low-income quota eyed for St. Paul schools
  St. Paul schools should reserve 20 percent of seats at the most sought-after elementary and middle schools for students from high-poverty neighborhoods, an advisory committee said Monday. - Star Tribune
• 2 Muslim men kicked off flight sue 2 air carriers
  NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Two Muslim men who say they were kicked off an airplane in May after the pilot objected to their presence are suing Delta Air Lines Inc. and a regional carrier that operated the Delta Connection flight from Memphis to Charlotte, North Carolina. - MSNBC
• Duluth City Council weighs in against state amendment to make gay marriage illegal
  The Duluth City Council has weighed in against a proposed constitutional amendment that would make same-sex marriage illegal in Minnesota. - Duluth News Tribune
• Duluth city councilors push for vote on gay marriage issue
  The issue of gay marriage will come before the Duluth City Council tonight when Councilors Jeff Anderson and Sharla Gardner introduce a resolution opposing an amendment to the state Constitution that would allow Minnesota to legally recognize only opposite-sex unions. - Duluth News Tribune
• U.N. Gay Rights Protection Resolution Passes, Hailed As 'Historic Moment'
  GENEVA — The United Nations endorsed the rights of gay, lesbian and transgender people for the first time ever Friday, passing a resolution hailed as historic by the U.S. and other backers and decried by some African and Muslim countries. - Huffington Post
• Arizona Sheriff's Office Unfairly Targeted Latinos, Justice Department Says
  PHOENIX — In a harshly worded critique of the country's best-known sheriff, the Justice Department accused Joe Arpaio of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office of engaging in "unconstitutional policing" by unfairly targeting Latinos for detentions and arrests and retaliating against those who complain. - NY Times
• Local law professor finds her calling in civil rights work
  On December 3, 2011, the Minnesota Jaycees organization held their Ten Outstanding Young Minnesotans (TOYM) awards celebration at the Earle Brown Center in Brooklyn Park. Associate Professor Nekima Levy-Pounds of the University of St. Thomas law school was recognized as one of those outstanding 10 people. - Spokesman-Recorder
• How big is 'small'? New minority business center focuses on million-dollar-plus companies
  An October 2010 City of Minneapolis report concluded that locally owned Black small businesses face "particularly acute" discrimination when seeking loans. They often are denied, and if they are approved they are subject to higher interest rates than other applicants by financial institutions, the report added. - Spokesman-Recorder
• State legislators will square off in on-campus voter ID debate
  The debate will feature four current state legislators: Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL-Minneapolis; Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville and Sen. Warren Limmer, R-Maple Grove. - MN Daily
• Landlord fights 'White Only' pool sign ruling
  CINCINNATI - A landlord found to have discriminated against a black girl by posting a "White Only" sign at a swimming pool wants a state civil rights commission to reconsider its decision. - MSNBC
• Will administration sue states over voter ID laws?
  Attorney General Eric Holder is suggesting the Obama administration may go to court to try and block states that it believes are trying to restrict voting, particularly minority voting. - USA Today
• Holder Signals Tough Review of New State Laws on Voting
  Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Tuesday entered the turbulent political waters of voting rights, signaling that the Justice Department would be aggressive in reviewing new voting laws that civil rights advocates say will dampen minority participation in next year's elections. - NY Times
• Both sides turn out to criticize Anoka-Hennepin's proposed 'controversial topics' policy
  Those in the two deeply entrenched camps agreed on one thing: Replacing the current Sexual Orientation Curriculum Policy, which requires staff to stay neutral on matters involving sexual orientation, with a rule forbidding them from "advocating" their personal opinion on controversial topics, is a bad idea. - MinnPost
• Rifts still evident at hearing on embattled GLBT policy
  A proposal to change the policy drew critics from both sides to an Anoka-Hennepin school board hearing. - Star Tribune
• Human Rights Watch criticizes Alabama immigration law
  (CNN) -- Alabama's controversial immigration law is "grounded in discrimination," fosters a culture of fear and denies basic rights to undocumented residents and their families, a human rights organization said in a report released Wednesday. - CNN
• Perceptions of Discrimination a Black and White Story
  A study that examines three years of opinion survey data says that black and white Americans are still miles apart regarding their perceptions of equality or inequality among blacks and whites. - Wave News
• Home improvement giant Lowe's threatened with boycott for yanking ads from show about Muslims
  LOS ANGELES - Lowe's Home Improvement has found itself facing a backlash after the retail giant pulled ads from a reality show about American Muslims. - Star Tribune
• Supreme Court jumps into legal fight over state laws targeting illegal immigrants
  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court agreed Monday to rule on Arizona's controversial law targeting illegal immigrants, setting the stage for an election-year decision on an issue that is already shaping presidential politics. - Star Tribune
• Some Wisconsin voters having trouble getting required ID
  Jennifer "Rita" Platt says she's determined to vote next year, but Wisconsin isn't making it easy for her. She and the rest of Wisconsin's voters will need to comply with a new voter ID law when they go to the polls in February's primaries. - Pioneer Press
• Anoka-Hennepin district ponders new rules for controversial topics in classroom
  The Anoka-Hennepin School Board is set to consider tonight a replacement for its policies on religion and sexual orientation in the district. - Pioneer Press
• Anoka-Hennepin's proposed 'controversial topics' policy not unique
  The Anoka-Hennepin School District tonight will consider adopting a new policy that instructs teachers to withhold their personal views during class discussions on controversial topics, including religion and sexual orientation. - MPR
• Williamsville North students suspended
  An upstate New York school district has suspended some high school student after police concluded their investigation in a bully-related suicide without filing charges, the Buffalo News reports. - Buffalo News
• Civic leaders to meet on racial disparity problems in Minn.
  St. Paul, Minn. ó Minnesota was once on the vanguard of managing social issues such as fair housing practices. But over the years, racial disparities have appeared in indicators such as housing, education and employment. A group of civic and elected leaders meets Friday to work out a strategy on how to deal with the growing problem. - MPR
• Alabama gets black eye over immigration crackdown
  America's toughest immigration crackdown was meant to drive illegal workers from Alabama. But after two employees with foreign automakers Mercedes-Benz and Honda were stopped by police in recent days, it is giving many pause for thought. The companies have poured billions of dollars of investment into the state. - Reuters
• Workers fired over Facebook, Twitter posts turn to 1935 labor law
  Workers fired or disciplined for bad-mouthing employers on social-networking sites are fighting back using a decades-old labor law -- a new front in the murky battle over what workers can do and say online. - Chicago Tribune
• S.C. businesses face E-Verify deadline
  Employers required to check residency status of new hires The requirement is part of a state immigration law approved in July, and businesses that don't follow the rules risk losing their licenses to operate. - Post and Courier

Top of page

November 2011

• Lori Sturdevant: Pregnancy and job discrimination
  Legions of American women who've spent two, three or four decades in the workforce likely identified with the sentiment that a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission spokeswoman shared recently with a Philadelphia Inquirer reporter. - Star Tribune
• Fired from TSA, Mpls. man gets prison term for off-duty hate crime against Somali
  A Minneapolis man who lost his job with the Transportation Security Administration for an off-duty assault of an elderly Somali man has been sentenced to six months in prison for the hate crime. - Star Tribune
• Cargill is accused of bias in hiring at Arkansas turkey plant
  Federal labor regulators have proposed to penalize the agribusiness giant by stripping it of more than $550 million in federal contracts. - Star Tribune
• Language, culture reinforce inequality on East Side of St. Paul
  Mai Lor Xiong understands the challenges and inequities that East Side residents face because she's experienced so many of them herself. - TC Daily Planet
• Told to Diversify, Dock Union Offers Nearly All-White List
  What part of diversity don't you understand? That essentially was the question that visibly irritated members of the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor asked at a hearing in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday morning. - NY Times
• Dayton joins fight on bullying
  The governor will name a 15-member task force to study what is working elsewhere. - Star Tribune
• Sex harassment neither gone nor forgotten
  But employers and workers increasingly find a way to address it short of a lawsuit - Star Tribune
• For grieving West St. Paul woman, therapy dog is more than companion
  Before Casey came along, Pam Hermann wasn't a fan of public places. - Pioneer Press
• Suspension gap riles St. Paul school board
  About 15 percent of black students in St. Paul were suspended at least once last year, compared with 3 percent of whites. - Star Tribune
• New anti-bullying trend: Teaching victims to fight back
  If you found out that bullies were hassling your kid, what would you do? Help him rehearse comeback lines? Or show him how to open a can of whoop-ass, and knock those jerks into next week? - MSNBC
• Gay softball group agrees to pay banned players
  A gay softball organization has agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to three players who were disqualified from its 2008 Gay Softball World Series in the Seattle area because of their perceived heterosexuality. - Duluth News Tribune
• AG pushes for tougher anti-bullying law
  St. Paul, Minn. - Attorney General Lori Swanson on Wednesday urged lawmakers to pass a tougher anti-bullying law modeled after the measure North Dakota adopted recently. - MPR
• Civil rights panel to look at immigration laws
  ATLANTA - The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights said it plans to examine the effects on people's civil rights of strict new laws targeting illegal immigration in several states. - Montgomery Advertiser
• Disenfranchise No More
  Mississippi voters just approved a new law requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls. But that law will not go into effect immediately, thanks to the Voting Rights Act. - NY Times
• Alabama immigration crackdown nabs Mercedes executive
  As Mercedes-Benz executive Detlev Hager negotiated the streets of Tuscaloosa last week, he drove right into the controversy over Alabama's tough new immigration law. - Reuters
• Gay-straight clubs break down barriers
  The Anoka-Hennepin school district's 11 Gay-Straight Alliance clubs are increasing acceptance regarding sexual orientation. - Star Tribune
• Light-rail impact still minimized, lawsuit says
  A federal judge heard further arguments Monday in a lawsuit by the St. Paul NAACP and businesses along University Avenue concerning the Central Corridor light-rail project. - Pioneer Press
• Preferred public works contractors get scrutiny
  "Disadvantaged business" status is a matter of control. - Star Tribune
• Text-message bullying becoming more common
  A growing number of U.S. kids say they have been picked on via text messaging, while there has been little change in online harassment, researchers reported Monday. - Reuters
• U.S. policy shift gives illegal immigrants hope of staying
  More than 1,700 illegal immigrants facing deportation proceedings in Minnesota have new hope of remaining in the United States, the result of a federal order issued on Thursday that directs immigration authorities to focus on the most dangerous individuals rather than those with minor offenses. - Star Tribune
• FBI wants Minnesota police records for national database
  St. Paul, Minn. - A state task force Friday will weigh whether to dump millions of local police records from Minnesota into a federal criminal and investigative database. - MPR
• Asian American Journalists Association demands apology from CBS Chief Diversity Officer
  The Asian American Journalists Association charges that a Oct.31 report on WCCO TV was false and helped perpetuate harmful stereotypes of Asian Americans. - City Pages
• Minneapolis: A Tale of Two Cities A new Minneapolis Foundation report claims that racial disparities and other factors have essentially changed Minneapolis into "two cities" — one for the haves and another for the have-nots. - MN Spokesman-Recorder
• Coon Rapids students suspended for Facebook comments
  The students were allegedly posting threatening and harassing statements on classmates' Facebook pages. - KARE 11
• Middle-class neighborhoods squeezed out, income gap rises
  The share of families living in middle-income neighborhoods has dropped to 44 percent in 2007 from 65 percent in 1970, the Stanford University study showed. - Reuters
• Prop. 8 decision due today from California Supreme Court
  The California Supreme Court will issue a written opinion Thursday on whether conservatives who sponsored Proposition 8 are entitled to defend in court the measure that made same-sex marriage illegal in the state. - LA Times
• In Alabama, Calls for Revamping Immigration Law
  BIRMINGHAM, AL - An increasing number of state lawmakers say they are willing to consider critical changes to Alabamaís sweeping anti-immigration law, part of which appears to make proof of citizenship or legal residency a requirement even for mundane activities like garbage pickup, dog licenses and flu shots at county health departments. - NY Times
• Transgender civil rights bill OK'd
  After six years of lobbying on Beacon Hill, the state's transgender community yesterday won civil rights protections that have long been extended to other minority groups. - The Boston Globe
• Indiana couple sues school district, says son was bullied, beaten over Middle Eastern heritage
  ST. JOHN, Ind. - A couple is suing their northwest Indiana school district, claiming school officials failed to protect their son from prolonged bullying over his Middle Eastern background that culminated in an attack this month that left him with a brain injury. - Star Tribune
• Minneapolis FBI awards bullying prevention center
  The FBI is recognizing a Bloomington organization that works to prevent bullying. - MPR
• Mpls schools celebrate Native American culture
  MINNEAPOLIS - There are Native American drummers, fry bread cooks and dancers in the Minneapolis schools for the district's annual celebration of American Indian culture. - KARE 11
• North Minneapolis giving high marks to Gov. Dayton for attention and follow-through
  Residents of North Minneapolis have long been promised many things by elected officials who, best of intentions or not, can't or don't deliver. - MINN Post
• Hate crime numbers steady, nearly half motivated by racial bias, FBI reports
  WASHINGTON (CNN) - As New York authorities investigate what appears to be the nation's latest hate crime, the FBI's annual hate crime report, released Monday, shows no significant change in the level of crimes motivated by bias. - CNN
• Human rights commissioner promises quicker investigation, resolution
  St. Paul, Minn. - The Minnesota Department of Human Rights dodged a proverbial bullet this year when the Republican-controlled Legislature, tried, but failed, to eliminate more than half of its funding. - MPR
• Iowa baker refuses to bake wedding cake for same-sex couple
  DES MOINES, Iowa - A Des Moines baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple says it's her right to refuse their business and that she isn't discriminating against the women. - Pioneer Press
• A Long, Winding Road to Marriage Equality
  The fight for gay rights won important victories in the past few months. But this remains a country where discrimination against gays is enshrined in most state constitutions. - NY Times
• Weak Black college graduation rates persist: U of M Black student-athletes lag behind their peers
  The NCAA recently released its annual Graduation Success Rate report that measures the academic success of student-athletes of the last graduating classes (2001-2004) at its member schools. Unfortunately, Black student-athletes both nationally and at the University of Minnesota aren't faring as well. - TC Daily Planet
• Supreme Court Takes Case Where Landlords Claim Discrimination
  The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether aggressive housing-code enforcement in the City of Saint Paul amounts to racial discrimination. - Forbes
• Senate panel OKs repeal of much of Defense of Marriage
  Washington - The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has approved a bill that would repeal much of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act. - MPR
• NAACP says it will protest voter ID laws nationwide beginning Dec. 10
  NEW YORK - The NAACP is joining with minority and labor groups for a series of protests around the country meant to move discussion of voter identification laws out of policy circles and onto street corners, the organization's president said Tuesday. - Washington Post
• Department of Human Rights picks up pace
  Last year, the department — a high-profile agency in the budget battles at the State Capitol earlier this year — received about 800 complaints concerning perceived violations of civil rights law. - Capitol News
• Minnesota Poll: 48 percent back anti-gay marriage amendment
  Young people opposed the constitutional amendment, while people over 65 overwhelmingly supported it - MN Independent.
• Decatur Utilities Firm in Alabama Cuts off Services to Undocumented
  No legal immigration status? No electricity, no gas, and no water service. This is the criterion Decatur Utilities in Alabama has decided to use when determining who gets necessary home utilities from their company. - Fox News
• Background check law could get some Pennsylvania teachers fired
  (Reuters) - A new Pennsylvania law requiring all school workers to disclose their criminal history next month could see some employees who have been convicted of various crimes lose their jobs. - Reuters
• The Rising Age Gap in Economic Well-Being
  Households headed by older adults have made dramatic gains relative to those headed by younger adults in their economic well-being over the past quarter of a century, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of a wide array of government data - Pew Social Trends
• Bipartisan group reframes case for legalizing gay marriage
  WASHINGTON – A group of high-profile Democrats and Republicans who back legalizing gay marriage are calling on advocates to shift the focus on the issue from an argument about equal rights to promoting the value of commitment. - USA Today
• Illegal Voting Charge was a 'mistake'
  MANKATO — The minute he heard the news, via a nervous phone call from his father, Raul Valdez says he knew a major mistake had been made. And that his life was about to take an unexpected turn. - Mankato Free Press
• Fallout continues from 'license to bully' legislation passage
  Thursday saw a flurry activity over the Republican-controlled Senate's passage of what critics are calling 'license to bully' legislation on Wednesday morning. The legislation provides an exception to bullying if the bullying is based on "moral convictions." - Michigan Messenger
• DFLers urge secretaries of state to oppose new voting laws across country - MN Independent
• Radical action is needed in jobs crisis
  The black community, especially, cannot wait for government. - Star Tribune
• Wisconsin Assembly approves bill prohibiting use of race in college grants
  The Wisconsin Assembly gave preliminary approval early today to a bill that would prohibit state officials from using race as a factor in determining college grant recipients. - Pioneer Press
• A year before marriage vote, both sides play defense
  A year from now, Minnesotans will vote on a proposed constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between one man and one woman. - MPR
• Rep. Ellison introduces voting bills in Congress
  The bills would require states to provide same-day registration in federal elections, and prohibit election officials from requiring photo ID at the polls - MN Daily.
• Congressional hearing sought over voter ID laws sweeping states
  WASHINGTON — Does requiring a photo ID to vote return America to the days when poll taxes and literacy tests made it hard for minorities to cast ballots? Are state lawmakers trying to make it harder for people to vote? - Miami Herald
• Sexual harassment claims common in pressure-cooker restaurant world
  Of more than 400 discrimination suits and settlements reported by the federal government so far this year, 75 involved sexual harassment, and 26, or 37 percent, involved the food service industry, according to an msnbc.com review of data from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. - MSNBC
• A New Way to Achieve Civil Rights?
  The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and others take strong issue with an Op-Ed article that argued for "comprehensive solutions" instead of lawsuits. - NY Times
• Gay acceptance forced in the name of diversity
  Commentary: Unfortunately, in the name of tolerance, what is tolerable is being defined ever more narrowly. - Star Tribune
• Black greek life reborn on campus By May, there will be seven historically black greek organizations on campus. - MN Daily
• Felon discrimination bill held up in Assembly
  MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A bill that would allow Wisconsin schools to discriminate against convicted felons when considering whether to hire or fire them is temporarily held up in the state Assembly. Current law allows for employers to discriminate against convicted criminals only if their offense directly relates to the job in question. - MSNBC
• Sexual harassment settlements: 'cost of doing business'
  CNN — When it comes to the bottom line, there are a few reasons that an employer might pay to sweep sexual harassment allegations under the rug instead of fighting them in the courtroom or the court of public opinion. - CNN
• Justice Department Sues South Carolina Over State's Strict Immigration Law
  COLUMBIA, S.C. – The federal government filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to stop implementation of South Carolina's tough new immigration law, arguing that the legislation that requires law officers to check suspects' immigration status is unconstitutional. - FOX
• Thousands of prisoners could be freed with change in sentencing for crack vs. powder cocaine
  The disparity in sentences for crack versus powder had long been criticized as racially discriminatory because it disproportionately affected black defendants. The Fair Sentencing Act passed by Congress in 2010 and signed by President Barack Obama reduced the disparity for future cases. - Star Tribune
• Student test scores consistently flat, minority performance lagging
  St. Paul, Minn. — Fourth and eighth graders in Minnesota are performing about the same as two years ago, results from nationwide testing show. - MPR

Top of page

OCTOBER 2011

• Students Born To Illegal Immigrants Sue Over Tuition
  A class-action lawsuit has been filed in Miami by Florida residents being charged out-of-state tuition rates to attend state colleges and universities. The students are American citizens — children who were born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants — and they say Florida's regulations violate their constitutional rights. - MPR
• Intensive intervention: strategy for closing the achievement gap
  Those promoting intensive intervention to close the achievement gap point out that children born into poor homes start with a disadvantage that requires early and decisive action to overcome. - TC Daily Planet
• Judge Signs Off on Settlement for Black Farmers
  A federal judge in Washington has granted final approval for a $1.25 billion settlement by the Agriculture Department for African-American farmers' longstanding claims of racial discrimination. - NY Times
• Moving Beyond Civil Rights
  Civil rights have transformed American society, and made it fairer and less divided, by outlawing overt racial discrimination and making bigotry socially unacceptable. - NY Times
• ACLU: Chat-downs escalate a flawed TSA program
  The chat-downs are based on searching for supposed "signs of terrorism" that are vague and commonplace. The result is that officers can basically pick anyone they want for extra screening, and that inevitably devolves into crude racial profiling. - USA Today
• St. Cloud schools agree on steps to prevent Somali harassment
  The St. Cloud School Board has approved an agreement which ends an investigation into complaints that Somali students were being harassed. - MPR
• Appeals court hears suit to overturn same-sex marriage ban
  A lawsuit that seeks to overturn Minnesota's law prohibiting same-sex marriage is back. - MPR
• St. Cloud district to vote on civil rights deal
  The St. Cloud school board is set to approve an agreement that would settle a federal civil rights investigation into the alleged harassment of Somali students at two high schools. - Pioneer Press
• New census data: Minn.'s Somali population grows
  MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota's Somali population is still the largest in the United States, according to new census data released early Thursday that raised the number of people of Somali ancestry in the state to more than 32,000. - Star Tribune
• As NOW marks 45 years, is feminism over the hill?
  For a movement so vocal when it began, feminism is largely under the radar of most younger Americans today, except maybe from gender studies classes or history books. - USA Today
• Laws with unintended consequences
  Eight home care agencies have brought suit, arguing that a cut in human services programs is unconstitutional and violates the federal Civil Rights Act because it discriminates against women and minorities. - Star Tribune
• Protecting illegal immigrants to catch criminals
  One Minnesota county has done an about-face on deportation, bucking federal law to stop violence. In Mower County llegal immigrants who become victims of violent crime will not be charged with document offenses, giving them immunity to aid the prosecution of more serious, violent felonies. - Star Tribune
• School district deal pending on Somali harassment investigation
  A proposed agreement between St. Cloud school district and the federal government requires the district to continue a number of steps taken to maintain a safe and harassment-free environment. - St. Cloud Times
• Religious Discrimination Incidents Doubled in US Since 1997
  Though a country whose First Amendment mandates the freedom of religious practice, the United States of America appears to be suffering from rising religious discrimination in the workplace. - Christian Post
• St. Cloud school district settles civil rights probe involving Somali students
  The St. Cloud, Minn., school district must report to the federal government any future allegations of harassment against Somali students as part of a tentative agreement to end a civil rights investigation, the district's superintendent said Monday. - st. Cloud Times
• Do they or don't they? Dispute over Central Corridor hiring goals for minorities and women
  As the Central Corridor light-rail transit line construction continues, disputes continue over the Metropolitan Council's specific hiring goals that insure women and minority representation in the workforce. - TC Daily Planet
• Schools step up to battle bullying
  Districts can't afford to ignore last year's spate of suicides among gay teens. - Star Tribune
• Hispanic parents say kids bullied, told 'Go back to Mexico' in wake of Ala. immigration law
  BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - It was just another schoolyard basketball game until a group of Hispanic seventh-graders defeated a group of boys from Alabama. - Star Tribune
• Most big Minnesota companies sitting out same-sex marriage debate
  The Associated Press contacted representatives for the 13 Minnesota-based Fortune 500 companies that offer domestic partner benefits - nearly three-quarters of the state's complete Fortune 500 roster - and only one, a spokeswoman for Little Canada-based medical device maker St. Jude Medical, said the company would publicly oppose the amendment to ban same-sex marriage. - Pioneer Press
• Municipal ID Cards Given To Undocumented Immigrants In Cities Across The U.S. With Varied Success
  - Huffington Post
• Franken pushes anti-bullying amendment to education bill
  In the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee on Thursday, Sen. Al Franken spoke about his Student Non-Discrimination Act and lamented that the bill, which would beef up national anti-bullying policies, was not included in the proposed revamp of No Child Left Behind that's being considered in the Senate. - MN Independent
• Civil rights icon Fred Shuttlesworth remembered
  They grew up in a hate-filled era when schools, jobs, lunch counters — even restrooms — were closed to them. So there was no way they were not going to personally say good-bye to the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, the man whose unyielding moral fortitude and fearless courage helped tear down the "Whites Only" and "Colored" signs and other barriers that once rigidly confined their lives. - USA Today
• Poligraph: Voter Fraud Claim Inconclusive
  As a special panel created by Gov. Mark Dayton convened this week to make recommendations on the state's election rules, a group that supports a voter identification law is touting a new report about voter fraud convictions associated with the 2008 election. - MPR
• Report: Hertz fires 25 Muslim drivers at Seattle airport in prayer break dispute
  SEATTLE - More than two dozen Somali Muslim drivers for Hertz at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport are being fired after refusing to clock out for daily breaks during which they normally pray, according to media reports Thursday. - Star Tribune
• New topics, including bullying, for teachers at Minnesota education conference
  Annual educators conference added sessions on GLBT issues, bullying and achievement gap. - Star Tribune
• Wisconsin League of Women Voters sues state over photo ID law
  MADISON - The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin sued the state Thursday in an attempt to block a new requirement that voters show photo identification at the polls. - Pioneer Press
• Study: Living in poor neighborhood can hurt health
  ATLANTA (AP) — Back in the 1990s, the federal government tried an unusual social experiment: It offered thousands of poor women in big-city public housing a chance to live in more affluent neighborhoods. - MPR
• Board opts to keep integration schools open around the metro
  But funding for the east metro schools, which have not accomplished academic goals, will be trimmed. - Star Tribune
• Women in the back, controversy up front in NY bus
  The B110 bus, which runs between Williamsburg and Borough Park, is different from other New York City buses. Most notably, women are asked to ride in the back. - MSNBC
• St. Cloud schools close to deal on Muslim harassment case
  St. Cloud school district is close to reaching an agreement with the U.S. Education Department that would end an investigation into alleged religious discrimination, Superintendent Bruce Watkins said. - St. Cloud Times
• Latinos Said to Bear Weight of a Deportation Program
  A deportation program that is central to the Obama administration's immigration enforcement strategy has led disproportionately to the removal of Latino immigrants and to arrests by immigration authorities of hundreds of United States citizens, according to a report by two law schools using new, in-depth official data on deportation cases. - NY Times
• Lawyers claim blatant discrimination rare in age, gender suits
  FARGO – Former TV anchor Robin Huebner's age and gender discrimination complaint against the station she'd been at since 1985 will be decided in a legal arena where blatant bias violations are increasingly rare, employment lawyers said Tuesday. - In Forum
• US deports record number of immigrants in fiscal '11
  MIAMI — The United States deported nearly 400,000 people — a record high — in fiscal year 2011, according to figures released Tuesday. - MSNBC
• Racism: despite gains, playing field still tilts
  Does racism against blacks still exist in the United States? Yes. Is it still an institutionalized evil that holds back African-Americans? Depends on where you look and what you see. - Star Tribune
• Supreme Court to hear two human rights cases
  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear a pair of cases on whether corporations and political groups may be sued in U.S. courts for complicity in human rights abuses abroad. - Star Tribune
• Editorial: Too few women judges
  Infinity Project targets U.S. Eighth Circuit's male bastion. - Star Tribune
• Report: Minority households less able to sustain financial crisis
  St. Paul, Minn. — New numbers out Tuesday show the state's racial minority households are less likely to have the means to survive financial crises than white households. - MPR
• Editorial: Another Test of Marriage Equality
  The Senate Judiciary Committee took a step toward equality by planning a vote on whether to repeal the federal law that bars recognition of same-sex marriages. - NY Times
• Anti-Latino Hate Crimes Rise As Immigration Debate Intensifies
  Recent studies conducted by the National Institute of Justice, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the FBI and the Pew Research Center seem to show that anti-Latino hate crimes have risen disproportionately. - Huffington Post
• Health care benefits cost more for GLBT employees
  They are taxed for same-sex domestic partner benefits because it is not a legally recognized marriage. - MN Daily
• Minority firm disqualified on Central Corridor - Star Tribune
• Gay marriage could hinge on Iowa special election - Pioneer Press
• College Diversity Nears Its Last Stand - NY Times
• Bullying Q & A: How to break the cycle - MN Post
• Census: Area Hispanic population burgeons - St. Cloud Times
• It takes a village: Community-based solutions to closing the achievement gap - TC Daily Planet
• Voter ID group say Minnesota had most convictions for 'voter fraud' from 2008 - MN Independent
• Alabama Immigrants To DOJ: 'The Situation Here Is Very Dire' - Huffington Post
• Grieving mother creates support group for gay kids - Brainerd Dispatch
• Harvard scientist who alleged civil rights violations during his 2006 arrest settles lawsuit - Star Tribune
• Illinois college's decision to ask LGBT question prompts another: Will other schools do same? - Star Tribune
• Report finds nation's widest minority hiring gap in Twin Cities, suggests solutions - Pioneer Press
• Denied Veterans Benefits Over Same-Sex Marriage, Ex-Sailor Challenges Law - NY Times
• Mpls. event highlights growing efforts by teens to stop bullying - MPR
• Students lead charge against bullying in schools - MPR
• House bills could undermine protections for undocumented domestic violence victims - MN Independent
• Crow Wing County Board: Human rights commission dropped - Brainerd Dispatch
• Austin schools recognizes anti-bullying group - Austin Daily Herald
• Editorial: Seeking answers for troubling disparities - Star Tribune
• Bullied Minn. students speak out on national TV - KARE 11
• Former women’s director battled stigma, inequality - MN Daily
• CA Gov. Brown Signs Two Pro-Trans Bills Into Law - Just Out
• Supreme Court will not review whether state must put both adoptive dads on birth certificate - Star Tribune
• Despite support, prospects are slim for federal bullying law - MPR
• Unemployed seek protection against job bias - MPR
• The Glass Ceiling - NT Times
• The Myth of Voter Fraud - NY Times
• Jobless seek help fighting hiring discrimination - MSNBC
• AP NewsBreak: Arts funding doesn't show diversity - KSTP
• Some Republicans take strong stand against gay marriage ban - Star Tribune
• Talks over litigation stemming from Anoka-Hennepin schools' GLBT policy are continuing - Pioneer Press
• Hertz suspends Muslim shuttle drivers in Seattle - Pioneer Press
• Voters conflicted over school district policy, property tax approval - MPR
• Religious Groups and Bias Get the Justices' Attention - NY Times
• Muslim woman suing airline over removal from plane - MSNBC
• Study: Worst hospitals treat larger share of black and poor patients - USA Today
• Report: Race, ethnic-based disparities pervasive in Mpls. - MPR
• New report shows dramatic differences in lives of Minneapolis residents of color, whites - MinnPost
• Do Civil Rights Laws Apply To Parochial Schools? - MPR
• Learning disabled U graduate wins accommodations on LSAT - Pioneer Press
• EEOC alleges age discrimination at Texas Roadhouse - St. Cloud Times
• After Ruling, Hispanics Flee an Alabama Town - NY Times
• Schools Lift Military Ban In Post-DADT Era - CBS
• Voter ID laws might affect millions, study finds - Star Tribune
• Anti-bully effort takes hold - Star Tribune
• Delta, disabled passengers settle Detroit airport discrimination suit - Atlanta Business News
• Jury selection disrupted for Minn. women accused of funding Somali terror group - Star Tribune
• Ala. immigration law marked by Hispanic school absences - USA Today
• Older jobless workers struggle as age bias claims rise - MSNBC
• Chaska police thwart "Slap an Asian Day" in middle school - City Pages

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September 2011

• Ruben Rosario: Minnesota group is taking on bullying - Pioneer Press
• Military chaplains now allowed to perform same-sex marriages - MSNBC
• Theater Company Tackles Bullying With New Play - CBS
• Anoka-Hennepin's anti-bullying task force is called flawed because it doesn't include teachers - Pioneer Press
• EEOC sues Alliant Techsystems for race discrimination - Pioneer Press
• How Did Anti-Muslim Bias Seep Into FBI Training? - MPR
• The Fundamental Right - NY Times
• Companies Use Immigration Crackdown to Turn a Profit - NY Times
• Even Those Cleared of Crimes Can Stay on FBI's Watch List - NY Times
• Same-sex marriages: first Census count shows 131,729 - USA Today
• Poll: Young people say online meanness pervasive - MSNBC
• Is Racism Actually Worse in the Age of Obama? - Huffington Post
• Three state agencies face EEOC suits on age bias - Star Tribune
• Obama Proposes Protecting Unemployed Against Hiring Bias - NY Times
• Teen's parents: After suicide, he's still being bullied - MSNBC
• Retailers Are Put on the Spot Over Anti-Gay Aid - NY Times
• Latinos discuss changing views, ways to mobolize, strengthen community - St. Cloud Times
• Obama: Reform of No Child Left Behind law aims to raise standards, not do away with them - Star Tribune
• In death, fired nurse aids rights of workers - Star Tribune
• Bullying as True Drama - NY Times
• Minn. bullying laws remain among nation's weakest - MPR
• Justice Department boosts activity to police the police - Washington Post
• Judge Rejects Challenge to Voting Rights Law by County in Alabama - NY Times
• Marines Hit the Ground Running in Seeking Recruits at Gay Center - NY Times
• White supremacist executed for Texas dragging - USA Today
• MN racial disparities in joblessness called shocking, alarming, bleak - Spokesman Recorder
• Will 'good faith efforts' get Blacks light rail jobs? - Spokesman Recorder
• Teens shrug off online racial, sexual slurs as harmless - MPR
• Worthington schools' growth defies rural trends, but its struggle to help minority students succeed does not - Pioneer Press
• EDITORIAL: Stay of Execution - NY Times
• Diocesan Ministry Day will address bullying - St. Cloud Times
• Study shows nation's largest racial disparity for unemployment in Minneapolis - MPR
• Racial Bias Seen in Study of Lead Dust and Children - NY Times
• Citing Anoka-Hennepin, Franken calls for explicit ban on discrimination - MN Independent
• Tribal Rights vs. Racial Justice - NY Times
• Bachmann is urged to condemn bullying - Star Tribune
• News coverage biased by all-White newsrooms - Spokesman Recorder
• Ellison's Muslim faith builds bridges in post-9/11 world - MPR
• Wal-Mart to Announce Women-Friendly Plans - NY Times

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August 2011

• Illinois college becomes first to ask undergrads if they're gay - CNN
• Ariz. sues feds over Voting Rights Act - MSNBC
• Tribalism as Pop Culture Phenomenon and the Perpetuation of Offensive American Indian Stereotypes - Indian Country Today
• Same-sex marriage supporters, foes stake out ground at state fair - Kare 11
• No settlement in Anoka-Hennepin School District lawsuits - Star Tribune
• A dream long in the making, MLK Memorial honors 'a king among presidents,' 'a giant of a man' - Star Tribune
• Independence Party to campaign against anti-gay marriage amendment - MN Independent
• 'Statewide Plan to End Violence' unveiled by advocacy groups, government agencies - MPR
• Federal Policy Resulting in Wave of Deportations Draws Protests - NY Times
• CSB student, volunteers create portrait of diversity in Cold Spring - St. Cloud Times
• Obama extends Liberian immigration status - TC Daily Planet
• From ethnic turmoil to vibrant diversity, trio helped Pelican Rapids transform its culture - MinnPost
• Fighting Sioux nickname to be gone by year's end - MPR
• NY court reinstates lawsuit by black Conn. fireman - MSNBC
• The unemployed under fire - MPR
• Anoka-Hennepin school district stands by gay 'neutrality' policy - Pioneer Press
• Employers turn to tests to weed out job seekers - MSNBC
• Holdout law schools to accept military recruiters - MSNBC
• Audits force illegal immigrants to find underground work - MN Independent
• North Carolina Eugenics Board Victims Fight For Justice - Huffington Post
• American Indian students sue over UND's 'Fighting Sioux' nickname - Pioneer Press
• Translation of deaf suspect is complicating St. Paul murder trial - Pioneer Press
• Superintendent: GLBT neutrality policy is best for Anoka-Hennepin schools - Star Tribune
• Anoka-Hennepin faces new lawsuit over treatment of gay students - MPR
• Sixth student sues Anoka-Hennepin school district over gay bullying - City Pages
• Census tracks 20 years of sweeping change - USA Today
• Civil rights organizations struggle to remain publicly relevant - Spokesman Recorder
• Seeking a Better Life, Section 8 Renters Encounter Resistance - NY Times
• Youth Pride participants show support to students affected by controversial school district policy - Pioneer Press
• Anti-LGBT group launches campaign to prevent gay people from donating blood - MN Independent
• AFL-CIO votes unanimously to oppose anti-gay marriage amendment - MN Independent
• Federal immigration-check requirement draws ire - USA Today
• GLBT group faults Anoka-Hennepin website - Star Tribune
• Editorial: Put a new focus on achievement gap - Star Tribune
• State budget cuts out help for immigrant doctors to regain profession - MPR
• New immigrants can find housing a challenge - St. Cloud Times

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July 2011

• Long Fights for Sports Equity, Even With a Law - NY Times
• Sox, Major League Baseball Sued For Sex Discrimination - MSNBC
• Falcon Heights is 12th city with domestic partner registry - MPR
• Firefighters get damages in bias case - MSNBC
• Racial wealth gap widens with foreclosures - MPR
• EEOC Sues Product Fabricators for Disability Discrimination, Retaliation - MSNBC
• Help-Wanted Ads Exclude the Long-Term Jobless - NY Times
• Minnesota Somali community is focus of congressional hearing on Al-Shabab - Star Tribune
• Valedictorian sues school: Was she snubbed because of race? - CNN
• Wells Fargo Target Of Justice Department Probe; Agency Alleges Discriminatory Lending - Huff. Post
• Wealth in America: Whites-minorities gap is now a chasm - MSNBC
• Disabled Workers Stage Protest - MSNBC
• Killings in Norway Spotlight Anti-Muslim Thought in U.S. - NY Times

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June 2011

• Hastings debates pitching out teen vandals. Not so fast, a rights group says - Star Tribune
• Editorial: Keep state agency for human rights. Plan to slash dept by 65% should be rejected - Star Tribune
• North Mpls. community forum protests cuts to MN Dept. of Human Rights - TC Daily Planet
• On College Forms, a Question of Race, or Races, Can Perplex - NY Times

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May 2011

• Sixth-grader honored in Statewide Human Rights Essay Contest - Albert Lea Tribune
• Census Bureau: Hispanics account for half of U.S. population growth - MinnPost
• Dozens rally for tolerance in St. Cloud after apparent hate crime - MPR
• Gaps overshadow state high schoolers' test scores - Star Tribune
• Local group leads charge against bullying - Star Tribune
• Three arrested in bias crime, police say - St. Cloud Times
• EEOC sues Starbucks for firing dwarf from barista job - Reuters
• Forum with MDHR Commissioner Lindsey and community leaders set for May 26 in Minneapolis
• Velma Korbel among human rights "Facing Race" award winners - Spokesman Recorder
• Breaking the law? One-third of districts don't include cyber-bullying in policies - MPR
• Minnesota lacks strong bullying law, state oversight - MPR
• Communities mobilize to preserve human rights funding as MDHR faces cuts of as much as 65% - TC Daily Planet
• Race a factor in whether young women are tested for STDs in emergency room visits - MSNBC
• Welfare program for disabled adults eliminated in proposed budget plan - MPR
• Customer Lawsuit Filed in Hennepin County Claiming Discrimination by Chipotle Mexican Grill - Huff. Post
• TakeAction Minnesota forum opposes ex-offender discrimination - Spokesman Recorder
• Two Muslims bounced from Memphis flight, despite extra screening - MinnPost
• More 'KKK' graffiti reported in Rochester - Rochester Post Bulletin
• KDWB meets with mystery leaders of Hmong community - TC Daily Planet
• Study gives insight into student bullies and their victims - MPR
• 1 in 10 MN students bullied weekly - KARE 11
• Justice Dept. to Continue Policy Against Same-Sex Marriage - NY Times