Civil Rights Updates

<results><page>0</page><page>20</page><page>162</page><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Subject>gender identity</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Human Rights Act continues to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity</Title><title>Minnesota Human Rights Act continues to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-757853&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2026-06-30T21:58:45Z</Date><ShortDescription>Today, in response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J., the Minnesota Department of Human Rights released a statement from Commissioner Rebecca Lucero.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>U.S. Supreme Court ruling does not trump anti-discrimination protections under Minnesota law </Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[St. Paul, MN] Today, in response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in &lt;em&gt;Little v. Hecox&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;West Virginia v. B.P.J.&lt;/em&gt;, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights released a statement from Commissioner Rebecca Lucero: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“In 1993, state legislators made Minnesota the first state to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity. Today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling does not erase rights guaranteed under Minnesota law for transgender and gender expansive students. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Minnesota has long believed that government should not be in the business of embedding discrimination into the law. The Department of Human Rights is committed to enforcing state civil rights laws so Minnesotans can live free from discrimination.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;How to report discrimination&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-size: medium;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against, contact the Department of Human Rights by submitting this &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;online form&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency and is responsible for enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the strongest state civil rights laws in the country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>757853</id><pubdate>2026-06-30T22:27:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Civil rights protections remain strong in Minnesota</Title><title>Civil rights protections remain strong in Minnesota</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-739080&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2026-04-07T20:30:35Z</Date><ShortDescription>In response to the U.S. Department of Education announcing it will terminate settlement agreements with schools that violated federal gender identity protections, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights released the following statement from Commissioner Rebecca Lucero.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Minnesota Human Rights Act and ongoing state settlements still apply despite federal reversal</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[St. Paul, MN] In response to the U.S. Department of Education &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-rescinds-illegal-title-ix-resolution-agreements&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;announcing&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; it will terminate settlement agreements with schools that violated federal gender identity protections, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights released the following statement from Commissioner Rebecca Lucero:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Minnesota will not allow discrimination to take root where our students learn and grow. The Minnesota Human Rights Act – Minnesota’s robust civil rights law—has explicitly prohibited discrimination based on gender identity since 1993. These protections are not optional, and they are not going away. We will use every tool available to ensure that Minnesota remains a place where every young person can thrive.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“The Department of Human Rights will fully enforce state law as well as maintain settlement agreements with school districts. We expect every district will uphold its responsibility to provide a quality learning environment, free from discrimination for every student, including transgender and gender nonconforming students.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights has secured major settlements with school districts, including a 2021 agreement with Anoka-Hennepin School District, which followed from a landmark decision by the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruling that Minnesota schools must allow students to use locker rooms that align with their gender identity. Read more about that case &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/newsroom/civilrightsupdates.jsp?id=1061-472912&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;here&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;How to report discrimination&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-size: medium;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against, contact the Department of Human Rights by submitting this &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;online form&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency and is responsible for enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the strongest state civil rights laws in the country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>739080</id><pubdate>2026-04-07T20:33:25Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights: Rideshare Companies Cannot Discriminate Against Minnesotans with Disabilities</Title><title>Rideshare Companies Cannot Discriminate Against Minnesotans with Disabilities</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-730622&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2026-03-11T16:30:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>“For people with disabilities, access to rideshares like Lyft is not a convenience, it is a civil right,” said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. “This settlement with Lyft is an important step forward. It makes it clear that Minnesota will hold transportation providers accountable, and it reinforces that Minnesotans must be treated with dignity and afforded full access under the law.”</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Lyft settlement will benefit riders with service animals nationwide</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Department of Human Rights today announced a settlement and reaffirmed that under state law, rideshare companies must accommodate riders with a disability, and drivers cannot refuse rides to Minnesotans because they have a service dog. Commissioner Rebecca Lucero was joined by Minnesotans with disabilities who have been harmed by rideshare discrimination.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner Lucero announced a settlement agreement with Lyft that followed discrimination against Tori Andres, a student who was repeatedly denied rides because of her service dog, Alfred. These updates benefit riders nationwide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“For people with disabilities, access to rideshares like Lyft is not a convenience, it is a civil right,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. “&lt;strong&gt;This settlement with Lyft is an important step forward. It makes it clear that Minnesota will hold transportation providers accountable, and it reinforces that Minnesotans must be treated with dignity and afforded full access under the law.”
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The agreement follows a comprehensive investigation by the Department of Human Rights, which found that Lyft drivers repeatedly canceled rides for Tori Andres, a Minnesotan traveling with her service animal. While the case focused on one individual, it reflects broader concerns raised by Minnesotans with disabilities across the state who experience canceled rides from rideshare services and other service denials.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tori Andres is one of the Minnesotans who brought a complaint of discrimination to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights against a rideshare company. Andres is blind and travels with a service dog that is trained to assist her with daily tasks. &lt;strong&gt;“This case has been deeply personal to me,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Tori Andres. &lt;strong&gt;“My guide dog Alfred is my freedom, he is the reason that I am able to live my life as a college student and athlete completely independently. I will never stop fighting for my rights and the many service dog teams out there who deserve to go about their lives without worrying about access issues.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Disability Law Center, which represented the plaintiff in the Lyft case, highlighted how rideshare refusals can be a common issue for people with disabilities, leading to missed work hours and doctor’s appointments. &lt;strong&gt;&quot;Under Minnesota law, people with disabilities have the right to access transportation services with their service animals, yet refusals still happen far too often,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Chad Wilson, a supervising attorney from Minnesota Disability Law Center of Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, who represented Andres in the case. &lt;strong&gt;“This agreement reinforces accountability, advances Lyft’s compliance, and warns transportation companies and their drivers that denying service to riders with service animals is illegal. No one should be turned away from a ride simply because they are traveling with a service animal.&quot;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“On-demand transportation is essential to daily life,”&lt;/strong&gt; said David Dively, executive director of the Minnesota Council on Disability. &lt;strong&gt;“This settlement underscores the importance of protecting riders who use service animals from discrimination and ensuring equal access in practice. We welcome continued progress with rideshare providers to strengthen access, accountability, and independence for Minnesotans with disabilities.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Key findings from the investigation&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-size: medium;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Between November 2021 and January 2023, Lyft drivers canceled multiple rides after learning rider Tori Andres was traveling with a service animal. Andres has a trained service dog that wears a leather harness typical of guide dogs trained to support people with visual disabilities. In one instance, a Lyft driver hung up the phone and canceled the ride immediately after being informed about the service animal by Andres’ mother, who was providing directions to the driver. In another, two separate drivers canceled within minutes of each other after seeing the service animal, causing Andres to miss a medical appointment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department of Human Rights concluded that Lyft violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which prohibits public places—including rideshare vehicles— from denying people access because they have a disability. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Settlement agreement has national impact&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-size: medium;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights reached a robust settlement agreement that benefits riders cross the United States, promoting independence and connection. The settlement includes improvements to policies, driver education, and updates to the Lyft app. It also strengthens accountability for drivers who violate these policies by clarifying that they may be deactivated and therefore unable to continue driving for Lyft. The agreement also includes a monetary settlement of $63,000 for the rider in the case. The Department of Human Rights will monitor Lyft’s compliance with the settlement agreement for the next three years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While this agreement is specific to Lyft, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights has received complaints of widespread discrimination against people with disabilities from multiple rideshare services and transportation providers. All rideshare companies must follow the Minnesota Human Rights Act. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;What this means for riders and drivers&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-size: medium;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To ensure that Minnesotans with disabilities can access Lyft without discrimination, the Department of Human Rights wants riders and drivers to understand their rights and responsibilities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#008EAA&quot;&gt;Riders&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You have the right to ride: By law, Lyft drivers cannot cancel or refuse a ride because you have a disability – that includes riders with wheelchairs and service animals and riders who are blind or low vision. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Optional disclosure: Riders can choose to notify the driver in the Lyft app that they are traveling with a service animal. The video below demonstrates how riders can disclose their service animal in their Lyft app settings.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How to report problems: If a driver refuses to give someone with a service animal a ride, riders should report it to Lyft through their website, app, email or by phone. Under the settlement, Lyft must follow up on every report.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Lyft%20accessibility%20menu_tcm1061-730612.png&quot; title=&quot;Lyft accessibility menu screenshot&quot; alt=&quot;Lyft accessibility menu screenshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 40%; height: 40%;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Lyft accessibility menu screenshot&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Jxr5b3RWvgc&quot; title=&quot;Disclosing a Service Animal in the Lyft App &quot;&gt;A video from the Minnesota Department of Human Rights&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; shows how riders can update their Lyft app settings to disclose a service animal.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#008EAA&quot;&gt;Drivers&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It’s the law: Drivers cannot cancel or refuse a ride because a rider has a disability – that includes riders with wheelchairs and service animals and riders who are blind or low vision. Service animals are not pets.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;“Always Say Yes” reminders: Drivers attempting to cancel or refuse a ride for a rider traveling with a service animal and who disclosed it in the app will immediately receive an in-app message. The message reminds drivers that canceling or refusing the ride violates both the law and company policy—and that doing so may lead to termination. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Training and education: The settlement requires Lyft to provide drivers with information on how to determine whether an animal is a service animal, train new drivers, and regularly remind drivers to follow the Service Animal Policy. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Lyft%20driver%20screenshot_tcm1061-730614.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Lyft driver cancellation screenshot&quot; alt=&quot;Lyft driver cancellation screenshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 40%; height: 40%;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Lyft driver cancellation screenshot&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.lyft.com/blog/posts/lyft-service-animals-feature-policy&quot; title=&quot;Lyft driver screenshot service animals&quot;&gt;Lyft’s website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; shows drivers will receive a warning message if they attempt to cancel a service animal ride.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;How to report discrimination&lt;/font&gt; &lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-size: medium;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against, contact the Department of Human Rights by submitting &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot; title=&quot;Report Discrimination&quot;&gt;this online form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency and is responsible for enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the strongest state civil rights laws in the country.
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>730622</id><pubdate>2026-03-11T18:45:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Secures Settlement with Transportation Company After Discriminating Against Employee Based on Race and National Origin</Title><title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Secures Settlement with Transportation Company After Discriminating Against Employee Based on Race and National Origin</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-725517&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2026-02-19T14:57:58Z</Date><ShortDescription>“No one should have to face discrimination or harassment at work because of their race or where they were born,” said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. “This settlement sends a clear message that the Minnesota Department of Human Rights will enforce our state civil rights laws to ensure that people can live and work in dignity. While our agency cannot stop all the cruel and inhumane treatment that immigrant communities are currently facing, we will continue to hold workplaces accountable for unlawful discrimination.” </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Settlement requires company to pay employee $180,000 and make changes to prevent future discrimination </Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Department of Human Rights today announced a settlement agreement with a Minnesota-based company that transports specialty products worldwide, after an investigation found the company violated Minnesota’s civil rights laws by discriminating against and firing an employee because of his race and national origin. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Under the settlement, the company is required to pay the former employee $180,000. The company must also take steps to strengthen its anti-discrimination systems and programs.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Immigrant communities are confronting cruel and dehumanizing treatment, and while we cannot stop every act of racism and xenophobia, we will use every tool available under state law to hold businesses accountable and protect fundamental civil rights for Minnesotans,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“No one should be targeted, mistreated, or pushed aside at work because of their race or where they come from. This settlement sends a strong message: discrimination is illegal, and we will enforce state civil rights laws to ensure that people can live and work in dignity.”&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s law clearly prohibits discrimination&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-size: medium;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, it is unlawful for employers to discriminate against a person because of their race or national origin. This protection includes discrimination in hiring, firing, pay, or any terms or conditions of employment because of race or national origin.  
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Harassment in the workplace based on race and national origin – which often looks like harassment against immigrants – may violate the Minnesota Human Rights Act when it makes the workplace hostile or abusive. Harassment could include the use of slurs like “illegal,” or pejorative remarks like “go back to your country,” or “speak English.” Threats to call immigration authorities can constitute harassment or retaliation when motivated by discriminatory intent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information on rights under state law, visit &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/yourrights/&quot; title=&quot;MDHR Your Rights&quot;&gt;our website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Key findings from the investigation&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-size: medium;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;An investigation by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) found that between April and July 2022, the transportation company fostered a hostile work environment where an employee was repeatedly insulted by a coworker with racist stereotypes and harmful tropes about the employee’s accent and his country of origin. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The employee reported the harassment to his supervisor, who failed to investigate or address the harassment. Instead of taking steps to address the discriminatory behaviors, the company allowed the behavior to continue, and they continued to schedule the employee with the harassing coworker. The company then fired the employee and claimed they did so for performance issues, but had no evidence to back up those claims. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Based on the evidence, the Department of Human Rights concluded that the company violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act by allowing discrimination to occur and terminating the employee because of his race and national origin.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the settlement, the company agreed to pay the employee $180,000, strengthen its anti-harassment training and reporting protocols, and log and share any employee discrimination complaints with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;How to report discrimination&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-size: medium;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against, contact the Department of Human Rights by submitting &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot; title=&quot;Report Discrimination&quot;&gt;this form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.  
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency and is responsible for enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the strongest state civil rights laws in the country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>725517</id><pubdate>2026-02-19T15:04:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Sexual Harassment</Title><Id>244489</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Education</Title><Id>502813</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Secures Settlement with Osseo Area Schools after Assistant Principal Sexually Harassed a Nine-Year-Old Student</Title><title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Secures Settlement with Osseo Area Schools after Assistant Principal Sexually Harassed a Nine-Year-Old Student</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-710684&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-10-28T14:28:56Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights today announced a settlement agreement with Osseo Area Schools after finding the school district violated Minnesota’s civil rights law by failing to stop an assistant principal from sexually harassing a nine-year-old student.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>School district will apologize to the student, pay her $61,500, and implement reforms to prevent future sexual harassment</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Department of Human Rights today announced a settlement agreement with Osseo Area Schools after finding the school district violated Minnesota’s civil rights law by failing to stop an assistant principal from sexually harassing a nine-year-old student.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Under the settlement, the district agreed to send a written apology letter to the student, pay the former student $61,500, hold a listening session with the student and her parents, and make changes to stop and prevent future sexual harassment and discrimination.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“As demonstrated here, when a Minnesota school knows or should have known about discrimination and harassment, and fails to take meaningful action to prevent it, it not only causes tremendous harm to the student and their family, but it also violates the Minnesota Human Rights Act,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“Despite a rapidly shifting civil rights enforcement landscape at the federal level, this case demonstrates that Minnesota is not backing down from its civil rights laws.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“What happened was wrong and unjust. School districts should continue to be held accountable when discrimination, harassment, or any misconduct occurs. We are grateful to have received some form of justice in this situation,”&lt;/strong&gt; said the student’s parents.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;When it comes to discrimination in schools, Minnesota’s law is clear&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-size: medium;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Amid constant shifts at the federal level, Minnesota’s civil rights law is clear. When a school district knows or should know about discrimination or harassment, they must take action to address it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, Minnesota schools are prohibited from discriminating against students by denying them services, benefits, or full use of the school because of their race, religion, sex, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Court of Appeals has powerfully recognized that &quot;students should not be required to ‘shop’ among schools and districts to obtain a discrimination-free education,” because “[s]chools play a pivotal role in a young person’s development and intellectual, mental, and emotional health.” This means Minnesota schools must prevent and stop discrimination and harassment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Investigation into Osseo Area Schools&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-size: medium;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department of Human Rights’ investigation found that during the 2021-22 school year, an assistant principal used his position of power – both as a school leader and an adult – to sexually harass a nine-year-old student. He told the fourth grader that he could not stop looking at her, went out of his way to interact with her, and inappropriately touched her.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The investigation found that Osseo Area Schools knew or should have known that the assistant principal was harassing the student. The district had credible reports of the sexual harassment from other students, teachers, and the student’s parents. Despite this, the district took no meaningful action to stop or prevent the assistant principal from sexually harassing the nine -year-old.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The school’s failure to stop the sexual harassment had a significant impact on the nine-year-old. Her parents ultimately withdrew her from the district.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Settlement agreement&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-size: medium;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recognizing the harm caused by the district’s failure to take meaningful action, Osseo Area Schools agreed to write an apology letter to the student and hold a listening session with the student and her parents, terms rarely included in settlement agreements.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Osseo Area Schools will also pay the former student $61,500 for the impact the sexual harassment had on her.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The settlement agreement also requires Osseo Area Schools to take action to prevent and stop future discrimination and harassment. For example, the district must have and enforce anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies and procedures and train staff, leadership, and teachers on those policies and procedures.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department of Human Rights will monitor Osseo Area Schools’ compliance with the settlement agreement for the next five years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;How to report discrimination&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-size: medium;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against, contact the Department of Human Rights by submitting this &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;online form&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency and is responsible for enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the strongest state civil rights laws in the country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>710684</id><pubdate>2025-10-28T14:29:10Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Sex</Title><Id>678651</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Employment</Title><Id>244471</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Announces Two Cases Involving Blatant Sex Discrimination</Title><title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Announces Two Cases Involving Blatant Sex Discrimination</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-708842&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-10-09T13:46:15Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights today announced settlement agreements in two separate cases involving blatant workplace sex discrimination that violated Minnesota’s civil rights law.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Employees were denied jobs because of wrongful sex stereotyping; Lakes Concrete Plus and Key Lime Air must make changes to prevent future discrimination</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Department of Human Rights today announced settlement agreements in two separate cases involving blatant workplace sex discrimination that violated Minnesota’s civil rights law.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“In Minnesota, we know that work should provide for food and warmth in our homes and our communities, not discrimination. And we’ve worked hard to eliminate the notion that certain jobs ought to be performed by a woman or a man. Yet, these two cases demonstrate that there is still work left to do,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“Minnesota’s civil rights laws require workplaces to proactively prevent and address discrimination because both employers and employees are stronger when civil rights laws are followed.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Lakes Concrete Plus told an employee that driving a concrete truck was not “women’s work”&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-size: medium;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After a comprehensive investigation, the Department of Human Rights found Lakes Concrete Plus, located in Bemidji, violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act when the company fired a concrete truck driver because she is a woman.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When firing her, Lakes Concrete Plus told her that driving a concrete truck was not “women’s work” and that she should find a job that was “more fitting,” meaning a job fit for a woman.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department of Human Rights reached a settlement agreement with the company that requires Lakes Concrete Plus to pay the former employee $45,000 for lost wages and implement changes to create a workplace free from discrimination.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Key Lime Air refused to hire a man as a flight attendant&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-size: medium;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Following a thorough investigation, the Department of Human Rights found Key Lime Air, which operates flight services in Thief River Falls, violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act when the company refused to hire a qualified job applicant for a flight attendant position because he is a man.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the investigation, Key Lime Air acknowledged its practice of only hiring women as flight attendants because the company believed women are “better” than men for the position.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Under the settlement agreement reached with the Department of Human Rights, Key Lime Air must pay the former job applicant approximately $45,000 for damages and ensure its workplace policies do not discriminate against job applicants and employees in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;About sex stereotyping and discrimination&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-size: medium;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sex stereotypes are assumptions about the kinds of traits, behaviors, or roles that women and men are expected to have. A sex stereotype can result in unlawful sex discrimination through unequal pay, termination, demotion, and harassment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Approximately 22% of Minnesotans who file charges with the Department of Human Rights allege sex discrimination.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s civil rights law, the Minnesota Human Rights Act, requires employers to prevent and address sex discrimination so that employees and job applicants can live, work, and be free from discrimination.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against, contact the Department of Human Rights by submitting &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;this online form&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency and is responsible for enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the strongest state civil rights laws in the country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>708842</id><pubdate>2025-10-09T13:46:53Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>MPD</Title><Id>697351</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Public Services</Title><Id>244486</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Race</Title><Id>244481</Id><Key/></Category><Title>State Court Enforceable Agreement Is Binding and Isn’t Going Anywhere</Title><title>State Court Enforceable Agreement Is Binding and Isn’t Going Anywhere</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-684829&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-05-21T14:06:49Z</Date><ShortDescription>City of Minneapolis remains under state court enforceable agreement with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights</ShortDescription><Subtitle>City of Minneapolis remains under state court enforceable agreement with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Department of Human Rights, the state’s civil rights enforcement agency, today issued the following statement following news that the U.S. Department of Justice filed a motion to dismiss the proposed federal consent decree with the City of Minneapolis (City) and the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD):&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“While the Department of Justice walks away from their federal consent decree nearly five years from the murder of George Floyd, our Department and the state court consent decree isn’t going anywhere,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“Under the state agreement, the City and MPD must make transformational changes to address race-based policing. The tremendous amount of work that lies ahead for the City, including MPD, cannot be understated. And our Department will be here every step of the way.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;State court enforceable agreement&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In March 2023, the Department of Human Rights and the City reached and filed a court enforceable agreement. In July 2023, Hennepin County District Court Judge Karen Janisch approved the agreement, &lt;em&gt;State of Minnesota by Rebecca Lucero, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, vs. City of Minneapolis,&lt;/em&gt; Court File No. 27-cv-23-4177.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/mpd/agreement/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;state court enforceable agreement&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; is the result of the Department of Human Rights’ investigation into the City and MPD, which was immediately launched following the murder of George Floyd. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/assets/Investigation%20into%20the%20City%20of%20Minneapolis%20and%20the%20Minneapolis%20Police%20Department_tcm1061-526417.pdf&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;investigation&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; found the City and MPD engage in a pattern or practice of race discrimination in violation of Minnesota’s civil rights law.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The state court enforceable agreement addresses the findings by requiring the City and MPD to make transformational changes to their organizational culture by recognizing the humanity and civil rights of community members, addressing race-based policing, and strengthening public safety.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The agreement contains many provisions that are based on what Minneapolis community members and MPD officers shared during extensive engagement conducted by the Department of Human Rights.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Effective Law Enforcement for All, the independent evaluator for the state court enforceable agreement, recently issued its latest semi-annual progress report. The report and the Department of Human Rights’ letter responding to the report is available on &lt;a href=&quot;https://ele4a.org/minneapolis-reports/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Effective Law Enforcement for All’s website&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The court is the only entity that can terminate the state court enforceable agreement once it determines that the City and MPD have reached full, effective, and sustained compliance with the terms of the agreement.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>684829</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:31:29Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Sexual Harassment</Title><Id>244489</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Reprisal</Title><Id>244490</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Employment</Title><Id>244471</Id><Key/></Category><Title>State of Minnesota Agrees, Absolute Drywall Allows Sexual Harassment and Rape</Title><title>State of Minnesota Agrees, Absolute Drywall Allows Sexual Harassment and Rape</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-671136&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-03-04T15:30:15Z</Date><ShortDescription>“We are sending a clear reminder to all employers: you must provide a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment,&quot; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Employee sexually harassed and raped at work, fired after reporting harassment; Minnesota’s civil rights law requires employers to prevent and stop sexual harassment and assault</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; Following a comprehensive investigation, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, represented by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, today &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Absolute%20Drywall_tcm1061-671254.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Absolute Drywall&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Absolute Drywall&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;filed to join a lawsuit&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; against Absolute Drywall for violating the Minnesota Human Rights Act by allowing an employee to sexually harass and rape another employee and then firing her after she reported the harassment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“We are sending a clear reminder to all employers: you must provide a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment. When anyone is discriminated against or harassed, our state and our businesses are deprived of enormous potential,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“Norma deserved to be treated with humanity. Instead, Absolute Drywall allowed sexual harassment and rape to go unchecked. Our Department will hold employers like Absolute Drywall accountable when they violate the law because employees in every industry, including the construction industry, must be able to live with dignity, free from discrimination.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota has one of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.laborfinders.com/employers/blog/women-in-construction/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;highest percentages&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; of women working in construction. At the same time, sexual harassment in the construction industry is a prevalent issue. According to a 2021 &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://iwpr.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/A-Future-Worth-Building_What-Tradeswomen-Say_FINAL.pdf#page=7&quot;&gt;report&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; by the Institute for Women’s Policy and Research, nearly one in four women working in construction surveyed stated that they experience near constant sexual harassment on the job.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“The State’s decision to join my case against Absolute Drywall is an acknowledgment of not only my truth, but also the unacceptable reality that women like me, Latina women, too often face sexual harassment and assault in the construction industry,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Norma Izaguirre. &lt;strong&gt;“I hope that by standing up for myself and speaking out, other women feel empowered to tell their stories and employers who are abusive to their workers are held accountable.”&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In January 2021, Norma Izaguirre began working as a drywall laborer for Absolute Drywall. An employee immediately and consistently sexually harassed Izaguirre, made unwanted sexual advances, and assaulted her. In May 2021, the employee raped Izaguirre at a worksite in Eagan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Izaguirre reported the harassment to Absolute Drywall five times. The company failed to take any meaningful action to stop the harassment, allowing the harassment to continue. Instead, Absolute Drywall fired Izaguirre because she reported the sexual harassment to the company.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Izaguirre contacted the Department of Human Rights, which launched an investigation into Absolute Drywall. The Department of Human Rights’ investigation uncovered that Absolute Drywall fostered a workplace culture that allowed sexual harassment and rape. The company, for example, did not have any policies prohibiting sexual harassment or clear ways for employees to make sexual harassment complaints.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department of Human Rights concluded that Absolute Drywall violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which requires employers to prevent and stop sexual harassment and assault.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Minnesotans deserve to live and work with dignity, safety, and respect,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. &lt;strong&gt;“Absolute Drywall fell abysmally short of providing that environment for their employees, so today, we are taking action. By filing to join this lawsuit, we are making it clear that what happened to Norma is completely unacceptable, and that the State of Minnesota will hold employers accountable if they permit sexual harassment and assault to take place on the job. To any workers that have been the victim of similar conduct on the job, I encourage you to share your stories with my office or the Department of Human Rights, if you feel comfortable doing so.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“I am grateful for the partnership of the Department of Human Rights and Commissioner Rebecca Lucero, and I look forward to continuing our work to defend the rights and freedoms of Minnesotans,”&lt;/strong&gt; added Ellison.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By filing to join this lawsuit, the Department of Human Rights emphasizes that the State will not allow sexual harassment and rape to go unchecked.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The complaint demands that Absolute Drywall make transformational changes and pay Izaguirre for damages.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department of Human Rights wants Absolute Drywall to have and enforce clear anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies and wants to ensure that Absolute Drywall’s employees, including employees who speak Spanish, know about the policies and can easily report sexual harassment, assault, and other forms of discrimination.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“The court-ordered changes we’re seeking will help women, like Norma, who deserve respect in the workplace,”&lt;/strong&gt; continued Commissioner Lucero.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department of Human Rights is seeking to join the lawsuit filed in Minnesota’s First Judicial District by Norma Izaguirre, who is represented by the firm Nichols Kaster PLLP and the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In February 2025, the employee who raped Izaguirre pleaded guilty to felony criminal sexual conduct in Dakota County.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency and is responsible for enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the strongest state civil rights laws in the country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against, contact the Minnesota Department of Human Rights by submitting this &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;online form&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>671136</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:24:41Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Sexual Harassment</Title><Id>244489</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Reprisal</Title><Id>244490</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Employment</Title><Id>244471</Id><Key/></Category><Title>El Estado de Minnesota confirma que, Absolute Drywall permitió acoso sexual y violación</Title><title>El Estado de Minnesota confirma que, Absolute Drywall permitió acoso sexual y violación</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-671150&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-03-04T15:15:44Z</Date><ShortDescription>“Estamos enviando un recordatorio claro a todos los empleadores: deben proporcionar un ambiente de trabajo libre de discriminación y acoso&quot;, afirmó Rebecca Lucero, Comisionada del Minnesota Department of Human Rights. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Una empleada fue acosada sexualmente y violada en el trabajo, luego despedida tras denunciar el acosol; La Ley de Derechos Humanos de Minnesota exige a los empleadores prevenir y detener el acoso sexual y agresiones</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; Tras una investigación exhaustiva, el Minnesota Department of Human Rights, representado por el Fiscal General de Minnesota, Keith Ellison, &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Absolute%20Drywall_tcm1061-671254.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Absolute Drywall&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Absolute Drywall&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;presentó hoy una solicitud para unirse a una demanda&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; contra Absolute Drywall por violar la Ley de Derechos Humanos de Minnesota al permitir que un miembro del personal acosara sexualmente y violara a otro miembro del personal y luego así despidiendo a la víctima después de que denunciara el acoso.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Estamos enviando un recordatorio claro a todos los empleadores: deben proporcionar un ambiente de trabajo libre de discriminación y acoso. Cuando alguien es discriminado o acosado, nuestro estado y nuestras empresas son privadas de un enorme potencial”&lt;/strong&gt;, afirmó Rebecca Lucero, Comisionada del Minnesota Department of Human Rights. &lt;strong&gt;“Norma merecía ser tratada con dignidad. En cambio, Absolute Drywall permitió que el acoso sexual y la violación ocurrieran sin consecuencias. Nuestro Departamento hará que los empleadores como Absolute Drywall rindan cuentas cuando violen la ley, porque el personal de todas las industrias, incluida la industria de la construcción, debe poder vivir con dignidad y libre de discriminación.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota tiene uno de los &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.laborfinders.com/employers/blog/women-in-construction/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;más altos porcentajes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; de mujeres trabajando en construcción. Al mismo tiempo, el acoso sexual en la industria de la construcción es un problema generalizado. Según un &lt;a href=&quot;https://iwpr.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/A-Future-Worth-Building_What-Tradeswomen-Say_FINAL.pdf#page=7&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;informe&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; del Institute for Women’s Policy and Research casi una de cada cuatro mujeres encuestadas, quienes trabajan en construcción, afirmaron que experimentan acoso sexual de manera casi constante en el trabajo.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“La decisión del Estado de unirse a mi caso contra Absolute Drywall es un reconocimiento no solo de mi verdad, sino también de la inaceptable realidad que enfrentamos con demasiada frecuencia mujeres como yo, mujeres latinas, al sufrir acoso sexual y agresiones en la industria de la construcción”&lt;/strong&gt; declaró Norma Izaguirre. &lt;strong&gt;“Espero que, al defenderme y alzar la voz, otras mujeres se sientan empoderadas para contar sus historias y así, los empleadores que abusan de su personal rindan cuentas por sus acciones.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;En enero de 2021, Norma Izaguirre comenzó a trabajar como ayudante de instalación de paneles de yeso para Absolute Drywall. Un miembro del personal acosó sexualmente a Izaguirre de manera inmediata y constante, hizo insinuaciones sexuales no deseadas y la agredió. En mayo de 2021, este miembro del personal violó a Izaguirre en un sitio de trabajo en Eagan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Izaguirre denunció el acoso a Absolute Drywall en cinco ocasiones. La empresa no tomó ninguna medida significativa para detenerlo, lo que permitió que continuara. En lugar de actuar, Absolute Drywall despidió a Izaguirre por haber denunciado el acoso sexual.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Izaguirre se puso en contacto con el Department of Human Rights, que inició una investigación sobre Absolute Drywall. La investigación del Department of Human Rights reveló que Absolute Drywall fomentaba una cultura laboral que permitía el acoso sexual y la violación. Por ejemplo, la empresa no contaba con normativas que prohibieran el acoso sexual ni con procedimientos claros para que el personal pudiera presentar denuncias por acoso sexual.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;El Department of Human Rights concluyó que Absolute Drywall violó la Ley de Derechos Humanos de Minnesota, la cual exige que los empleadores prevengan y detengan el acoso sexual y las agresiones.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Los habitantes de Minnesota merecen vivir y trabajar con dignidad, seguridad y respeto&quot;,&lt;/strong&gt; declaró el Fiscal General de Minnesota, Keith Ellison. &lt;strong&gt;&quot;Absolute Drywall no solo no cumplió con este estándar, sino que falló de manera abismal en proporcionar un entorno seguro para su personal, por lo que hoy estamos tomando medidas. Al presentar nuestra solicitud para unirnos a esta demanda, dejamos en claro que lo que le ocurrió a Norma es completamente inaceptable y que el Estado de Minnesota hará que los empleadores rindan cuentas si permiten que ocurran el acoso sexual y las agresiones en el lugar de trabajo. A cualquier trabajador(a) que haya sido víctima de una conducta similar en su empleo, le animo a compartir su historia con mi oficina o con el Department of Human Rights, si se siente cómodo(a) haciéndolo.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Agradezco la colaboración del Department of Human Rights y de la Comisionada Rebecca Lucero, y espero seguir trabajando juntos para defender los derechos y libertades de los habitantes de Minnesota” &lt;/strong&gt;añadió Ellison.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Al presentar su solicitud para unirse a esta demanda, el Department of Human Rights reafirma que el Estado no permitirá que el acoso sexual y la violación queden impunes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;La denuncia exige que Absolute Drywall implemente cambios transformadores y compense a Izaguirre por los daños sufridos.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;El Department of Human Rights busca que Absolute Drywall implemente y haga cumplir normativas claras contra la discriminación y el acoso, y quiere garantizar que el personal de Absolute Drywall, incluidas las personas que hablan español, conozcan estas normativas y puedan denunciar fácilmente el acoso sexual, las agresiones y otras formas de discriminación.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Los cambios ordenados por la corte que estamos buscando ayudarán a mujeres como Norma, quienes merecen respeto en el lugar de trabajo&quot;, &lt;/strong&gt;afirmó la Comisionada Lucero.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;El Department of Human Rights está solicitando unirse a la demanda presentada en el Primer Distrito Judicial de Minnesota por Norma Izaguirre quien cuenta con la representación del bufete Nichols Kaster PLLP y del North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;En febrero de 2025, el miembro del personal que violó a Izaguirre se declaró culpable por delito grave de conducta sexual criminal en el condado de Dakota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;El Minnesota Department of Human Rights es la agencia estatal encargada de hacer cumplir los derechos civiles y es responsable de la aplicación de la Ley de Derechos Humanos de Minnesota, una de las normativas de derechos civiles estatales más sólidas del país.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Si cree que ha sido víctima de discriminación, comuníquese con el Minnesota Department of Human Rights presentando este &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;formulario en línea&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>671150</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:25:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Sexual Harassment</Title><Id>244489</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Employment</Title><Id>244471</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Settles with Home Depot in Workplace Sexual Harassment Case</Title><title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Settles with Home Depot in Workplace Sexual Harassment Case</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-667402&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-01-30T15:31:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>“Sexual harassment is a violation of the law and a denial of basic human dignity,” said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Home Depot to pay former employee $65,000 and make changes to prevent future sexual harassment</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Department of Human Rights today announced a settlement agreement with Home Depot after its investigation found several employees sexually harassed another employee and Home Depot failed to stop the harassment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Sexual harassment is a violation of the law and a denial of basic human dignity,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“It harms individuals&apos; mental health, job performance, and well-being, while also undermining organizational integrity and productivity. Minnesota state law requires that employers create a workplace free from sexual harassment and assault. This agreement reminds Minnesota employers of this obligation.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“My experience was deeply painful, and my goal in coming forward was not just to stand up for myself but also to raise awareness so that nobody else would ever have to go through what I went through,”&lt;/strong&gt; said the former employee. &lt;strong&gt;“I hope my journey and the policy changes outlined in the settlement agreement helps pave the way for a safer, more respectful environment for all employees.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;caret-color: rgb(0, 56, 101);&quot;&gt;The case&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department of Human Rights’ investigation found that from 2018 to 2021, three Home Depot employees sexually harassed another employee at the Fridley store. The sexual harassment included unwelcome sexual comments and advances and inappropriate touching.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The employee reported the sexual harassment numerous times over the course of approximately three years, but Home Depot took little to no action.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Home Depot’s inaction allowed the sexual harassment to continue. This violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which prohibits sexual harassment in the workplace.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department of Human Rights reached a settlement agreement that requires Home Depot to pay the former employee $65,000. Under the agreement, Home Depot must also work to create a workplace free from sexual harassment by enforcing anti-harassment policies, conducting training on those policies, and holding store managers accountable.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department of Human Rights will monitor Home Depot’s compliance with this agreement for two years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Enforcing Minnesota’s civil rights law&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, the Department of Human Rights investigates allegations of sexual harassment and assault in schools and the workplace.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department of Human Rights has enforced the law in several sexual harassment and assault cases by:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reaching a &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/newsroom/?id=1061-560403&quot;&gt;consent decree&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; with a McDonald’s franchisee after finding a 24-year-old manager used his position of power to repeatedly sexually assault a 14-year-old employee at a restaurant;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Securing a &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/newsroom/?id=1061-581635&quot;&gt;settlement&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; after a school district failed to prevent a teacher from sexually assaulting a student; and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Filing a &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/newsroom/#/detail/appId/1/id/607068&quot;&gt;lawsuit&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; against a printing company for failing to stop a supervisor from repeatedly sexually harassing and assaulting two employees.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;How to report discrimination&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against, contact the Minnesota Department of Human Rights by submitting this &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;online form&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency and is responsible for enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the strongest state civil rights laws in the country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>667402</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:23:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Subject>Racial Discrimination</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Secures Settlement with Pine City Public Schools After Seventh Grader Was Repeatedly Racially Harassed</Title><title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Secures Settlement with Pine City Public Schools After Seventh Grader Was Repeatedly Racially Harassed</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-660626&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-12-12T15:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>“Children deserve the opportunity to thrive, socially and academically, in school,” said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Pine City Public Schools violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act by failing to timely and appropriately stop the racial harassment.</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) today announced a settlement agreement with Pine City Public Schools after finding multiple students repeatedly bullied and harassed a seventh grader because of her race. Pine City Public Schools violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act by failing to timely and appropriately stop the racial harassment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Children deserve the opportunity to thrive, socially and academically, in school,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“Today’s announcement serves as a reminder to schools across the state of their legal responsibilities under the Minnesota Human Rights Act to proactively prevent and stop harassment and discrimination.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;caret-color: rgb(0, 56, 101);&quot;&gt;Pine City Public Schools&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR’s investigation uncovered that a seventh grader was repeatedly intimidated, bullied, and harassed for months because of her race by more than ten students during the 2020-2021 school year. The student and her parents persistently reported the harassment to school leaders.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a result of the ongoing harassment and Pine City Public Schools’ failure to resolve it, the seventh grader was greatly impacted and missed several weeks of school.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR found Pine City Public Schools violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act because the district knew of the harassment and did not take timely and appropriate action to stop it or prevent further harassment from occurring. For instance, the district failed to follow its own harassment policy that required any employee who received a harassment report to promptly notify the superintendent. Any attempts Pine City Public Schools made to address the racial harassment were not effective because it continued.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR reached a settlement agreement with Pine City Public Schools requiring the district to pay the student $65,000. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Pine City Public Schools must also make changes to its policies and procedures to prevent future discrimination and harassment. While the events of this case took place during COVID-19, MDHR will monitor the school district’s compliance with the settlement agreement through the 2025- 2026 school year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Ways schools can take action&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When students took the most recent Minnesota Student Survey, 54% &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wilder.org/sites/default/files/imports/MSS_WholeChild_SnapshotsMNYouth_2022_06-23.pdf#page=13&quot;&gt;reported&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; being bullied in the past month.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To support students and teachers in creating learning environments that are free from discrimination, school districts can take the following actions to prevent and address harassment and bullying:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Review results from the Minnesota Student Survey to determine what’s working and how school districts can better resolve harassment, bullying, and discrimination.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Proactively train students, educators, and school leaders on both how to prevent and how to respond to harassment and discrimination.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Make sure school policies around harassment, bullying, and discrimination are clear and transparent, and that the policies are immediately followed.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;To prevent further harm, provide support to students being harassed and to students engaging in the harassment.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When possible, work with student groups, nonprofits, and other community members to support students who are experiencing bullying, harassment, and discrimination.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;How to report discrimination&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been harassed or discriminated against, contact the Minnesota Department of Human Rights by submitting this &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;online form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency and is responsible for enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the strongest state civil rights laws in the country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>660626</id><pubdate>2024-12-19T19:28:58Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Housing</Title><Id>244492</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Lieutenant Governor Flanagan Highlights Housing Stability Act</Title><title>Lieutenant Governor Flanagan Highlights Housing Stability Act</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-611714&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-02-29T22:35:59Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Housing Stability Act clarifies the state’s civil rights law to ensure that landlords cannot refuse to rent to or otherwise discriminate against someone because they receive and use rental assistance to pay their rent.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[ST. PAUL, MN] – Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan today highlighted the Housing Stability Act, legislation that builds on historic investments in housing and ensures Minnesotans are not denied housing because they receive rental assistance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“This bill makes clear that landlords who choose not to accept renters based on their use of housing vouchers are breaking the law,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. &lt;strong&gt;“Housing vouchers provided me with a safe place to live as a child, and we know that housing stability is the foundation of educational growth, stable employment, health, and safety. That’s why every Minnesotan deserves access to stable housing without discrimination.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Housing Stability Act clarifies the state’s civil rights law to ensure that landlords cannot refuse to rent to or otherwise discriminate against someone because they receive and use rental assistance to pay their rent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“In 1973, Minnesota legislators decided it is a violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act for a landlord to discriminate against someone because they pay their rent with rental assistance. For over 50 years, our Department has enforced that law,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“In 2010, a Court of Appeals case misapplied the Minnesota Human Rights Act with regards to housing vouchers – now is the time for legislators to fix the law and get this right.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Getting help to afford housing shouldn’t disqualify you from renting the place you want to live, but that is happening too often,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Director of the Metropolitan Council’s Housing Redevelopment Authority (Metro HRA) Terri Smith. &lt;strong&gt;“This bill ensures that families who receive housing vouchers can find a place to call home and have an opportunity to live near better jobs, high performing schools for their children and begin to thrive in other areas of their lives.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to the Metro HRA, 46% of housing voucher recipients in Anoka, Carver, and suburban Hennepin and Ramsey counties return their vouchers for multiple reasons, including not being able to find a landlord who accepts housing vouchers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Providing long-term rental assistance is a win-win situation for the renter and the property owner. The renter has stability in their housing, and the owner receives a guaranteed payment ,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Housing Commissioner Jennifer Ho. &lt;strong&gt;“Last year the state legislature created approximately 5,000 more vouchers. Now is the time to make sure properties accept eligible applicants and don’t discriminate based on source of income.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2023, Governor Tim Walz signed into law the largest single investment in housing in state history. The $1.3 billion investment includes an estimated $124 million in rental assistance for Minnesotans. With these funds, Minnesota is anticipated to help about 5,000 community members and their families pay for their rent through housing vouchers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This press release was sent out by the Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>611714</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:22:54Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><DateOther>2023-08-11T15:08:21Z</DateOther><SubjectControlled/><DateModified>2023-08-11T15:04:56Z</DateModified></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Race</Title><Id>244481</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>MPD</Title><Id>697351</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Public Services</Title><Id>244486</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights, City of Minneapolis Select Team to Monitor the State Court Enforceable Agreement</Title><title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights, City of Minneapolis Select Team to Monitor the State Court Enforceable Agreement</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-608617&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-02-02T15:47:27Z</Date><ShortDescription>Today, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) and the City of Minneapolis (City) announced that Effective Law Enforcement for All was selected as the monitoring team for the state court enforceable agreement, which requires transformational changes to address race-based policing.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Effective Law Enforcement for All will support and hold the City and Minneapolis Police Department accountable to address race-based policing by strengthening public safety</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; Today, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) and the City of Minneapolis (City) announced that Effective Law Enforcement for All was selected as the monitoring team for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/mpd/agreement/&quot; title=&quot;state court enforceable agreement&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;state court enforceable agreement&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, which requires transformational changes to address race-based policing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://ele4a.org/&quot; title=&quot;Effective Law Enforcement for All&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Effective Law Enforcement for All&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; will support the City and Minneapolis Police Department (MPD), monitor their progress, engage with community members and police officers, and provide regular, public reports.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“This is an important moment in the long road ahead to transforming the culture within the City of Minneapolis and Minneapolis Police Department,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“Minneapolis will be the first city in the country to be subject to both a state and a federal consent decree to address discriminatory policing practices. It is essential to have a highly qualified, independent monitor to ensure that the City and MPD center and prioritize a culture of continuous learning based on humanity and civil rights – Effective Law Enforcement for All is that team.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Effective Law Enforcement for All is a nonprofit formed to help police, civic, and community leaders partner to reinvent law enforcement in their communities to achieve policing that is effective, respectful, restrained and, above all, safe for the public and the police.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Effective Law Enforcement for All is the right team for this moment in Minneapolis history to provide the immediate support and oversight necessary for the coming years to achieve meaningful and lasting progress,”&lt;/strong&gt; continued Commissioner Lucero.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;caret-color: rgb(0, 56, 101);&quot;&gt;Intentional Selection Process&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-size: medium;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The court enforceable agreement details an intentional process for selecting the monitoring team. 20 teams from across the country applied and three were selected as finalists.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In January 2024, community members met the finalists at two community events. During and after these events, community members shared their feedback about the finalists in-person and online. These events were important because engaging with and collecting feedback from community members is not only critical to the success of the court enforceable agreement – it is required. In the weeks ahead, Effective Law Enforcement for All will be on the ground charting a course for Minneapolis, including meeting with community members and police officers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;caret-color: rgb(0, 56, 101);&quot;&gt;Court’s Role&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-size: medium;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hennepin County District Court Judge Karen Janisch oversees the state court enforceable agreement. The court is the only entity that can terminate this legally binding agreement once it determines that the City and MPD have reached full, effective, and sustained compliance with the terms.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Judge Janisch can utilize public reports from Effective Law Enforcement for All to help determine how the City and MPD are doing towards reaching full, effective, and sustained compliance of the court enforceable agreement. Court enforceable agreements are also often referred to as court enforceable settlement agreements, consent orders, or consent decrees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;caret-color: rgb(0, 56, 101);&quot;&gt;About the Case&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-size: medium;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR initiated the investigation of the City and MPD immediately following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. In April 2022, MDHR announced that the City and MPD engage in a pattern or practice of race discrimination in violation of Minnesota’s civil rights law. In March 2023, MDHR and the City reached and filed a court enforceable agreement, which the court approved in July 2023.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Throughout the investigation and while negotiating the court enforceable agreement, MDHR prioritized engaging with community members and police officers. As a result, the court enforceable agreement contains many provisions that are based on what &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/assets/Community%20Engagement%20-%20Shaping%20a%20Consent%20Decree%20in%20Mpls%20-%20MNJRC%20-%203-31-23_tcm1061-571216.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Community Engagement&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;community members&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/assets/Summary%20of%20Primary%20Themes%20from%20MPD%20Officer%20Focus%20Groups_tcm1061-571092.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Summary of Primary Themes from MPD Officer Focus Groups&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MPD officers&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; shared during extensive engagement conducted by MDHR.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about the case and find many key documents linked through &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/mpd/timeline/&quot; title=&quot;Timeline&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;this timeline&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;caret-color: rgb(0, 56, 101);&quot;&gt;Effective Law Enforcement for All to Serve as the Monitor to Address Both State and Federal Consent Decrees&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-size: medium;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR’s findings mark the first of two independent investigations that found a pattern or practice of unlawful policing by MPD. In June 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice found that the City and MPD are in violation of the U.S. Constitution and federal law.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department of Justice is negotiating a federal court enforceable agreement with the City and MPD to address its findings. Moving forward, the City will be subject to two court enforceable agreements for violations of both state and federal laws. The Department of Justice provided input throughout the monitor selection process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;center xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/center&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>608617</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:31:29Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Subject>Sexual harassment</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Sexual Harassment</Title><Id>244489</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Employment</Title><Id>244471</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Sues Printing Company for Failing to Stop a Supervisor from Repeatedly Sexually Harassing and Assaulting Two Employees</Title><title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Sues Printing Company for Failing to Stop a Supervisor from Repeatedly Sexually Harassing and Assaulting Two Employees</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-607068&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-01-18T17:27:56Z</Date><ShortDescription>“Sheridan knew a supervisor was sexually harassing and assaulting its employees and, through willful inaction, gave this supervisor a license to sexually harass its employees,” said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Sheridan promoted a supervisor despite knowing that the supervisor sexually harassed and assaulted an employee</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) today filed a lawsuit in Minnesota’s Ninth Judicial District Court against Sheridan, formerly known as Bang Printing, for violating Minnesota’s civil rights law. MDHR found that Sheridan, located in Brainerd, failed to meaningfully stop a supervisor from using his position of power to repeatedly sexually harass and assault two employees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In filing this lawsuit, MDHR is seeking structural change so that all employees at Sheridan are provided a work environment that is free from sexual harassment and assault.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Sheridan knew a supervisor was sexually harassing and assaulting its employees and, through willful inaction, gave this supervisor a license to sexually harass its employees,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“There cannot be a meaningful end to sexual harassment when those who are in positions of power to end it deliberately do nothing. That is why our Department will use the full power of Minnesota’s civil rights law to push employers to be active participants in addressing and preventing sexual harassment from occurring in the first place.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“We’re pursuing this lawsuit because we hope it makes a difference in preventing sexual harassment and assault from occurring in the future,”&lt;/strong&gt; said the two employees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The names of the two employees are anonymous to protect their identities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;caret-color: rgb(0, 56, 101);&quot;&gt;Lawsuit Facts&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-size: medium;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In June 2020, a Sheridan supervisor began sexually harassing and assaulting two employees. This included regular unwelcome sexual advances, unwanted touching, and offensive comments.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In July 2020, one of the employees filed a complaint against the supervisor, but Sheridan did nothing. Sheridan failed to initiate an investigation, discipline the supervisor, or put any measures in place to prevent further harassment from occurring. As a result, Sheridan allowed the sexual harassment and assault to continue. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In October 2020, the second employee quit because the harassment and assault continued, and because Sheridan would not stop it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In January 2021, despite knowing that the supervisor sexually harassed and assaulted the first employee, Sheridan promoted the supervisor. Upon learning this, the first employee submitted another complaint. Only then did Sheridan act by issuing a verbal warning to the supervisor. Sheridan took no further action. The verbal warning proved to be ineffective because the supervisor continued to sexually harass the employee. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In May 2021, MDHR informed Sheridan that charges of discrimination were filed against the company by both employees and that MDHR would launch a neutral investigation into allegations of a workplace culture that allowed the sexual harassment and assault to occur. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Only after MDHR informed Sheridan of this investigation did the company launch its own investigation into the supervisor’s behavior. In July 2021, Sheridan fired the supervisor. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In January 2023, after a neutral investigation, MDHR found Sheridan violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Attempts to resolve the case with Sheridan were unsuccessful, which is why MDHR filed this lawsuit. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In filing, MDHR wants to ensure Sheridan employees are provided a work environment that is free from sexual harassment and assault. MDHR is also requesting that Sheridan pay the two employees for damages. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The employees are represented by Raboin &amp;amp; Francis Law Firm. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sheridan is owned by CJK Group, Inc., is formerly now known as Bang Printing, and operates as D. &amp;amp; J. Printing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Sexual Harassment and Assault Cases&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-size: medium;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR has enforced the Minnesota Human Rights Act in numerous sexual harassment and assault cases. For example, MDHR reached a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/newsroom/index.jsp?id=1061-560403&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;consent decree&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; with a McDonald’s franchisee, a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/newsroom/?id=1061-581635&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;settlement agreement&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; with a charter school, and a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/newsroom/?id=1061-513283&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;settlement agreement&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; with University of Minnesota Board of Regents.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;How to Report Discrimination&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-size: medium;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against, contact the Minnesota Department of Human Rights by submitting this &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;online form&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency and is responsible for enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the strongest state civil rights laws in the country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;MDHR updated the press release to reflect Sheridan knew the supervisor harassed and assaulted an employee when the company promoted him.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>607068</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:21:30Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Subject>Pregnancy Discrimination</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Sex</Title><Id>678651</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Employment</Title><Id>244471</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Secures Settlement After Finding Employer Fired Employee Within One Hour of Learning She Was Pregnant  </Title><title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Secures Settlement After Finding Employer Fired Employee Within One Hour of Learning She Was Pregnant</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-606777&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-01-17T14:11:34Z</Date><ShortDescription>Today’s announcement comes on the heels of another pregnancy discrimination case MDHR announced at the end of 2023</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) today announced a settlement agreement with Pet Ranch, which operates Four Paws and a Tail in Blaine, after finding the employer violated Minnesota’s civil rights law when the company fired an employee immediately after learning that she was pregnant.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today’s announcement comes on the heels of another &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/newsroom/#/detail/appId/1/id/601708&quot;&gt;pregnancy discrimination case&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; MDHR announced at the end of 2023.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Pet Ranch fired Hannah one hour after learning she was pregnant. This was blatant pregnancy discrimination,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“Hannah had already collected her uniform and gotten her shifts when she was fired. What should have been a happy start to a new job changed quickly because of discrimination.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Filing this case with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights was immensely important to me,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Hannah Grell. &lt;strong&gt;“It means that in the future, if another woman is put through this, they might not be scared to stand up for themselves and their rights.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Case Facts &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR’s investigation found that in September 2022, Pet Ranch’s owner interviewed Hannah Grell for a sales associate position and offered her the job, which Grell accepted. Before leaving the store, Grell met with the general manager who gave her a uniform and assigned her shifts. During this meeting, Grell told the general manager that she was pregnant.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR found that about an hour after accepting the position and receiving her uniform and assigned shifts, Pet Ranch&apos;s owner terminated Grell&apos;s employment through a voicemail. Then, the general manager followed up with a text message to Grell saying the company &quot;decided to go another route.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR’s investigation confirmed that Pet Ranch fired Grell because of her pregnancy. This violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which prohibits pregnancy discrimination.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“In this case, MDHR also found that this employer did not have any anti-discrimination policies in place for pregnant employees. It is important for employers to not only have strong policies -- but enforce those policies,”&lt;/strong&gt; continued Commissioner Lucero. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;caret-color: rgb(0, 56, 101);&quot;&gt;Settlement Agreement&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR reached a settlement agreement with Pet Ranch that requires the company to take action to prevent future unlawful discrimination. This includes creating and enforcing anti-discrimination policies and training employees on how to create inclusive workplaces.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR will monitor the company’s compliance with the agreement for three years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;line-height:112%&quot;&gt;Pet Ranch is also required to pay Grell approximately $22,000. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;caret-color: rgb(0, 56, 101);&quot;&gt;About Pregnancy Discrimination &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Pregnancy discrimination has been illegal in Minnesota since 1977. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Pregnancy discrimination can include an employer denying a temporary reasonable accommodation to a pregnant employee or an employer firing or denying a promotion to an employee based on the employee’s pregnancy. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A potential or current employee is not required to tell an employer that they are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Additionally, an employer cannot ask a potential or current employee if they are pregnant or plan to have children. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Report Pregnancy Discrimination &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against, contact the Minnesota Department of Human Rights by submitting &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;this online form&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency and is responsible for enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the strongest state civil rights laws in the country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>606777</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:20:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Sex</Title><Id>678651</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Race</Title><Id>244481</Id><Key/></Category><Title>New Law to Help Eliminate Minnesota’s Gender and Racial Pay Gap</Title><title>New Law to Help Eliminate Minnesota’s Gender and Racial Pay Gap</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-602589&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-12-07T13:32:51Z</Date><ShortDescription>The law encourages employers to rely on a job applicant’s skills and qualifications to set pay and prohibits employers from asking about or considering an applicant’s past or current pay during the hiring process.  </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; On January 1, 2024, a &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/employers/pay-history/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;001 Pay History Ban Intro&quot; xlink:title=&quot;001 Pay History Ban Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;new law&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; aimed at bringing Minnesota one step closer to narrowing the gender and racial pay gap takes effect. The law encourages employers to rely on a job applicant’s skills and qualifications to set pay and prohibits employers from asking about or considering an applicant’s past or current pay during the hiring process. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“When someone’s future pay is locked to their past pay, the cycle of unequal pay impacts them over the course of their life. This new law seeks to break that cycle,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“These pay history laws work. Pay is up for women, people of color, and Indigenous community members in states that have implemented similar laws across the country.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Women, people of color, and Indigenous people are persistently paid less than white men. Using pay history to determine future pay can contribute to and reinforce Minnesota’s pay disparities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mdhr/assets/MinnesotaCentsOnTheDollar-graph_tcm1061-602590.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota Cents on the Dollar&quot; alt=&quot;Minnesota Cents on the Dollar&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Minnesota Cents on the Dollar&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/MinnesotaCentsOnTheDollar-graph_tcm1061-602590.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota Cents on the Dollar&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Minnesota Cents on the Dollar&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Download the Chart&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;About the Law&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The law, enforced by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR), encourages employers to rely on an applicant’s skills, education, certifications, licenses, and other qualifications, as well as the job market, to set pay. It prohibits employers from asking about or considering an applicant’s past or current pay during the hiring process.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The law does not prohibit a job applicant from voluntarily disclosing their pay history to negotiate higher pay. Employers can use that information to then set pay. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The law applies to all public, private, and nonprofit employers in Minnesota. The law also applies to all job applicants, including current employees seeking an internal promotion or transfer and full and part-time employees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In May 2023, Governor Walz signed the Preventing Pay Discrimination Act into law. Minnesota joins 22 states that have ended the pay history question.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;caret-color: rgb(0, 56, 101); color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-size: medium;&quot;&gt;What Employers and Job Applicants Need to Know &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;color:#0d5257;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color:#000000;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Employers&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;/span&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#000000&quot;&gt;MDHR encourages employers to review their employment applications and interview questions to make sure they do not ask for past or current pay. Employers should also train those involved in hiring on the new law.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;color:#0d5257;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color:#000000;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Job Applicants&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#000000&quot;&gt;: Anyone who believes they were asked about their past or current pay during the hiring process should contact MDHR by completing this &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;online form&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400;&quot;&gt;. Possible violations of this law will follow the&lt;/span&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/intake/what-happens-next/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;2.0 Basic Steps&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2.0 Basic Steps&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;same process&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400;&quot;&gt;as other possible violations of the Minnesota Human Rights Act.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/employers/pay-history/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;001 Pay History Ban Intro&quot; xlink:title=&quot;001 Pay History Ban Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;MDHR’s website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; to find more information about the law, including an &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/employers/pay-history/outreach.jsp&quot; title=&quot;000 Toolkit&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Toolkit&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;outreach toolk&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;it&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; with information in multiple languages.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency. It is tasked with enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the most comprehensive state civil rights laws in the country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>602589</id><pubdate>2025-05-23T16:02:31Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Reaches Settlement After Finding Employer Fired an Employee because of Her Pregnancy </Title><title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Reaches Settlement After Finding Employer Fired an Employee because of Her Pregnancy</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-601708&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-11-29T14:11:34Z</Date><ShortDescription>“At a moment when this employee’s economic security was especially important to Christina and her family, Christina’s employer unlawfully fired her because of her pregnancy,” said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Agreement requires PL Dental to take action to create a workplace inclusive for pregnant employees and pay former employee three years’ worth of wages </Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) today announced a settlement agreement with PL Dental in Coon Rapids after finding the employer violated Minnesota’s civil rights law when it fired Christina Vescio-Holland because of her pregnancy.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“At a moment when this employee’s economic security was especially important to Christina and her family, Christina’s employer unlawfully fired her because of her pregnancy,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“State law has prohibited pregnancy discrimination for decades and this case is a reminder how critical it is for employers to have supportive policies in place for pregnant employees.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;I just want people to know that they have options when something like this happens. And don&apos;t give up just because one door closes - keep fighting,&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; said Christina Vescio-Holland. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Case Facts &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR’s investigation found that, at the end of December 2020, Vescio-Holland notified PL Dental that she was pregnant with twins and that her doctor recommended she begin parental leave earlier than originally anticipated.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Days later, Vescio-Holland met with the Office Manager who fired her from her position because of her pregnancy. The Office Manager noted Vescio-Holland’s pregnancy when she said that PL Dental would hire Vescio-Holland back after she gave birth and was ready to return to work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While PL Dental later provided Vescio-Holland with a termination letter claiming that Vescio-Holland had performance shortcomings, MDHR’s investigation found that PL Dental had no credible evidence of concerns with Vescio-Holland’s performance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR found that PL Dental fired Vescio-Holland because of her pregnancy not because of any alleged performance shortcomings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;caret-color: rgb(0, 56, 101);&quot;&gt;Settlement Agreement&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The settlement agreement requires PL Dental to take action to prevent future unlawful discrimination. This includes training employees on how to create inclusive workplaces, enforcing anti-discrimination policies, and submitting regular reports to MDHR so the agency can monitor compliance. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR will monitor PL Dental’s compliance with the agreement for five years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;PL Dental is also required to pay Vescio-Holland $97,500, which is approximately equivalent to three years of wages for Vescio-Holland.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;caret-color: rgb(0, 56, 101);&quot;&gt;About Pregnancy Discrimination &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Pregnancy discrimination has been illegal in Minnesota since 1977. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Pregnancy discrimination can include an employer denying a temporary reasonable accommodation to a pregnant employee or an employer firing or denying a promotion to an employee based on the employee’s pregnancy. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A potential or current employee is not required to tell an employer that they are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Additionally, an employer cannot ask a potential or current employee if they are pregnant or plan to have children. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against, contact the Minnesota Department of Human Rights by submitting &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;this online form&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency and is responsible for enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the strongest state civil rights laws in the country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>601708</id><pubdate>2023-11-29T15:59:52Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Secures Settlement in Religious Discrimination Case Against Unifi Aviation</Title><title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Secures Settlement in Religious Discrimination Case Against Unifi Aviation</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-587425&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-08-16T15:34:10Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) today announced a settlement agreement with Unifi Aviation, the largest aviation services company in North America, after finding the company violated Minnesota’s civil rights law by discriminating against an employee because of her religion.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Company fired employee because of her religion after denying her religious accommodation request</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) today announced a settlement agreement with Unifi Aviation, the largest aviation services company in North America, after finding the company violated Minnesota’s civil rights law by discriminating against an employee because of her religion.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Minnesotans of every faith have a right to request a religious accommodation,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“Minnesota is stronger when civil rights laws are followed.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR’s investigation found that Unifi Aviation hired an employee in May 2018 to work as a security screener at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. For over a year, the employee wore a skirt as part of her uniform. This aligned with her religious beliefs as a Muslim woman and complied with the company’s uniform policy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2019, Unifi Aviation changed its policy to require employees to wear pants. The employee asked for a religious accommodation to continue wearing a skirt, as she had done throughout her employment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rather than work with the employee to consider her request, Unifi Aviation flatly denied her religious accommodation request.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Failing to Accommodate Religious Beliefs&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By failing to accommodate the employee’s religious beliefs, Unifi Aviation violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The law requires employers to reasonably accommodate their employees’ sincerely held religious beliefs, observances, and practices unless doing so would create an undue hardship on the employer’s business.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR determined that the employee’s religious accommodation would not have created an undue hardship. In fact, Unifi Aviation never claimed that accommodating the employee would cause an undue hardship for the company.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;caret-color: rgb(0, 56, 101);&quot;&gt;Unlawful Firing Because of Employee’s Religion &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR also found Unifi Aviation violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act when the company fired the employee because of her religion. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to MDHR’s investigation, the company’s regional operations manager told her that she would have to choose between her religion and her job. When the employee refused to withdraw her religious accommodation request, Unifi Aviation abruptly fired her.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;caret-color: rgb(0, 56, 101);&quot;&gt;Settlement Agreement&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The settlement agreement resolves the case and requires Unifi Aviation to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Clarify how employees can make religious accommodation requests.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Follow the law by accommodating the religious beliefs and practices of its employees where a reasonable accommodation does not create an undue burden for the company.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide managers with cultural competency training.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pay the former employee, who worked part-time, approximately two years’ worth of pay, totaling $32,000.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR will monitor the company&apos;s compliance with the agreement through July 2025.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Discrimination Helpline at &lt;strong&gt;1-833-454-0148&lt;/strong&gt; or &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;submit this online form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>587425</id><pubdate>2023-08-16T15:37:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Announces Successful End of Consent Decree with CSL Plasma</Title><title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Announces Successful End of Consent Decree with CSL Plasma</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-587216&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-08-15T15:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) today announced that CSL Plasma has successfully implemented the changes required in the consent decree so that transgender and non-binary Minnesotans can donate plasma without being turned away because of their gender identity.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>After suing for gender identity discrimination, state determines company no longer discriminates against transgender and non-binary Minnesotans</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) today announced that CSL Plasma has successfully implemented the changes required in the consent decree so that transgender and non-binary Minnesotans can donate plasma without being turned away because of their gender identity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Today we celebrate the progress that has been made so that trans and non-binary Minnesotans can live with dignity, free from discrimination,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“Our consent decree has provided CSL Plasma with the tools and framework needed to root out discriminatory practices from its business. I am grateful for the work CSL Plasma has done.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR and CSL Plasma jointly moved to close the case in Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District Court in Hennepin County.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2021, MDHR filed the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/newsroom/#/detail/appId/1/id/501398&quot;&gt;consent decree&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; after suing CSL Plasma for barring a transgender woman and a non-binary Minnesotan from donating plasma. CSL Plasma’s refusal to do business based on gender identity violated Minnesota’s civil rights law. MDHR worked to bring the company into compliance with the law by requiring court-mandated changes through the consent decree.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since October 2021, CSL Plasma has successfully complied with the terms of the consent decree at all its donation centers in Minnesota. For example:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot;&gt;Clear, Effective Policies:&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; CSL Plasma set and enforced policies describing when an individual can be denied the opportunity to donate plasma, clarifying that no one can be denied based only on their gender identity.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot;&gt;Quality Training:&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; CSL Plasma trained employees on its policies and provided multiple trainings to employees on topics such as LGBTQIA+ identities and health.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#003865&quot;&gt;Accountability:&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; MDHR regularly reviewed reports detailing how and when individuals were denied the opportunity to donate plasma to ensure that CSL Plasma did not refuse donors because of their gender identity.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Stipulation of Dismissal, filed in Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District Court in Hennepin County, details that MDHR and CSL Plasma agree that the company met the terms of the consent decree. Judge Karen Janisch will review the filing to determine whether to enter an order formally closing the case. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While MDHR recognizes CSL Plasma’s progress to eliminate discrimination in its business practices to date, the end of this consent decree does not prevent any further action against the company for violations of the Minnesota Human Rights Act.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against, submit &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;this online form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; or call the Discrimination Helpline at &lt;strong&gt;1-833-454-0148&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency and is responsible for enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the strongest state civil rights laws in the country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>587216</id><pubdate>2023-08-16T15:37:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Public Services</Title><Id>244486</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>MPD</Title><Id>697351</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Race</Title><Id>244481</Id><Key/></Category><Title>State Judge Approves Court Enforceable Agreement Mandating Minneapolis Police Department to Make Transformational Changes </Title><title>Judge Enters Consent Decree</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-584578&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-07-13T21:21:52Z</Date><ShortDescription>With Judge Janisch’s approval of the agreement, the City and Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) are legally required to implement the transformational changes to strengthen public safety by addressing discriminatory, race-based policing.  </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; Hennepin County District Court Judge Karen Janisch today approved the court enforceable agreement between the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) and the City of Minneapolis (City).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With Judge Janisch’s approval of the agreement, the City and Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) are legally required to implement the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/mpd/agreement/terms.jsp&quot;&gt;transformational changes&lt;/a&gt; to strengthen public safety by addressing discriminatory, race-based policing.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Today, the court entered the consent decree that was negotiated by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, the City of Minneapolis, and the Minneapolis Police Department,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“With the eyes of the world on Minneapolis, entry of this order reflects this critically important moment in time. The agreement captures the scope of the necessary work ahead to address race-based policing, a plague on our City that harms everyone, especially people of color and Indigenous community members. We, at the Department, are committed to the work that lies ahead.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While the City and MPD implement the terms of the court enforceable agreement, multiple entities are responsible for holding the City and MPD accountable.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Team of Independent Evaluators&lt;/strong&gt;: The monitoring team will support the City and MPD, monitor their progress, engage with community members and police officers, and provide regular, public reports. The City and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights are in the process of identifying this team.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;State Court&lt;/strong&gt;: The court will oversee this legally binding agreement and is the only entity that can terminate the agreement once the court determines that the City and MPD have reached full, effective, and sustained compliance with the terms.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights&lt;/strong&gt;: The Department will assess whether the City and MPD are satisfying the terms of the court enforceable agreement.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Community Members and Police Officers&lt;/strong&gt;: While MPD is developing and updating its policies, the court enforceable agreement requires that MPD engage with and collect feedback from officers and community members.   &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size:14.0pt;line-height:112%&quot;&gt;About the Case&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights initiated the investigation of the City and MPD immediately following the murder of George Floyd. In April 2022, the Department &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/newsroom/index.jsp?id=1061-526423&quot;&gt;announced&lt;/a&gt; that the City and MPD engage in a pattern or practice of race discrimination in violation of Minnesota’s civil rights law. In March 2023, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and the City &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/newsroom/index.jsp?id=1061-571889&quot;&gt;reached and filed&lt;/a&gt; a court enforceable agreement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights’ findings mark the first of two independent investigations that found a pattern or practice of unlawful policing by MPD. In June 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice found that the City and MPD are in violation of the U.S. Constitution and federal law.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department of Justice is negotiating a federal court enforceable agreement with the City and MPD to address its findings. Moving forward, the City will be subject to two court enforceable agreements with one monitor to address the findings of the state and federal civil rights enforcement agencies.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency. It is tasked with enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the most comprehensive state civil rights laws in the country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Document: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Signed%20Consent%20Decree%207.13.23_tcm1061-584580.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Signed Consent Decree&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Signed Consent Decree&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Court Enforceable Agreement Signed by Judge Janisch (PDF)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; align=&quot;center&quot; style=&quot;text-align:center&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;###&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>584578</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:31:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Race</Title><Id>244481</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Public Services</Title><Id>244486</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>MPD</Title><Id>697351</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Commissioner Lucero’s Prepared Remarks for Court Hearing on the Consent Decree with City of Minneapolis</Title><title>Commissioner Lucero’s Prepared Remarks for Court Hearing on the Consent Decree with City of Minneapolis</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-584536&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-07-13T19:08:55Z</Date><ShortDescription>Good afternoon, Your Honor, my name is Rebecca Lucero, I am the Commissioner for the Department of Human Rights, the state’s civil rights enforcement agency.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Good afternoon, Your Honor, my name is Rebecca Lucero, I am the Commissioner for the Department of Human Rights, the state’s civil rights enforcement agency.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The eyes of the world have been on Minneapolis since the day that Minneapolis Police Department officers murdered Mr. Floyd. And as Assistant Attorney General McKenzie laid out so well, while this was a singular event, the way Minneapolis became the epicenter of the world demonstrates how Mr. Floyd’s murder represents a symptom of a much larger problem.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today, we come before you, Your Honor, to request that you enter this court order. This agreement, that we are asking the court to enter today, reflects this critically important moment and captures the scope of the necessary work ahead to address race-based policing, a plague on our City that harms everyone, especially people of color and indigenous community members.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I want to thank Your Honor in advance for your role in this important process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I was asked by Assistant Attorney General McKenzie to share with you the work that the Minnesota Department of Human Rights conducted as it relates to public engagement in Minneapolis and this consent decree. To that end, Your Honor, there are two critical pieces for you to know:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif&quot;&gt;This agreement thoughtfully incorporates community and police officer feedback that was vital to the creation of the terms encompassed in this agreement.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;The first stage of feedback we collected from community members and officers occurred during the investigation itself. This thoughtful and intentional engagement continued after we released our Findings. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;During the summer of 2022, before beginning the negotiations with the City, Minnesota Department of Human Rights held many meetings and listening events. And on an ongoing basis, I continue to have conversations with community groups regularly– holding space for all the grief, the hopelessness, the hope, the concerns, and answering so many questions.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Let me highlight specifically the work that we did over the summer of 2022 to gather extensive feedback from both community members and police officers so that we were prepared to incorporate that feedback as we entered negotiations.&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Community Members:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;In partnership with the Minnesota Justice Research Center, we hosted 15 community events last summer, in addition to ongoing conversations with many community organizations and community leaders.&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;The term humanity was a central focus that emerged from these listening sessions.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;During our conversations, community members shared they want Minneapolis Police Department to move away from a culture of violence to a culture that prioritizes humanity. This includes clear policies that prioritize de-escalation.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Accountability:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Community members also shared that they want strong systems in place for accountability which are essential to transparency and building trust. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Police Officers:&lt;/strong&gt; When it came to listening to police officers, we worked with 21 CP Solutions, a group of police practice experts, to hold 15 listening sessions last summer at every precinct with officers of different ranks and assignments.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Officers shared repeatedly that they need policies to be clear – that long and confusing policies do not set them up for success. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Officers also shared they want to be trained on those clear policies with hands-on and scenario-based training.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;And officers shared they need better support – that includes everything from comprehensive health and wellness programs to having technology systems that interface, or talk, to each other.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif&quot;&gt;Both community members and police officers stressed how important it is for this Agreement to actually result in meaningful change. That means that there is real intentionality around support and enforcement built into this agreement.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif&quot;&gt;While the City and Minneapolis Police Department implement the terms of the court enforceable agreement, multiple entities are responsible both for providing support to the City and Minneapolis Police Department so that they can be successful, and for holding the City and Minneapolis Police Department accountable.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Community:&lt;/strong&gt; The agreement requires the City, Minneapolis Police Department, and the monitoring team to continuously engage in meaningful community engagement with community members. This includes community’s role in asking questions to monitoring team applicants as the City and Minnesota Department of Human Rights select the monitor, to providing feedback to Minneapolis Police Department as Minneapolis Police Department develops and updates its policies, to ongoing engagement with the monitor once that team is ultimately selected.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Monitoring Team:&lt;/strong&gt; I wanted to also address the intentionality we brought to identifying the role of the monitoring team – as is detailed in the Agreement, we designed the scope of the responsibilities for the monitoring team  with the hopes of really setting the City up for success, that means providing on-the-ground technical assistance from policing experts, approving training programs and actually reviewing and attending trainings, providing support to the City and Minneapolis Police Department as they change their accountability systems, and of course monitoring the changes to make sure those changes address race-based policing. The monitoring team must conduct an annual community assessment to see whether and how all the changes are impacting community members. And the monitoring team must provide regular, public reports. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;All these responsibilities for the monitoring team were set forth in this agreement because all of us – community members, the City, Minneapolis Police Department, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, the court – all of us need the City and Minneapolis Police Department to be wildly successful in strengthening public safety by addressing discriminatory, race-based policing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Team at Minnesota Department of Human Rights:&lt;/strong&gt; To that end, my team at Minnesota Department of Human Rights is committed to providing timely feedback and support as the City and Minneapolis Police Department transform their accountability systems, rewrite policies, provide training, resources, and support for officers so they can reduce any unnecessary danger that occurs because of discriminatory, race-based policing. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;The team at Minnesota Department of Human Rights is staffed by deeply dedicated individuals who understood clearly from community members how important it is for the City to make substantial progress.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;City/Minneapolis Police Department implementation teams:&lt;/strong&gt; To set the City and Minneapolis Police Department up for success, the Agreement also requires both the City and Minneapolis Police Department to develop implementation teams. These teams are tasked with moving the framework forward that is detailed in the Agreement. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;As Assistant Attorney General McKenzie noted, this agreement was carefully negotiated with both City and Minneapolis Police Department leaders at the table. This was intentional so that we knew that all the terms we put in this Agreement were achievable and could be reached in a meaningful and timely way. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;We were careful not to impose an obligation that could not be met – and the implementation teams are intended to successfully move this framework forward.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Court:&lt;/strong&gt; Importantly, you, Your Honor, will oversee this legally binding agreement, and the agreement can only be terminated once the court determines that the City and Minneapolis Police Department have reached full, effective, and sustained compliance with the terms.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif&quot;&gt;Why is important that it is a legally binding agreement? The fact that this is legally binding agreement is important because we heard repeatedly from community members about the many efforts that they have seen over the years where the City failed to maintain that coordinated and sustained effort that is truly necessary to effectuate this kind of change. Community members will regularly reference the mediations with the Department of Justice (hereinafter DOJ) from 20+ years ago that the City walked away from, they will reference the many civil settlements after an officer involved incident that required changes to training that did not meaningfully occur, community members will reference the DOJ’s report from after Jamar Clark was killed where the DOJ, for instance, told the City that it was really important to identify any concerning behavior before it resulted in a critical incident and the death of a community member. Here the DOJ specifically talked about the importance of using an Early Intervention System and yet community members and foundations who supported this effort talk about the fact that the City did not stand up a meaningful Early Intervention system to prevent officer involved deaths of community members while grieving for Justine Damond, George Floyd, Amir Locke, Andrew Tekle Sundberg.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif&quot;&gt;As you can see, Your Honor, there is a lot of intentionality around enforcement built throughout this agreement to provide the intensive intervention that is necessary to address the seriousness of the problems identified in the Findings.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Your Honor, right before we began negotiating this agreement, I had the honor of meeting with many family members who had a family member killed by a police officer. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What I heard from them was tremendous grief. And tremendous hope. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One father who had recently lost his son at the hands of a Minneapolis Police Officer talked about how unbelievably important it is to do the work that we are talking about here today. That if the officer who killed his son had seen his son as someone who was worthy of humanity – that his son was, in fact, a human being, he would still be alive today. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And despite all his grief, he and many others were spending their time that night with me, encouraging me, encouraging this team, calling on all of us in this room to do everything we can in our power so that the City and Minneapolis Police Department end discriminatory, race-based policing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is a critically important moment for community members, some of whom are in the room today, many of whom have been working on this for years, some for decades, and are eager to see transformational changes for Minneapolis.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I again want to thank you for the critical role you play in this process. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And I will turn it back over to Assistant Attorney General McKenzie to review some additional information with the Court.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>584536</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:31:30Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Responds to U.S. Supreme Court Decision in 303 Creative, Inc. v. Elenis </Title><title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Responds to U.S. Supreme Court Decision in 303 Creative, Inc. v. Elenis</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-583340&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-06-30T16:22:39Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero issued the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 303 Creative, Inc. v. Elenis.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; Today, Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero issued the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 303 Creative, Inc. v. Elenis: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 303 Creative, Inc. v. Elenis comes at a time when numerous states across the country have newly passed laws denying rights to LGBTQIA+ community members and when LGBTQIA+ individuals continue to face violence and hate in our communities.  &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In Minnesota, we are not in the business of creating second-class community members. That principle is as true today as it was yesterday. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights affirms that freedom from discrimination is a civil right. In the weeks and months ahead, our Department will determine how to continue to uphold this essential value consistent with the new precedent from the U.S. Supreme Court.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;### &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>583340</id><pubdate>2023-06-30T16:30:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Secures Settlement After School District Failed to Prevent a Teacher from Sexually Assaulting Student </Title><title>AFSA K-12 Public Charter School District</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-581635&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-06-20T15:03:33Z</Date><ShortDescription>The district was aware of the teacher’s inappropriate interactions and failed to prevent him from ultimately sexually harassing and assaulting the student. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>School district to pay $325,000 to student sexually harassed and assaulted by teacher; To prevent future sexual harassment and assault, settlement requires school district to make changes</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) today announced a settlement agreement with AFSA K-12 Public Charter School District #4074 in Vadnais Heights after finding a teacher sexually harassed and assaulted E.D., a ninth-grade student. The district was aware of the teacher’s inappropriate interactions and failed to prevent him from ultimately sexually harassing and assaulting the student.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“I am deeply grateful for the courage and strength of this student to bring forward her story of the sexual violence she faced at the hands of her teacher,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“Yet again, we are reminded that we are surrounded by survivors of sexual assault. To truly honor the courage of this student, schools must do everything possible to prevent sexual harassment and assault from occurring. This is not only the right thing to do but it’s also required under the law.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, schools have a legal responsibility to prevent and address sexual harassment and assault.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the Walz-Flanagan administration, MDHR has settled countless sexual harassment and assault cases involving K-12 schools, universities, and workplaces of all sizes. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“We, as students, are told our whole lives that school staff are the people we’re supposed to go to when we feel unsafe, but there was no safe place, and the result caused significant damage. I didn’t know that I was in a vulnerable position, but they had all the information to know. I wouldn’t wish what happened to me to happen to anyone else,”&lt;/strong&gt; said E.D. &lt;strong&gt;“It is not the victim’s responsibility to make the change, but if the change involves protecting yourself it is absolutely worth demanding something be done. Don’t let anyone intimidate you into thinking the harm that was done was not real.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Case&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR’s investigation found that in 2019, a teacher at AFSA High School sexually harassed and assaulted E.D., a ninth-grade student.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The principal and multiple teachers – adults responsible for the safety of the student – were aware that the teacher was interacting inappropriately with E.D. but failed to meaningfully intervene. The principal failed to launch an investigation into the teacher’s conduct, speak directly with E.D., inform her parents, and suspend or otherwise discipline the teacher.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Instead, despite knowing of the teacher’s concerning behavior, the principal failed to follow district policies and only told the teacher to stay away from the student. The teacher did not stay away from E.D. and ultimately sexually assaulted her. &lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun:yes&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun:yes&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2020, the teacher was convicted of criminal sexual conduct in Dakota County.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2022, MDHR found that AFSA K-12 Public Charter School District #4074 violated Minnesota’s civil rights law for failing to prevent and address sexual harassment and assault.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Settlement Agreement&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The settlement agreement requires AFSA K-12 Public Charter School District #4074 to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2&quot;&gt;Pay E.D. $325,000.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2&quot;&gt;Train the school board, executive director, teachers, and volunteers on their role in creating a learning environment that is free from sexual harassment, assault, and discrimination.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2&quot;&gt;Create a digital system for students, staff, and volunteers to report harassment and discrimination.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2&quot;&gt;Follow district policies by requiring teachers to report problematic behavior; launching investigations of any reports of harassment, assault, and discrimination; and informing parents of the reported harassment, assault, and discrimination.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2&quot;&gt;Report any complaints to MDHR in which students, staff, parents, or volunteers are accused of sexual harassment or any other form of discrimination, including any action the district took to investigate the complaints.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR will monitor the school’s compliance with the agreement through the 2028-2029 school year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against, submit &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;this online form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; or call the Discrimination Helpline at &lt;strong&gt;1-833-454-0148&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency and is responsible for enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the strongest state civil rights laws in the country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; align=&quot;center&quot; style=&quot;text-align:center&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;###&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>581635</id><pubdate>2023-06-20T15:05:20Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Reaches Court Enforceable Agreement with City of Minneapolis to Make Transformational Changes that Address Race-Based Policing and Strengthen Public Safety</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Consent Decree</Subject><Subject>George Floyd</Subject><Subject>Policing</Subject><Subject>Culture Change</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Public Services</Title><Id>244486</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>MPD</Title><Id>697351</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Race</Title><Id>244481</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Reaches Court Enforceable Agreement with City of Minneapolis to Make Transformational Changes that Address Race-Based Policing and Strengthen Public Safety</Title><title>Court Enforceable Agreement with City of Minneapolis</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-571889&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-03-31T10:38:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Unlike any previous effort to improve public safety in Minneapolis, this is the first time a court will require the City to make transformational changes through a court enforceable agreement.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>City and MPD to be Held Accountable by Court; Independent Evaluators to Monitor Progress</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; Today, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) and the City of Minneapolis (City) filed a court enforceable agreement in Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District Court that requires the City and the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) to make transformational changes to their organizational culture by recognizing the humanity and civil rights of community members, addressing race-based policing, and strengthening public safety. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Unlike any previous effort to improve public safety in Minneapolis, this is the first time a court will require the City to make transformational changes through a court enforceable agreement. This agreement also incorporates independent oversight through an independent evaluation team who will support the City and MPD, monitor their progress, and provide regular, public reports.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Minneapolis community members deserve to be treated with humanity. This court enforceable agreement provides the framework for lawful, non-discriminatory policing, reduces unnecessary dangers for officers, and results in better public safety for Minneapolis,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“I am grateful to Mayor Frey, Chief O’Hara, City Council, and City and MPD staff for their commitment to set a path towards a more just future for Black, Indigenous, and other people of color in Minneapolis.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The court enforceable agreement is the result of an investigation by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, the state’s civil rights enforcement agency, immediately following the murder of George Floyd. The investigation found the City and MPD engage in a &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/mpd/findings/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Investigation Findings&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Investigation Findings&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;pattern or practice of race discrimination&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights conducted extensive engagement with Minneapolis community members and MPD officers in partnership with the Minnesota Justice Research Center and 21 CP Solutions. The court enforceable agreement contains many provisions that are based on what community members and officers shared. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Transformational Changes   &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Clear, effective policies&lt;/strong&gt;: The court enforceable agreement requires the City and MPD to set and enforce clear policies that build community trust, provide non-discriminatory public safety, and reduce dangers for officers. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The court enforceable agreement requires the City and MPD, in part, to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Require officers to de-escalate&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Prohibit officers from using force to punish or retaliate&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Prohibit the use of certain pretext stops&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ban searches based on alleged smells of cannabis&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Prohibit so-called consent searches during pedestrian or vehicle stops&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Limit when officers can use force &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Limit when and how officers can use chemical irritants and tasers&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ban “excited delirium” training&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The court enforceable agreement does not prohibit an officer from relying on reasonable articulable suspicion of criminal activity to enforce the law. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Training, engagement, accountability, and data collection&lt;/strong&gt;: The court enforceable agreement prioritizes organizational culture change to strengthen public safety by requiring the City and/or MPD to provide training, engagement, accountability, and data collection for all policy changes. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Quality training and support.&lt;/strong&gt; For MPD officers to understand and follow policies, the court enforceable agreement requires the City and MPD to provide officers and employees with quality, timely training. The agreement also requires the City and MPD to provide officers with a range of support services, including meaningful mental health support and a well-functioning early intervention system. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Meaningful engagement.&lt;/strong&gt; While MPD is developing and updating its policies, the court enforceable agreement requires MPD to engage with and collect feedback from the people who are most impacted by MPD’s policies – both community members and officers. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Strong accountability and oversight.&lt;/strong&gt; The agreement requires the City and MPD to develop robust and well-functioning accountability and oversight systems so MPD officers are held to the highest standards of integrity. The City and MPD are also required to conduct thorough investigations of police misconduct. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Robust data collection and transparency.&lt;/strong&gt; Recognizing that data-driven decision making supports a culture of accountability and transparency, the agreement requires the City and MPD to strengthen its data collection mechanisms, produce an annual use of force report, and create a public database of discipline records. To support a culture of continuous learning, the agreement also establishes an MPD Review Panel to regularly assess MPD’s enforcement practices and determine whether changes to trainings, policies, and tactics are necessary to address patterns of discrimination and bias. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sustained and Coordinated Action through Independent Oversight and Court Enforcement &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The court enforceable agreement provides City and MPD leaders with the framework for sustained and coordinated action needed to change organizational culture to strengthen public safety. The legally binding agreement provides clear timelines for prioritization, incorporates independent oversight, and can only be terminated by the court when the City and MPD have reached full, effective, and sustained compliance with the terms in the agreement. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To provide independent oversight of the agreement, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and the City will identify an independent evaluation team to support the City and MPD, monitor their progress, engage with community members and police officers, and provide regular, public reports.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Court Enforceable Agreements are Powerful Tools for Change&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A court enforceable agreement is a legal agreement that is submitted to the court after the parties have reached a settlement. Once approved by the court, the agreement is binding and enforceable on all parties through ongoing oversight by the court. Court enforceable agreements are often referred to with a variety of terms. Under the Walz-Flanagan administration, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights has entered into several consent decrees. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Questions about the Investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights enforces Minnesota state law. The U.S. Department of Justice enforces federal law and the U.S. Constitution. The Minnesota Department of Human Rights and the City do not anticipate that this court enforceable agreement will conflict with any agreement between the City and the Department of Justice. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More information about the court enforceable agreement &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/mpd/agreement/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Consent Decree Title&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Consent Decree Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;can be found here.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Document&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/assets/Court%20Enforceable%20Agreement_tcm1061-571942.pdf&quot;&gt;Court Enforceable Agreement&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>571889</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:31:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Rebecca Lucero Confirmed as Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights </Title><title>Lucero Confirmed</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-568527&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-03-09T13:06:47Z</Date><ShortDescription> “I am excited to continue this work with both fierce dedication and joy.&quot; </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; Today, the Minnesota Senate confirmed Rebecca Lucero as Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR). This follows unanimous approval by the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety committee on January 23, 2023.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Commissioner Rebecca Lucero is a highly qualified and focused leader with a commitment to addressing and ultimately ending discrimination,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Governor Tim Walz. &lt;strong&gt;“Minnesota is made better and more fair by her service as Commissioner of Human Rights.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“In everything she does, Commissioner Lucero centers her commitment to justice, equity, and civil rights for all Minnesotans,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. &lt;strong&gt;“Her work, especially on behalf of those who have faced discrimination along the lines of gender, sexuality, race, religion, or any other factor, has made our communities and our state safer.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is at the center of ending discrimination and is an unwavering force for advancing civil rights,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“I am excited to continue this work with both fierce dedication and joy.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During her tenure, Commissioner Lucero has transformed MDHR into a strategic civil rights enforcement agency. This has included launching a pattern or practice investigation into the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department; settling discrimination cases that resulted in workplaces, schools, and public places having and enforcing stronger policies to prevent discrimination; and making schools safer and more welcoming for transgender and gender nonconfining students. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In January 2019, Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan appointed Rebecca Lucero and reappointed her in November 2022.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency and is responsible for enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the strongest state civil rights laws in the country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>568527</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:31:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Secures Consent Decree to Address Sexual Harassment and Assault at McDonald’s Restaurants </Title><Publisher/><Subject>Sexual Harassment </Subject><Subject>Sexual Assault</Subject><Subject>McDonald&apos;s</Subject><Subject>Consent Decree</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Secures Consent Decree to Address Sexual Harassment and Assault at McDonald’s Restaurants</Title><title>McDonalds Consent Decree</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-560403&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-01-18T15:42:35Z</Date><ShortDescription>The consent decree requires the McDonald&apos;s franchisee to make sweeping changes at its 14 McDonald’s restaurants.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Verdana&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; After suing a McDonald’s franchisee for fostering a culture of sexual harassment that led to a manager sexually assaulting a minor employee, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) today filed a &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Consent_decree_tcm1061-560405.pdf&quot; title=&quot;McDonald&apos;s Consent Decree&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;McDonald&apos;s Consent Decree&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;consent decree&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; in state court that requires Hyder Investments, Inc. to make sweeping changes at its 14 McDonald’s restaurants. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Verdana&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“This consent decree means that these McDonald’s restaurants are now safer for employees,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“Sexual harassment in the fast-food industry has long been a reality and this consent decree serves up much needed reform. From policy changes to required trainings to leadership engagement, this comprehensive agreement is a new beginning and an opportunity for culture change at each of these restaurants.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Verdana&quot;&gt;The Case&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Verdana&quot;&gt;In December 2021, MDHR &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/newsroom/index.jsp?id=1061-512823&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;sued the McDonald’s franchisee&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; for violating the Minnesota Human Rights Act. According to the lawsuit, in 2018, a 24-year-old manager used his position of power to repeatedly sexually assault a 14-year-old employee at a Maple Grove McDonald’s. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Verdana&quot;&gt;The lawsuit details MDHR’s findings about how the McDonald’s franchisee fostered a culture of sexual harassment. For example, the McDonald’s franchisee’s policies were ineffective and not provided to employees. The policy said that someone could call and report sexual harassment but provided a non-existent telephone number, XXX-XXX-XXXX, made up solely of the letter “X” instead of an actual phone number. Additionally, employees in positions of authority failed to act. Supervisors knew about the inappropriate relationship and did nothing.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Verdana&quot;&gt;Consent Decree &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Verdana&quot;&gt;The consent decree covers four key areas that require the McDonald’s franchisee to address and prevent sexual harassment and assault at its 14 restaurants. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Verdana&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Policy Changes&lt;/strong&gt;: Create, maintain, and enforce policies that prevent and address sexual harassment and assault and ensure those policies are easily understood by workers of all ages and available in all languages spoken by employees. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Verdana&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Effective Reporting Systems&lt;/strong&gt;: Create systems for reporting harassment and discrimination where employees can report free from retaliation and have the option to report anonymously.  &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Verdana&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Required Trainings&lt;/strong&gt;: Hold regular all employee training on implicit bias, how to appropriately intervene in unwelcome workplace conduct, and information about reporting harassment and discrimination. Supervisors and managers must also be trained on the important role they play in creating safe workplaces.  &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Verdana&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Leadership Engagement&lt;/strong&gt;: To help create a strong culture from the top, the CEO will 1) stress to all employees at biannual meetings that McDonald’s restaurants must be free from harassment and discrimination, 2) meet with non-supervisory employees to hear their feedback and concerns, and 3) work with human resources on a report that outlines employee concerns, action steps to address those concerns, and key metrics to track progress. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Verdana&quot;&gt;The consent decree was filed in Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District Court in Hennepin County. Once approved by the court, MDHR will assess the franchisee’s compliance and, if necessary, report any violations of the agreement to the court. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Verdana&quot;&gt;A separate agreement was reached between Hyder and the former employee who is represented by TSR Injury Law and Conard Nelson Schaffer. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Verdana&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against, submit &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/&quot;&gt;this online form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; or call the Discrimination Helpline at &lt;strong&gt;1-833-454-0148&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Verdana&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency and is responsible for enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the strongest state civil rights laws in the country.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Verdana&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Documents&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Consent_decree_tcm1061-560405.pdf&quot; title=&quot;McDonald&apos;s Consent Decree&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;McDonald&apos;s Consent Decree&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Verdana&quot;&gt;Consent Decree&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Consent%20Decree%20Signed_tcm1061-580574.pdf&quot; title=&quot;McDonald&apos;s Consent Decree Signed&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;McDonald&apos;s Consent Decree Signed&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Verdana&quot;&gt;Consent Decree (Signed by Hennepin County District Court Judge Bridget A. Sullivan)&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>560403</id><pubdate>2023-06-12T16:37:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Subject>Disability Discrimination</Subject><Subject>Andersen</Subject><Subject>Failed to Hire</Subject><Subject>Hiring </Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Disability</Title><Id>244473</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Employment</Title><Id>244471</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Settles with Andersen Corporation after the Company Refused to Hire an Applicant Because of His Disability</Title><title>Andersen Corporation</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-543416&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-10-12T13:43:30Z</Date><ShortDescription>“Minnesota is not in the business of excluding people from jobs because of their disability,” said Commissioner Lucero </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) today announced a settlement agreement that requires Andersen Corporation, the window and door manufacturer, to pay a former job applicant a year’s worth of pay and work to build a more inclusive workplace for people with disabilities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Minnesota is not in the business of excluding people from jobs because of their disability,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“The state’s civil rights law requires employers to have inclusive hiring practices, which help employers recruit applicants and foster a stronger workforce.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Case&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR found that in 2019, Andersen Corporation withdrew a job offer to an applicant at their Bayport production facility after learning of his disability. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The company claimed that it withdrew the offer because the applicant could not safely operate a forklift. However, operating a forklift was not an essential function of the job. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Furthermore, MDHR found that the applicant could safely operate a forklift, a fact that was confirmed by his doctor. When the applicant provided medical documentation to Andersen Corporation and asked them to reconsider his employment, the company again refused to hire him. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR found that the employer’s alleged justification for rescinding the job offer was false. MDHR’s investigation concluded that Andersen Corporation refused to hire the applicant because of his disability, in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, the state’s civil rights law.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Settlement Agreement &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To help prevent future discrimination, the settlement agreement requires Andersen Corporation to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Audit all manufacturing positions at Minnesota-based production facilities so they accurately reflect the actual job functions of each role. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Create and enforce a policy so applicants can appeal a decision to rescind a job offer. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide all employees with anti-discrimination training, including disability-related topics. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The agreement also requires Andersen Corporation to pay the former applicant $41,000. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR will monitor the company for three years to ensure compliance with the settlement agreement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against, submit &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;this online form&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; or call the Discrimination Helpline at &lt;strong&gt;1-833-454-0148&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency. It is tasked with enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the most comprehensive state civil rights laws in the country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>543416</id><pubdate>2022-10-12T15:04:17Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Race</Title><Id>244481</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Employment</Title><Id>244471</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Settles with Printing Company that Racially Discriminated against Black Employee </Title><title>Nahan Printing</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-533862&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-07-14T13:30:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>The agreement requires Nahan to enforce policies that prevent racial discrimination and create a more welcoming workplace.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) today announced a settlement agreement with Nahan, a printing company in St. Cloud, that requires the company to enforce policies that prevent racial discrimination and create a more welcoming workplace. This comes after MDHR found that Nahan violated the state’s civil rights law when it discriminated against a former employee because he is Black. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“What’s concerning here is not just that employees were using racial slurs when referring to their fellow Black colleagues and making derogatory comments about Black people, but that management knew this was occurring and did nothing to stop it,&lt;/strong&gt;” said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“This case demonstrates the persistence of racial discrimination and highlights how employers must proactively and intentionally work to end discriminatory practices to create a welcoming workplace for Black Minnesotans.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif&quot;&gt;MDHR’s investigation found that from 2018 to 2019, white employees at Nahan regularly harassed a Black employee and his son, who also worked at the company, because of their race. Nahan employees made racist comments and used racial epithets when referring to Black people. One employee even refused to shake hands with the Black employee and his son because of their race.  &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif&quot;&gt;Although the Black employees repeatedly reported these incidents to management, Nahan ignored and minimized the complaints, violating their own policy that requires the company to investigate reports of harassment. In one instance, a manager told the Black employee “Deal with it [the racial harassment] or leave.”  &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif&quot;&gt;Ultimately, the company’s refusal to meaningfully address the racist work environment forced the Black employee and his son to quit their jobs. In 2021, MDHR found that Nahan violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which prohibits workplace racial discrimination. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif&quot;&gt;MDHR will monitor the company for two years to ensure compliance with the settlement agreement.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against, submit &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;this online form&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; or call the Discrimination Helpline at &lt;strong&gt;1-833-454-0148&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency. It is tasked with enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the most comprehensive state civil rights laws in the country.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif&quot;&gt;###&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>533862</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:17:31Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Race</Title><Id>244481</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>MPD</Title><Id>697351</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Public Services</Title><Id>244486</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Finds City of Minneapolis and Minneapolis Police Department Engage in a Pattern or Practice of Race Discrimination </Title><title>MPD Findings</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-526423&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-04-28T01:17:48Z</Date><ShortDescription>“Following the murder of George Floyd, demands to end discriminatory policing practices reverberated across the world. Those demands remain just as urgent today with the announcement of the investigative findings which paints an unsettling picture of the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department engaging in a pattern of racial discrimination over the last decade,” said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; Following its investigation, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) today &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Investigation%20into%20the%20City%20of%20Minneapolis%20and%20the%20Minneapolis%20Police%20Department_tcm1061-526417.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Investigation into the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Investigation into the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;released its findings&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and announced that the City of Minneapolis (City) and Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) engage in a pattern or practice of race discrimination in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR will next work with the City to develop a consent decree to address discriminatory, race-based policing in Minneapolis. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Following the murder of George Floyd, demands to end discriminatory policing practices reverberated across the world. Those demands remain just as urgent today with the announcement of the investigative findings which paints an unsettling picture of the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department engaging in a pattern of racial discrimination over the last decade,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;Race-based policing is unlawful and harms everyone, especially people of color and Indigenous community members – sometimes costing community members their lives,”&lt;/strong&gt; continued Commissioner Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“I look forward to the work ahead with the City, MPD, and community members to improve public safety by reversing unlawful policing practices.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Investigation Findings&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR finds there is probable cause that the City and MPD engage in a pattern or practice of race discrimination in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Specifically, MDHR finds:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MPD engages in a pattern or practice of discriminatory, race-based policing as evidenced by:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Racial disparities in how MPD officers use force, stop, search, arrest, and cite people of color, particularly Black individuals, compared to white individuals in similar circumstances. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MPD officers’ use of covert social media to surveil Black individuals and Black organizations, unrelated to criminal activity.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MPD officers’ consistent use of racist, misogynistic, and disrespectful language. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The pattern or practice of discriminatory, race-based policing is caused primarily by an organizational culture where: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MPD officers, supervisors, and field training officers receive deficient training, which emphasizes a paramilitary approach to policing that results in officers unnecessarily escalating encounters or using inappropriate levels of force. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accountability systems are insufficient and ineffective at holding officers accountable for misconduct.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Former and current City and MPD leaders have not collectively acted with the urgency, coordination, and intentionality necessary to address racial disparities in policing to improve public safety and increase community trust.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Without fundamental, organizational culture changes, reforming MPD’s policies, procedures, and trainings will be meaningless.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The complete 72-page findings can be found on MDHR’s website at &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/mpd/findings/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Investigation Findings&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Investigation Findings&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;mn.gov/mdhr/mpd/findings&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next Steps: Working Toward a Consent Decree&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Moving forward, MDHR will work with the City to develop a consent decree, which is a court-enforceable agreement that identifies specific changes to be made and timelines for those changes to occur. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Unlike previous efforts to reform policing in Minneapolis, a consent decree is a court order issued by a judge. Importantly, a consent decree also integrates independent oversight in the form of a monitor or monitoring team that regularly reports to the court to hold the parties accountable to the agreed upon changes. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As part of this process, MDHR will meet with community members, MPD officers, City staff, and other stakeholders to gather feedback on what should be included in a consent decree to address racial discrimination in policing in Minneapolis. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At this time, ideas for potential changes in a consent decree can be provided to MDHR at &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-443769&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;001 Contact Us&quot; xlink:title=&quot;001 Contact Us&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;mn.gov/mdhr/mpd/contactus&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Comprehensive Investigation &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On June 1, 2020, MDHR launched its pattern or practice investigation after a former MPD officer murdered George Floyd on May 25, 2020. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR’s investigation resulted in early and significant public safety changes. On June 8, 2020, MDHR obtained &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/assets/Order%20signed%20by%20Judge%206.8.20_tcm1061-435169.pdf&quot;&gt;a temporary court order&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; from Hennepin County District Court that required the City and MPD to make immediate changes. The court order required MPD to change how officers interact with community members and resulted in police accountability changes. Importantly, the City and MPD incorporated all the changes identified in the court order into their policies, ordinances, and procedures. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR’s comprehensive investigation included review of approximately 700 hours of body worn camera footage; review of approximately 480,000 pages of City and MPD documents; observation of approximately 87 hours of MPD Academy trainings; multiple ride-alongs with MPD officers in each of MPD’s five precincts; analysis of MPD’s policing data from the last ten years; and review of police use of force files and alleged police misconduct files. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additionally, MDHR interviewed current and former Mayors and Police Chiefs; MPD officers; City of Minneapolis staff and elected officials; prosecutors and public defenders; health care professionals; and representatives from violence prevention and support services organizations. MDHR also interviewed and reviewed statements from over 2,200 community members and conducted 15 listening sessions with neighborhood associations and organizations across Minneapolis.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To assist with completing its investigation, MDHR worked with nationally recognized experts. This included policing practice experts at 21CP Solutions, many of whom formerly served as police chiefs around the United States, and Greg Ridgeway, a renowned statistician and Professor of Criminology, Statistics, and Data Science at the University of Pennsylvania and Chair of the Department of Criminology. MDHR thanks the Joyce Foundation for their continued support, which has allowed MDHR to work with these experts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This investigation would not have been possible without a team of lawyers and staff from Kirkland &amp;amp; Ellis, which provided a tremendous amount of pro bono support. This includes support from Lisa Madigan, the former Illinois Attorney General, currently a partner at Kirkland &amp;amp; Ellis.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Minnesota Department of Human Rights&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency. It is tasked with enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the most comprehensive state civil rights laws in the country. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;Document: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Investigation%20into%20the%20City%20of%20Minneapolis%20and%20the%20Minneapolis%20Police%20Department_tcm1061-526417.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Investigation into the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Investigation into the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Findings from the Minnesota Department of Human Rights&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>526423</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:31:29Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Race</Title><Id>244481</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Employment</Title><Id>244471</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Reprisal</Title><Id>244490</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Sexual Harassment</Title><Id>244489</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Settles with Company that Forced an Employee to Quit His Job after Reporting a Manager Racially and Sexually Harassed Him </Title><title>Paramount Auto Service Settlement</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-524233&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-04-07T21:14:22Z</Date><ShortDescription>This announcement comes during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which brings attention to the fact that living free from sexual harassment and assault is every Minnesotan’s civil right.  </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Settlement requires Paramount Auto Service to pay the former employee $60,000, change its policies, and provide anti-discrimination training</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN] &lt;/strong&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) today announced a settlement agreement with Linn Retail Centers, Inc., the owner of Paramount Auto Service, after finding the company violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act by retaliating against an employee and refusing to meaningfully address workplace racial and sexual harassment. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“When someone reports that they are being sexually harassed by their supervisor and that their supervisor is repeatedly calling them a racial slur, a company has an obligation to take the complaint seriously. That’s not what happened here. When its employee courageously reported the harassment, the company instead made this employee’s life miserable and ultimately pushed him out of the job,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;This case is a reminder that employers have an obligation to immediately investigate and address any concerns of harassment and failure to do so is a violation of Minnesota’s civil rights law.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This announcement comes during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which brings attention to the fact that living free from sexual harassment and assault is every Minnesotan’s civil right.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Case&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR’s investigation found that a manager at Paramount Auto Service’s Rosemount store sexually harassed employees. MDHR’s investigation also found that the manager abused his position of power by intimidating employees and preventing them from speaking up. Paramount Auto Service was aware of this unlawful conduct and refused to take meaningful action to hold the manager accountable.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When a Latino employee told Paramount Auto Service that this same manager repeatedly called him by a racial slur and sexually harassed him, the company again refused to take meaningful action. Instead, the company ignored the employee’s complaints and retaliated against him by forcing him to quit his job. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Paramount Auto Service used several strategies to push the employee out of his job. Rather than take immediate action to remove the harasser, the company required the employee to relocate to a different store, causing him to have a longer commute. The company also reduced the employee’s pay by giving him less favorable hours and assigning him work that resulted in lower commissions. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Settlement &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The settlement agreement resolves the case and requires Paramount Auto Service, in part, to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pay the former employee $60,000.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide training to employees, managers, and human resources staff on the importance of creating a welcoming and discrimination-free workplace. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Update and enforce its policies to ensure the company follows the law by prohibiting retaliation and ensuring no employee who reported discrimination can be forced to move store locations. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Start an investigation within 24 hours of receiving any discrimination complaint.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR will monitor the company’s compliance with the two-year agreement. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state&apos;s civil rights enforcement agency. If you believe you experienced discrimination covered under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, call the Discrimination Helpline at &lt;strong&gt;1-833-454-0148&lt;/strong&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;submit this online form&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>524233</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:15:37Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Disability</Title><Id>244473</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Public Places</Title><Id>244480</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Settles with National Company that Operates LA Fitness to Ensure Equal Access for Minnesotans with Disabilities </Title><title>LA Fitness Settlement</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-522848&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-03-28T15:58:35Z</Date><ShortDescription>“Ensuring that public places are accessible to people with disabilities is critical to building an inclusive and thriving Minnesota,” said Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) today announced a settlement agreement that requires Fitness International, LLC, the company that operates LA Fitness, to ensure all its fitness centers in Minnesota are accessible to people with disabilities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Ensuring that public places are accessible to people with disabilities is critical to building an inclusive and thriving Minnesota,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“This case is a reminder to all businesses that when spaces are accessible, when they are universally designed, they not only benefit people with disabilities, but in many situations, everyone using those spaces benefits.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR’s investigation found that an LA Fitness in New Brighton provided non-slip rubber mats in its locker rooms for years to help keep its members safe on wet surfaces. For Greg Reid, a member with a mobility-related disability, these mats were essential to prevent him from slipping. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Without providing any notice or explanation to Reid, LA Fitness removed these mats. Reid repeatedly asked for the mats to be reinstalled or for handrails to be installed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;However, LA Fitness ignored his requests, violating their own policy to be responsive whenever someone requests an accommodation, and did not permanently reinstall the mats or install handrails.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By denying Reid equal access, LA Fitness violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act for disability discrimination. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The settlement resolves the case and requires LA Fitness to ensure that people with disabilities can use their fitness centers in Minnesota without experiencing discrimination. The company is also required to install handrails in both of its locker rooms at its New Brighton LA Fitness.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“I’m happy I could make things safer and better for myself and for all people with disabilities who use LA Fitness in Minnesota,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Greg Reid. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Approximately 11% of Minnesotans report having a disability, according to Minnesota Compass, and disability discrimination is consistently one of the largest areas of discrimination MDHR investigates. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have been discriminated against because of your disability, call the Discrimination Helpline at &lt;strong&gt;1-833-454-0148&lt;/strong&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;submit this online form&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>522848</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:16:47Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Sexual Harassment</Title><Id>244489</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Education</Title><Id>502813</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Settles with the University of Minnesota Board of Regents after a Humphrey School Professor Sexually Harassed a Graduate Student </Title><title>University of Minnesota Board of Regents</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-513283&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-12-17T15:35:17Z</Date><ShortDescription>The settlement requires the Humphrey School of Public Affairs to take action to prevent sexual harassment, pay a graduate student $75,000, and allow the student to complete her degree tuition-free. </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; Marking the third sexual harassment case the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) announced this week, MDHR today announced a settlement agreement with the University of Minnesota Board of Regents. The settlement requires the Humphrey School of Public Affairs to take action to prevent sexual harassment, pay a graduate student $75,000, and allow the student to complete her degree tuition-free. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Schools should be places where students go to learn more about the world and what kind of person they’re going to be. They cannot be places where professors sexually harass students,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“What should have been a safe and sacred relationship between a professor and a student instead became an unsafe and abusive space. Sexual harassment must stop. Students deserve better.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR’s investigation found that in 2018, a professor used his position of power to sexually harass a graduate student. The professor made sexual comments in front of her, told her about sex he had with other women, and commented on her appearance in front of her classmates. He also told her that he wanted to be her boyfriend and asked her to move into his home.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The unequal power dynamic between the professor and the student was very apparent. She was not only his student, but also reported directly to the professor as a research assistant. He had influence over her grades, employment, and reputation within the school. The professor was also a gatekeeper to her career after graduate school. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The professor’s conduct violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act, the state’s civil rights law, which prohibits sexual harassment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The settlement requires Humphrey School to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Allow the graduate student to complete her degree tuition-free and pay her $75,000 for damages and attorney fees.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide harassment and bystander training to students and faculty so they know how to recognize and report inappropriate behavior such as sexual harassment and sexual grooming. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Send quarterly communications to faculty reminding them of their responsibility to refrain from and report harassment. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Send quarterly communications to students encouraging them to report harassment. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Distribute the school’s sexual harassment policy, resources, and reporting information to students at the beginning of each academic year. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To ensure compliance with the agreement, MDHR will monitor the school for four years. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This case is the third sexual harassment case MDHR announced this week, further demonstrating that sexual harassment is pervasive and persistent. On Tuesday, MDHR &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/newsroom/index.jsp?id=1061-512823&quot;&gt;sued a McDonald&apos;s franchisee&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; for workplace sexual assault and harassment. Then on Wednesday, MDHR announced a &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/newsroom/index.jsp?id=1061-512962&quot;&gt;settlement agreement with Bruening Rock&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; after finding the company refused to address sexual harassment. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you are the victim of sexual harassment or any other type of discrimination covered under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, call the Discrimination Helpline at &lt;strong&gt;1-833-454-0148&lt;/strong&gt; or &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/&quot;&gt;submit this online form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>513283</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:13:40Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Sexual Harassment</Title><Id>244489</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Employment</Title><Id>244471</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Reaches Settlement with a Company that Refused to Address its Sexist Workplace Culture  </Title><title>Bruening Rock Settlement Agreement</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-512962&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-12-15T15:11:27Z</Date><ShortDescription>“It’s almost 2022 and we’re still talking about employers who refuse to address a sexually toxic culture. It needs to stop.&quot; - Commissioner Lucero</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Settlement requires Bruening Rock to build a workplace free from sexual harassment</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) today announced a settlement agreement with Bruening Rock Products, Inc. after finding the company fostered a culture of degrading women and refused to address sexual harassment. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“It’s almost 2022 and we’re still talking about employers who refuse to address a sexually toxic culture. It needs to stop. Sexual harassment has no business in the workplace,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“This case sends a message to all employers that they have a responsibility to create welcoming workplaces and a legal obligation to actively address and prevent sexual harassment.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR’s investigation found three employees sexually harassed a truck driver on three different occasions in 2018. The harassment included unwelcome sexual advances, unwanted touching, and offensive comments. One incident was witnessed by two other employees who did not intervene or report it, indicating such conduct was acceptable in the workplace.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While Bruening Rock had a sexual harassment policy, MDHR found that it was not enforced. After reporting one incident, the truck driver’s supervisor did not take any action to investigate. The company finally conducted interviews with the three harassers only after the truck driver informed her supervisor of the other incidents. However, the manager conducting the interviews did not take them seriously and reassured one harasser “not to worry about anything.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR also found the company did not take meaningful action to address multiple incidents of sexual harassment over several years. The company enabled a culture in which inappropriate actions by employees were condoned and therefore engaged in sexual harassment without fear of discipline.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bruening Rock’s inaction to address sexual harassment in the workplace violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act, the state’s civil rights law. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To help build a safe workplace free from sexual harassment, the settlement requires Bruening Rock to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Create a 24/7 hotline that allows employees to anonymously report unwelcome workplace behavior. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Send the updated sexual harassment policy to all employees that will now include a requirement that supervisors and managers report any violation of the policy and all reports will be investigated. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide inclusiveness and bystander training to coach all employees how they can intervene when they observe inappropriate workplace behavior and their duty to report harassment. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Require supervisors, managers, and human resources staff to attend anti-harassment training. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The agreement also requires the company to pay the former employee for lost wages and damages. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To ensure compliance with the agreement, MDHR will monitor Bruening Rock for two years. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bruening Rock Products Inc. is a rock supply and construction company with a worksite in Zumbrota, MN.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state&apos;s civil rights enforcement agency. If you believe you are the victim of sexual harassment or any other type of discrimination covered under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, call the Discrimination Helpline at &lt;strong&gt;1-833-454-0148&lt;/strong&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;submit this online form&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>512962</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:13:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Sexual Harassment</Title><Id>244489</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Employment</Title><Id>244471</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Sues McDonald&apos;s Franchisee for Workplace Sexual Assault and Harassment </Title><title>McDonalds Lawsuit</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-512823&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-12-14T18:03:08Z</Date><ShortDescription>McDonald&apos;s franchisee violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act by fostering a culture of sexual harassment that led to a manager sexually assaulting a minor employee.  </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) today &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/MDHR_GG_v__Hyder_Complaint_in_Intervention_FINAL_tcm1061-512914.pdf&quot; title=&quot;McDonalds Complaint&quot; xlink:title=&quot;McDonalds Complaint&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;filed to join a lawsuit&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; against Hyder Investments, Inc., a McDonald&apos;s franchisee, for violating the Minnesota Human Rights Act by fostering a culture of sexual harassment that led to a manager sexually assaulting a minor employee.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Workers – especially young workers – have the right to be safe at work. Here, McDonald’s failed to create a safe workplace when a manager repeatedly sexually assaulted a 14-year-old worker,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“Employers must create a culture where its employees can work with dignity, free from sexual harassment and assault. This lawsuit is a reminder that, in fact, employers have a legal obligation to do so.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The complaint describes how in 2018, while working at a Maple Grove McDonald&apos;s, a 24-year-old manager used his position of power to groom a 14-year-old employee for a sexual relationship and repeatedly sexually assaulted her at the restaurant.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to the complaint, there were several instances where employees in positions of authority failed to act. At least two supervisors were aware of the inappropriate relationship and did nothing. Even after the police arrested the manager at the restaurant for criminal sexual conduct, the company only fired him for bringing marijuana to work – not for sexually harassing or assaulting the employee.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additionally, the company’s sexual harassment policies were ineffective and not provided to employees. For example, the policy said that someone could call and report sexual harassment, but provided a fake telephone number, XXX-XXX-XXXX, made up solely of the letter “X” instead of an actual phone number. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In requesting to join the lawsuit, MDHR is seeking structural change to ensure employees at all McDonald&apos;s locations are provided a safe work environment free from sexual harassment and assault.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This lawsuit is one of many that have been filed across the country against McDonald’s franchisees for sexual harassment. Recently, the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/eeoc-sues-mcdonalds-restaurants-sexual-harassment-young-workers&quot;&gt;EEOC sued&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; a McDonald&apos;s franchisee for sexual harassment of young workers in Nevada, Arizona, and California. A Pittsburgh-based franchisee &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.spkpowerlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/McDonalds-Sex-Offender-Manager-Legal-Complaint.pdf&quot;&gt;was also sued&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; after a manager, who was a registered sex offender, sexually assaulted a minor employee. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The complaint was filed today in Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District Court in Hennepin County. The employee, represented by attorneys with Schwebel, Goetz &amp;amp; Sieben and Conard Nelson Schaffer, initiated this lawsuit on December 10, 2021.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state&apos;s civil rights enforcement agency. If you believe you are the victim of sexual harassment or any other type of discrimination covered under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, call the Discrimination Helpline at &lt;strong&gt;1-833-454-0148&lt;/strong&gt; or &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;submit this online form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Document: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/MDHR_GG_v__Hyder_Complaint_in_Intervention_FINAL_tcm1061-512914.pdf&quot; title=&quot;McDonalds Complaint&quot; xlink:title=&quot;McDonalds Complaint&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Complaint in Intervention&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>512823</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:12:48Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Gender Identity</Title><Id>502812</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Public Places</Title><Id>244480</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Obtains Successful Resolution in Lawsuit against CSL Plasma for Gender Identity Discrimination </Title><title>CSL Plasma Resolution</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-501398&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-10-06T12:51:20Z</Date><ShortDescription>This announcement comes after MDHR sued the plasma collection center for violating the Minnesota Human Rights Act when it barred a transgender woman and a non-binary Minnesotan from donating plasma.  </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Under the agreement, CSL Plasma cannot ban donors based on gender identity</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul]&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) today announced that CSL Plasma is required to make structural changes at all of its locations in Minnesota so that transgender and non-binary Minnesotans can donate plasma without being turned away because of their gender identity. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This announcement comes after MDHR sued the plasma collection center for violating the Minnesota Human Rights Act, the state&apos;s civil rights law, when it barred a transgender woman and a non-binary Minnesotan from donating plasma. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“With some of the strongest civil rights laws in the country, Minnesota continues to work toward becoming a state where transgender and non-binary Minnesotans are accepted, protected, and celebrated,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Governor Tim Walz. &lt;strong&gt;“I am grateful for the diligent work of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights on behalf of Minnesotans who have been discriminated against. Every victory like this brings us one step closer to our vision of One Minnesota.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The resolution of the lawsuit, which is outlined in the proposed &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/CSL%20Plasma%20Joint%20Motion_tcm1061-501482.pdf&quot; title=&quot;CSL Plasma Consent Agreement and Final Order&quot; xlink:title=&quot;CSL Plasma Consent Agreement and Final Order&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Consent Agreement and Final Order&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; filed in Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District Court in Hennepin County, requires CSL Plasma to: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ensure no employee refuses a potential donor because of their gender identity. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Allow donors to self-identify their gender. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide LGBTQ+ equity training to employees. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Submit reports to MDHR documenting the reason for deferring any donor whose gender identity differs from their assigned sex at birth and/or gender marker on personal identification documents. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Once the agreement is approved by Hennepin County District Court, the court will have the power to enforce these measures and failure to comply could lead to penalties. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;There is no place for hate or discrimination in Minnesota,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. &lt;strong&gt;“This consent agreement affirms that trans and non-binary Minnesotans have the right to donate life-saving plasma without being turned away because of their gender identity. I am proud to continue building on Minnesota’s legacy of acceptance for LGBTQ+ Minnesotans.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Refusing to provide services to transgender and non-binary Minnesotans violates the state’s civil rights law. Minnesota was the first state in the country to prohibit gender identity discrimination in 1993. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“CSL Plasma’s discriminatory actions stop today,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“This agreement is yet another example that discrimination against transgender and non-binary Minnesotans is illegal and not in alignment with the values of our state.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About MDHR’s Lawsuit Against CSL Plasma &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In March 2019, MDHR &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/newsroom/index.jsp?id=1061-374858&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;filed suit&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; against CSL Plasma for denying a transgender woman from donating her plasma multiple times at collection centers in Duluth and Minneapolis because of her gender identity. In response to the lawsuit, CSL Plasma claimed they updated their policies based on guidance from the Federal Drug Administration that prohibits the consideration of gender identity in determining donor eligibility. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;However, in September 2019, CSL Plasma in Minneapolis refused to allow a non-binary Minnesotan from donating their plasma because their gender identity did not align with their assigned sex at birth. In response, MDHR &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/newsroom/index.jsp?id=1061-409618&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;amended its lawsuit&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; to add this unlawful discrimination to demonstrate CSL Plasma’s continued discrimination. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state&apos;s civil rights enforcement agency. If you experienced or witnessed discrimination or bias call the Discrimination Helpline at &lt;strong&gt;1-833-454-0148&lt;/strong&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;submit this online form&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Documents: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/CSL%20Plasma%20Joint%20Motion_tcm1061-501482.pdf&quot; title=&quot;CSL Plasma Consent Agreement and Final Order&quot; xlink:title=&quot;CSL Plasma Consent Agreement and Final Order&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Consent Agreement and Final Order&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Consent%20Agreement%20%20Order%20%28court%20approved%29%20%28002%29_tcm1061-501864.pdf&quot; title=&quot;CSL Consent Agreement Court Approved&quot; xlink:title=&quot;CSL Consent Agreement Court Approved&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Consent Agreement and Final Order (Signed by Hennepin County District Court Judge Karen Janisch)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Consent%20Agreement%20%20Order%20%28court%20approved%29%20%28002%29_tcm1061-501864.pdf&quot; title=&quot;CSL Consent Agreement Court Approved&quot; xlink:title=&quot;CSL Consent Agreement Court Approved&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;###&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>501398</id><pubdate>2021-10-14T20:59:24Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Race</Title><Id>244481</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Public Services</Title><Id>244486</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Public Places</Title><Id>244480</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Finds Brooklyn Center Police Department and Michaels Stores Discriminated Against Black 16-Year-Old Because of His Race</Title><title>Brooklyn Center Police Department and Michaels Stores</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-500242&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-09-23T13:52:05Z</Date><ShortDescription>“The facts of this case are both shocking and unsurprising. There was no reason for Michaels to call the police. And no Black child should ever have to plead for their life from police,” said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Police officers used unjustified and unreasonable force on a Black 16-year-old after a store manager racially profiled and called the police on him for being Black</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul]&lt;/strong&gt; Following its investigation into two charges of discrimination, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) today announced the Brooklyn Center Police Department and Michaels Stores, Inc. violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act, the state’s civil rights law, for racial discrimination. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“The facts of this case are both shocking and unsurprising. There was no reason for Michaels to call the police. And no Black child should ever have to plead for their life from police,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“What happened to this kid is a clear violation of his dignity and his civil rights. We can and must do better, especially when it comes to kids.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“It’s unimaginable how the scariest day of my life started with applying for a job at Michaels. Police were called because of my skin color and they abused me to the point I thought I was going to die. No human should fear the police when we are taught that they are protectors. There should be some changes so this never happens again,”&lt;/strong&gt; said the then 16-year-old.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the determinations released today, MDHR found that in March 2019 a white store manager called the police on a Black 16-year-old who wanted to apply for a job at Michaels. The manager, who has a history of racially profiling Black customers, made false allegations to the police about the 16-year-old because of his race. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When three white officers from the Brooklyn Center Police Department arrived, they found a frightened and surprised Black 16-year-old who immediately raised his hands in the air. Rather than following their own policies and training, MDHR found that the officers immediately used unjustified and unreasonable force. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Throughout the encounter, the Black 16-year-old repeatedly pleaded, “I want to live,” “I want to grow up,” and “Don’t kill me.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During its investigation, MDHR also found that body-worn camera footage contradicted reports and testimony provided by the police officers. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, it is illegal for police departments and businesses to discriminate against someone because of their race. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR will next seek structural change through a conciliated settlement agreement with the Brooklyn Center Police Department and Michaels Stores, Inc., as well as monetary relief for the then 16-year-old. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state&apos;s civil rights enforcement agency. If you have experienced or witnessed discrimination, call the Discrimination Helpline at &lt;strong&gt;1-833-454-0148&lt;/strong&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;submit this online form&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Documents: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/70468%20Memorandum_tcm1061-500245.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Brooklyn Center Police Department Determination&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Brooklyn Center Police Department Determination&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Brooklyn Center Police Department Determination&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/70470%20Memorandum_tcm1061-500246.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Michaels Stores Determination&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Michaels Stores Determination&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Michaels Stores Determination&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;###&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>500242</id><pubdate>2021-10-14T20:59:53Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Age</Title><Id>244301</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Employment</Title><Id>244471</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Reaches Settlement after Finding Employer Fired Employee Because of Her Age </Title><title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Reaches Settlement after Finding Employer Fired Employee Because of Her Age</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-490838&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-07-29T14:56:02Z</Date><ShortDescription> “Ageism has no place in Minnesota’s workplaces,” said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Settlement requires Natural Dental to create anti-discrimination policies, provide bias training, and pay former employee $54,000</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) today announced a settlement agreement with Natural Dental, a dental practice located in St. Paul, after the employer violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act by discriminating against Kathleen Dahlstrom because of her age. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Ageism has no place in Minnesota’s workplaces,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“This settlement sends a clear message that age discrimination violates the state’s civil rights law. If we are to build inclusive workplaces, we must be intentional that our biases, actions, and policies and practices do not perpetuate ageism and cause further harm.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;MDHR&apos;s findings reaffirm that I was a victim of age discrimination,&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; said Kathleen Dahlstrom. &lt;strong&gt;&quot;I am glad that I valued myself and spoke up. This settlement will help me truly begin the healing process.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Case &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In June 2018, Dahlstrom was unlawfully terminated from her position as the business manager at Natural Dental because of age discrimination. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR found the owner of Natural Dental made demeaning age-related comments about Dahlstrom. The owner said he “couldn’t work with Kathleen – she’s too old” and that she was “too old to learn new things.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The owner, who purchased the dental practice in May 2018, claimed he fired Dahlstrom because of performance shortcomings, even though he gave Dahlstrom a favorable performance evaluation just days before firing her. Dahlstrom capably performed her job duties since 1999. Less than a week after the owner fired Dahlstrom, he hired a new business manager who was more than 30 years younger.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In November 2020, MDHR found probable cause that Natural Dental violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Under the state’s civil rights law, employers cannot discriminate against an employee because of their age. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Terms of the Settlement &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To address and prevent future age discrimination, the settlement requires Natural Dental to:  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Create and implement anti-discrimination policies.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Require all employees to read and sign an acknowledgment of the new policies.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Require its owner to attend anti-discrimination and bias training. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide all employees with anti-discrimination and bias training. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The settlement also requires Natural Dental to pay Dahlstrom $54,000 for lost wages and damages.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state&apos;s civil rights enforcement agency. If you experienced or witnessed discrimination or bias call the Discrimination Helpline at &lt;strong&gt;1-833-454-0148&lt;/strong&gt; or &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;submit this online form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; class=&quot;margin-bottom&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>490838</id><pubdate>2021-10-14T21:00:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Sexual Harassment</Title><Id>244489</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Employment</Title><Id>244471</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Reaches Settlements in Three Workplace Sexual Harassment Cases</Title><title>Settlements in Three Workplace Sexual Harassment Cases</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-483523&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-06-01T13:59:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Today, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) announced it reached settlement agreements with three businesses across Minnesota after finding they violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act by failing to provide a safe work environment free from sexual harassment or assault.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Supervisors used their positions of power to sexually harass or assault workers, violating Minnesota’s civil rights law; Settlements require structural change</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; Today, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) announced it reached settlement agreements with three businesses across Minnesota after finding they violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act by failing to provide a safe work environment free from sexual harassment or assault. The three businesses were: (1) Mid-America Festivals Corporation that operates the Minnesota Renaissance Festival in Shakopee, (2) Red Cabin Custard in Ely, and (3) the Minnesota Sword Club in Minneapolis.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Abuse and misuse of authority to sexually harass, assault, or rape workers violates civil rights law,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“For employers to effectively prevent sexual harassment, assault, or rape from occurring, they must not only have strong policies, but they must also enforce those policies.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-size: 23px; font-weight: 600;&quot;&gt;No or Ineffective Workplace Policies &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In all three cases, MDHR found the businesses did not have or did not implement policies to help prevent sexual harassment or assault. This fostered a power imbalance between supervisors and workers that resulted in unwanted sexual innuendos, forcible sexual touching, or rape. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the Red Cabin Custard and the Minnesota Sword Club cases, the businesses chose not to have sexual harassment policies. The only people to whom workers could have reported the repeated sexual harassment were the owners themselves. And, the owners were the harassers.  &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While the Minnesota Renaissance Festival had a sexual harassment policy, it was ineffective. The policy was not distributed to workers and training on the policy was sparse. Moreover, the Artistic Director was primarily responsible for enforcing the sexual harassment policy and repeatedly violated it himself when he raped a contract photographer and promoted a highly sexualized work environment. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h2 style=&quot;color:#003865;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cases demonstrate sexual harassment is pervasive and persistent&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Approximately one in four workplace discrimination cases filed with MDHR involve sex discrimination. Under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, sex discrimination includes sexual harassment and assault. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;(Content warning: description of sexual harassment, assault, and rape)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mid-America Festivals Corporation &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR’s investigation found the Artistic Director of the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, operated by Mid-America Festivals Corporation, raped a contract photographer on the worksite in 2017. During the rape, he threatened to kill her family and ruin her life. The Artistic Director hired the contract photographer and had expansive power at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;More than 3 years ago, my life was turned upside down. In the three years since, I have been made to feel unsafe, invalidated, and unworthy of support over and over again.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt; I had to move my family across the country. I was forced to close my business. And when I couldn’t travel to the courtroom because traveling in the pandemic would put a loved one at risk, my criminal case was dismissed,&quot; &lt;/strong&gt;said the contract photographer. &lt;strong&gt;“Today, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights gives me the validation I deserve. I am a victim, a survivor. My voice deserves to be heard. I&apos;m grateful for my family and every person who chose to believe me and show me they care. I&apos;m in awe of the courage of countless survivors who&apos;ve endured similar injustices and continue to march on. I stand with you in solidarity.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR also found that the rape was not an isolated event. MDHR determined that the Artistic Director expected performers to engage in sexual acts in lieu of paying rent. The investigation also uncovered that he pressured performers to take nude pictures of them. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The settlement applies to all Mid-America Festivals Corporation operations in Minnesota, such as the Trail of Terror in Shakopee.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Red Cabin Custard &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR’s investigation found and its lawsuit alleged that the owner of Red Cabin Custard used his position of authority to subject Lorna, then 14-years-old, to repeated sexual harassment. Although it did not admit wrongdoing in the settlement agreement, Red Cabin Custard agreed to have MDHR monitor its business for the next four years to ensure compliance with the Minnesota Human Rights Act.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“I pursued this case because I felt it was my duty as a young girl with a voice to fight for the girls without voices, the girls that have been too scared to report, the girls that haven’t been listened to. My former boss and bosses like him need to know that they do not have the power to stifle my voice nor any other young girl&apos;s voice when it comes to sexual harassment in the workplace,”&lt;/strong&gt; Lorna said. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Sword Club&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR’s investigation found that the owner of the Minnesota Sword Club used his position of power to subject an employee to unwanted touching and sexual innuendos. Beginning in 2016, he came up behind the employee, put his groin area on her, and slapped her backside. The owner also told the employee about his sex life, asked about her sex life, and asked her to read stories that he wrote about the two of them having sex. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Sword Club has since permanently closed, and the non-monetary settlement terms apply if the previous owner returns to work.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h2 style=&quot;color:#003865;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Settlements Require Structural Changes &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After finding probable cause of sex discrimination, MDHR reached settlement agreements with each of the three businesses. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Every business has a legal obligation to ensure their workplace is free from sexual harassment, assault, or rape – plain and simple,&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; continued Commissioner Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“These settlement agreements require just that – structural change to ensure enforcement with strong policies towards safe and welcoming workplaces.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mid-America Festivals Corporation, Red Cabin Custard, and the Minnesota Sword Club must implement and enforce anti-harassment policies and ensure their staff are trained on what constitutes sexual harassment and assault and how to address it. As part of the agreements, staff must also have multiple ways to report the harassment and/or assault. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To ensure compliance with the agreements and the Minnesota Human Rights Act, MDHR will monitor each of the businesses. MDHR finalized agreements with Red Cabin Custard in May, Mid-America Festivals Corporation in April, and the Minnesota Sword Club in March. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you are the victim of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or any other type of discrimination covered under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, call the Discrimination Helpline at &lt;strong&gt;1-833-454-0148&lt;/strong&gt; or &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;submit this online form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The press release was updated  June 3, 2021. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>483523</id><pubdate>2021-10-14T20:57:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Reaches Settlement with Employer for Refusing to Hire Women</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Settlement</Subject><Subject>Gender Discrimination</Subject><Subject>Sex Discrimination</Subject><Subject>Press Release</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Employment</Title><Id>244471</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Sex</Title><Id>678651</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Reaches Settlement with Employer for Refusing to Hire Women</Title><title>Settlement with Employer for Refusing to Hire Women</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-469791&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-03-01T16:16:49Z</Date><ShortDescription>“Refusing to hire women is blatant gender discrimination. It’s akin to posting a sign that says: women need not apply here,” said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Settlement requires Villaume Industries to implement systemic reforms to create an inclusive and welcoming workplace, pay $90,000</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN] &lt;/strong&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights today announced a settlement agreement with Villaume Industries in Eagan after learning the wood products manufacturer had a practice of refusing to hire women.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Refusing to hire women is blatant gender discrimination. It’s akin to posting a sign that says: women need not apply here,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“This settlement agreement helps bring attention to how women continue to face both explicit and implicit discrimination in the workplace. As the state’s civil rights enforcement agency, we are committed to ensuring every woman can live with dignity and joy, free from discrimination.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On November 14, 2019, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights launched an investigation into Villaume Industries after finding they refused to accept women applicants from an employment placement agency as part of a separate investigation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, sex discrimination is prohibited, and employers cannot refuse to hire someone because of their sex.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The settlement agreement ends the ongoing investigation and seeks to transform the company’s hiring practices by requiring Villaume Industries, in part, to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Recruit and hire women.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Amend all recruitment materials to explicitly state the company welcomes and values women in the workplace.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Establish relationships with organizations that help employers recruit qualified women.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide anti-bias, cultural humility, and welcoming workplace training to employees.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Report hiring data to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights every 90 days.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pay $90,000 as a civil penalty, settlement monitoring costs, and a donation to an organization that supports the advancement of women in the workplace.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Create, maintain, and implement workplace anti-discrimination policies that comply with the Minnesota Human Rights Act.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“We are pleased we were able to reach an agreement with Villaume Industries and are encouraged by how the company will begin to change its hiring practices,”&lt;/strong&gt; Commissioner Lucero concluded.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state&apos;s civil rights enforcement agency. If you experienced or witnessed discrimination or bias call the Discrimination Helpline at 1-833-454-0148 or submit &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;this online form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>469791</id><pubdate>2025-06-25T20:21:41Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Gender Identity</Title><Id>502812</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Education</Title><Id>502813</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Court of Appeals Rules that Minnesota Schools Must Allow Students to Use Locker Rooms that Align with their Gender Identity</Title><title>-Court of Appeals Rules that Minnesota Schools Must Allow Students to Use Locker Rooms that Align with their Gender Identity</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-448604&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-09-28T17:33:17Z</Date><ShortDescription>“This decision means that schools are now safer and more welcoming for transgender and gender nonconforming students across Minnesota,” said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Deputy Commissioner Irina Vaynerman.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Court of Appeals today &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/N.H.%20%26%20Lucero%20v%20Anoka-Hennepin%20School%20District_tcm1061-448605.pdf&quot; title=&quot;N.H. &amp;amp; Lucero v Anoka-Hennepin School District&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xlink:title=&quot;N.H. &amp;amp; Lucero v Anoka-Hennepin School District&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;issued a landmark decision&lt;/a&gt; that Minnesota schools must allow students to use locker rooms that align with their gender identity under the state’s civil rights law. This ruling comes after the &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/newsroom/index.jsp?id=1061-397168&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights joined a lawsuit&lt;/a&gt; against the Anoka-Hennepin School District and School Board, the largest district in the state, for unlawfully forcing N.H., a transgender student, to use a segregated locker room based solely on his gender identity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“This decision means that schools are now safer and more welcoming for transgender and gender nonconforming students across Minnesota,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Deputy Commissioner Irina Vaynerman. &lt;strong&gt;“Our state was the first in the nation to prohibit gender identity discrimination. Today’s decision honors that legacy and continues to build a more equitable and inclusive Minnesota.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In a powerful opinion, the court held that it is unlawful to require transgender students to use a locker room that is inconsistent with their gender identity. The court recognized that &quot;students should not be required to &apos;shop&apos; among schools and districts to obtain a discrimination-free education,&quot; because, &quot;[s]chools play a pivotal role in a young person&apos;s development and intellectual, mental, and emotional health.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As the court noted, the facts in the case are undisputed. N.H. used the boys’ locker room without issue after he joined the boys’ swim team at Coon Rapids High School during the 2015-16 school year. The following year, the district required him to use an entirely separate and segregated locker room and threatened to disciple N.H. if he did not use the separate room. By segregating N.H. to a separate changing space, the Anoka-Hennepin School District violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which prohibits gender identity discrimination in schools.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today’s ruling by the Minnesota Court of Appeals comes on the heels of the historic U.S. Supreme Court decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia and additional federal court cases this summer that affirmed that discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is illegal under federal law.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state&apos;s civil rights enforcement agency. If you have experienced or witnessed discrimination or bias, call the Discrimination Helpline at 1-833-454-0148 or report discrimination online at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Document:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/N.H.%20%26%20Lucero%20v%20Anoka-Hennepin%20School%20District_tcm1061-448605.pdf&quot; title=&quot;N.H. &amp;amp; Lucero v Anoka-Hennepin School District&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xlink:title=&quot;N.H. &amp;amp; Lucero v Anoka-Hennepin School District&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;N.H., Respondent, and Rebecca Lucero, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, plaintiff-intervenor, Respondent, vs. Anoka-Hennepin School District No. 11, Appellant.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;###&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>448604</id><pubdate>2021-10-14T20:56:25Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Employment</Title><Id>244471</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Supreme Court Sides with Minnesota Department of Human Rights</Title><title>Minnesota Supreme Court Sides with Minnesota Department of Human Rights</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-442018&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-07-29T20:13:02Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Supreme Court today sided with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, represented by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, in the high-stakes employment discrimination case, Meagan Abel v. Abbott Northwestern Hospital and St. Mary’s University Minnesota.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Court confirms state’s civil rights law contains robust protections for paid and unpaid workers. Also confirms harassment occurring outside of reporting period can be taken into account in a hostile work environment claim</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Supreme Court today sided with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, represented by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, in the high-stakes employment discrimination case, Meagan Abel v. Abbott Northwestern Hospital and St. Mary’s University Minnesota.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Supreme Court agreed with the Department that compensation is not required for an individual to be considered an employee under the Minnesota Human Rights Act’s employment protections.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“For the first time in Minnesota history, the highest court in the state ruled Minnesota&apos;s civil rights law protects unpaid interns,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“The Court correctly recognized that all Minnesota workers, including interns, are entitled to the protections of the Minnesota Human Rights Act.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Significantly, the Minnesota Supreme Court also sided with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights by ruling that harassment, contributing to a hostile work environment and occurring outside the one-year statute of limitations, should be taken into account when determining if the state’s civil rights law was violated.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the course of her unpaid practicum at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Abel’s supervisor reportedly referred to Abel as “the brown one” and told students that he is “good in bed” during highly sexualized role-playing. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;  &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Living a life free of sexual and racial harassment is every Minnesotan’s civil right,”&lt;/strong&gt; continued Commissioner Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“Abel’s civil rights were denied when she faced sexual and racial harassment. Today, the Minnesota Supreme Court affirmed that her voice and experience matters.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state&apos;s civil rights enforcement agency. If you have experienced or witnessed an incident of discrimination or bias call the Discrimination Helpline at 1-833-454-0148 or &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/&quot;&gt;submit this online form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Document&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Minnesota%20Supreme%20Court%20Meagan%20Abel%20v.%20Abbott%20Northwestern%20Hospital%20and%20St.%20Mary%E2%80%99s%20University%20Minnesota_tcm1061-442011.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota Supreme Court Meagan Abel v. Abbott Northwestern Hospital and St. Mary’s University Minnesota&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Minnesota Supreme Court Meagan Abel v. Abbott Northwestern Hospital and St. Mary’s University Minnesota&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Minnesota Supreme Court Opinion in&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Minnesota%20Supreme%20Court%20Meagan%20Abel%20v.%20Abbott%20Northwestern%20Hospital%20and%20St.%20Mary%E2%80%99s%20University%20Minnesota_tcm1061-442011.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota Supreme Court Meagan Abel v. Abbott Northwestern Hospital and St. Mary’s University Minnesota&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Minnesota Supreme Court Meagan Abel v. Abbott Northwestern Hospital and St. Mary’s University Minnesota&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt; Meagan Abel v. Abbott Northwestern Hospital and St. Mary’s University Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;em&gt;The press release was updated on August 1, 2020.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;em /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>442018</id><pubdate>2021-10-14T21:05:31Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Race</Title><Id>244481</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Employment</Title><Id>244471</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Reaches Settlement with Senior Living Facility for Racially Discriminating against Black Employee</Title><title>Settlement with Employer for Racially Discriminating against Black Employee</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-438480&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-06-30T20:19:15Z</Date><ShortDescription> “Jameisha Cox’s case lays bare yet another example of anti-Black racism,” said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Employer permitted racial harassment and fired employee because of her race</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Department of Human Rights today announced a settlement agreement with a senior living facility, Edgewood Sartell, that violated Minnesota’s civil rights law by discriminating against Jameisha Cox, a personal care assistant, because of her race. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Being belittled on a daily basis because of race is sad a reality for Black people,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Jameisha Cox. &lt;strong&gt;“I was blatantly ignored when I raised concerns about being racially harassed. I was ignored again when I was fired because of my race. All I wanted was my job back and nobody cared at all. Now my former employer is being held responsible and has to change their policies so what happened to me doesn’t happen for the next Black person.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Jameisha Cox’s case lays bare yet another example of anti-Black racism,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“As Minnesota’s civil rights enforcement agency, we continue to work every day to build a state where communities of color and Indigenous communities can thrive by enforcing civil rights law, ending racist practices, and undoing systems that perpetuate racial disparities.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Racial discrimination in employment is consistently one of the largest areas of complaints the Minnesota Department of Human Rights receives. Workplace discrimination is one of the many reasons why Minnesota is home to some of the worst racial disparities in the country. The gap between Black and white families&apos; incomes in Minnesota is the third worst in the nation, according to the American Community Survey. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Case &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Throughout her employment as a personal care assistant at Edgewood Sartell, the senior living facility assigned Jameisha Cox, a Black woman, to work with a resident who racially harassed her. The resident made racist and derogatory comments about Cox’s race, skin, and hair. The resident shouted racial epithets at Cox and attempted to rip off Cox’s headscarf. When Cox and other employees reported the racial harassment to Cox’s supervisor, the supervisor did nothing. Cox’s supervisor also repeatedly denied Cox’s requests to work with a different resident. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to permitting the racial harassment to occur, the senior living facility fired Cox because of her race. Edgewood Sartell falsely claimed that Cox failed to report to work, when in fact she followed the company’s protocol. Cox requested and her supervisor approved time-off because she was waiting for her next paycheck in order to repair her car that she used to get to work. Edgewood Sartell did not fire white employees who had significant attendance issues.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The senior care facility’s executive director never responded to Cox’s complaint in response to her termination. On November 18, 2018, Cox filed a charge of discrimination with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights alleging racial discrimination. Minnesota has one of the strongest civil rights laws in the country, the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which prohibits racial discrimination in employment. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On December 31, 2019, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights determined that Edgewood Sartell violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act when the senior living facility discriminated against Cox when it failed to address the racial harassment by the resident and when it fired Cox because of her race.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Terms of the Settlement &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To address and prevent future racial discrimination from occurring, the settlement requires Edgewood Sartell to:&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Amend discrimination and harassment policies to make clear the policies apply to harassing and discriminatory conduct by employees, residents, guests, visitors, vendors, and contractors;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Inform all employees of the updated policies; and &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide one hour of anti-discrimination and anti-harassment training to all non-supervisory and non-managerial employees, provide 1.5 hours of anti-discrimination and anti-harassment to all of its managers and supervisors, and provide one hour of bias trainings to all of its employees. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The settlement agreement also requires Edgewood Sartell to pay Cox for lost wages and damages. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state&apos;s civil rights enforcement agency. If you have experienced or witnessed an incident of discrimination or bias call the Discrimination Helpline at 1-833-454-0148 or &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/&quot;&gt;submit this online form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Documents&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;• &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Memo_tcm1061-438507.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Memo Cox v. Edgewood&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Memo Cox v. Edgewood&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Memo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>438480</id><pubdate>2021-10-14T21:06:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Employment</Title><Id>244471</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Gender Identity</Title><Id>502812</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Sexual Orientation</Title><Id>244477</Id><Key/></Category><Title>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights Issues Statement on U.S. Supreme Court Ruling </Title><title>-Title VII Ruling Statement</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-435947&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-06-15T15:37:37Z</Date><ShortDescription>“Today, the highest court in the country affirmed that discrimination against LGBTQ+ workers is illegal. Since 1993, Minnesota’s civil rights law has prohibited discrimination on the basis of someone’s gender identity or sexual orientation. The decision today by the U.S. Supreme Court echoed this fundamental right,” said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; Today is an important day for civil rights. The U.S. Supreme Court decided in a 6-3 ruling that an employer cannot fire an employee based on their sexual orientation or gender identity under federal law.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Today, the highest court in the country affirmed that discrimination against LGBTQ+ workers is illegal. Since 1993, Minnesota’s civil rights law has prohibited discrimination on the basis of someone’s gender identity or sexual orientation. The decision today by the U.S. Supreme Court echoed this fundamental right,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“Particularly for trans women of color and gender nonconforming individuals who experience higher rates of discrimination and violence, this ruling will have a profound impact for decades to come.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state&apos;s civil rights enforcement agency. If you have experienced or witnessed an incident of discrimination or bias call Minnesota&apos;s Discrimination Helpline at 1-833-454-0148 or submit this &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;000 Complaint Inquiry Form Page Intro&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Complaint Inquiry Form Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;online form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>435947</id><pubdate>2024-08-01T18:56:25Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Race</Title><Id>244481</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>MPD</Title><Id>697351</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Public Services</Title><Id>244486</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Court Orders Minneapolis Police Department to Make Immediate Changes</Title><title>Court Approves Court Order</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-435170&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-06-09T01:30:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Hennepin County Court today approved the proposed court order filed by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) that requires the Minneapolis Police Department to implement initial structural changes, as part of MDHR’s ongoing civil rights investigation. The court has the power to enforce these preliminary measures and failure to comply with the order could lead to penalties. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Hennepin County Judge Signed Court Order Filed by Minnesota Department of Human Rights</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[St. Paul, MN]  Hennepin County Court today approved the proposed court order filed by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) that requires the Minneapolis Police Department to implement initial structural changes, as part of MDHR’s ongoing civil rights investigation. The court has the power to enforce these preliminary measures and failure to comply with the order could lead to penalties. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Today’s court order will create immediate change for communities of color and Indigenous communities who have suffered generational pain and trauma as a result of systemic and institutional racism and long-standing problems in policing,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero.   &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Under the court order entered by Hennepin County District Court Judge Karen Janisch, the City of Minneapolis must implement the following measures:&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ban the use of all neck restraints and choke holds.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Any police officer, regardless of tenure or rank, must report while still on scene if they observe another police officer use any unauthorized use of force, including any choke hold or neck restraint.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Any police officer, regardless of tenure or rank, must intervene by verbal and physical means if they observe another police officer use any unauthorized use of force, including any choke hold or neck restraint.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Only the Police Chief or the chief’s designee at the rank of deputy chief may approve the use of crowd control weapons, including chemical agents, rubber bullets, flash-bangs, batons, and marking rounds, during protests and demonstrations.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Police Chief must make timely and transparent discipline decisions for police officers as outlined in the order.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Civilian body worn camera footage analysts and investigators in the City’s Office of Police Conduct Review have the authority to proactively audit body worn camera footage and file or amend complaints on behalf of the Minneapolis Civil Rights Department.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The court order also requires the Minneapolis Police Department to fully comply with the ongoing civil rights investigation by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Any Minnesotan who witnesses or experiences violations of the terms in the order should contact the Minnesota Department of Human Rights by calling 651-539-1100 or 1-800-657-3704.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Document:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Order%20signed%20by%20Judge%206.8.20_tcm1061-435169.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Order signed by Judge 6.8.20&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Order signed by Judge 6.8.20&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Stipulation and Order signed by Judge Janisch&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>435170</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:31:33Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Race</Title><Id>244481</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>MPD</Title><Id>697351</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Public Services</Title><Id>244486</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Walz-Flanagan Administration, City of Minneapolis Agree on Immediate Changes to Minneapolis Police Department Policies</Title><title>Immediate Changes to Minneapolis Police Department Policies</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-435105&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-06-05T17:29:08Z</Date><ShortDescription>In an unprecedented move, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights announced immediate structural changes the Minneapolis Police Department must implement.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[ST. PAUL, MN] – Today, Governor Tim Walz, Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, and Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero announced next steps in the civil rights investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD), following the death of George Floyd.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In an unprecedented move, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights filed an emergency court action and an agreed proposed court order that details immediate structural changes that the MPD must implement. The City of Minneapolis agreed to implement structural changes and joined the Minnesota Department of Human Rights in submitting the court order.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Under the proposed court order, the City of Minneapolis agrees to the following terms:&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Chokeholds are immediately banned;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Police officers have a duty to report and intervene if another officer utilizes an unauthorized use of force;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The use of crowd control weapons during protests and demonstrations may only be approved by the Chief of Police;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Timely and transparent discipline decisions for police officers must be made; and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Body camera footage may be audited by the Minneapolis Civil Rights Department.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“We are moving quickly to create substantive change,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Governor Walz. &lt;strong&gt;“I’m grateful to City of Minneapolis leadership for taking these critical steps with us to address the systemic inequities that have persisted for generations in our criminal justice system.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The proposed court order also requires the MPD to comply with the ongoing civil rights investigation by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. Once the order is reviewed and approved by the Hennepin County District Court, the court will have the power to enforce these reforms and failure to comply could result in an action for contempt of court&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Today is a historic step in undoing systemic discriminatory practices toward communities of color and Indigenous communities,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Lt. Governor Flanagan. &lt;strong&gt;“The immediate changes that the Minneapolis Police Department agreed to implement bring us another step closer to justice for George Floyd, and all Minnesotans who have experienced different treatment from law enforcement. It is long overdue.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The civil rights investigation into MPD policies, procedures, and practices over the past 10 years remains ongoing. The investigation will determine if the MPD has engaged in systemic discriminatory practices towards people of color and ensure any such practices are stopped.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“While the civil rights investigation continues, these immediate changes are designed to stop ongoing irreparable harm to Black, Indigenous, and communities of color who have suffered generational pain and trauma as a result of systemic and institutional racism,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“Every one of these changes came directly from community. As Minnesota’s civil rights enforcement agency, we are committed to doing more.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is committed to engaging with community throughout this investigation. Minnesotans with information that can further the civil investigation into the MPD should contact the Minnesota Department of Human Rights at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; or 651-539-1100.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Document:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Stipulation%20and%20Order%20Signed_tcm1061-435103.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Stipulation and Order&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Stipulation and Order&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Stipulation and Order&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;This press release was sent out by the Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>435105</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:31:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Race</Title><Id>244481</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>MPD</Title><Id>697351</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Public Services</Title><Id>244486</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Walz Administration’s Department of Human Rights Files Civil Rights Charge Against Minneapolis Police Department</Title><title>Civil Rights Investigation into City of Minneapolis Police Department</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-433976&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-06-02T18:30:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>the Minnesota Department of Human Rights will begin an investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) after filing a civil rights charge related to the death of George Floyd. This investigation into policies, procedures, and practices over the past 10 years will determine if the MPD has engaged in systemic discriminatory practices towards people of color and ensure any such practices are stopped. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Commissioner Rebecca Lucero to lead investigation</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[St. Paul, MN] —Today, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights will begin an investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) after filing a civil rights charge related to the death of George Floyd. This investigation into policies, procedures, and practices over the past 10 years will determine if the MPD has engaged in systemic discriminatory practices towards people of color and ensure any such practices are stopped. Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero will lead the investigation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota has one of the strongest civil rights laws in the country. It is illegal for a police department to discriminate against someone because of their race. This important action against an entire police department will allow the Department of Human Rights to take swift action in response to any determination of civil rights violations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Silence is complicity. Minnesotans can expect our administration to use every tool at our disposal to deconstruct generations of systemic racism in our state,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Governor Tim Walz. &lt;strong&gt;“As we move forward, we ask the community to watch what we do, not what we say. It is going to take action at all levels from the neighborhood on up, to get the change we need to see. This effort is only one of many steps to come in our effort to restore trust with those in the community who have been unseen and unheard for far too long.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“All of us agree that hate and discrimination should not be part of the fabric of this great state,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan. &lt;strong&gt;“But the grief and anger of this past week did not emerge from a vacuum. This is about a culture that continues to go unchecked. We can and must choose to do better. George Floyd, and the state as a whole, deserves this of us.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“George Floyd should be alive. He deserved to live a life full of dignity and joy,”&lt;/strong&gt; said MDHR Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“Community leaders have been asking for structural change for decades. They have fought for this and it is essential that we acknowledge the work and commitment of those who have paved the path to make today’s announcement possible.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department of Human Rights will seek agreement from city leadership and the MPD to immediately implement interim measures in advance of long-term measures to address systemic discriminatory practices.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesotans with information that can further the investigation into the MPD should contact the Department of Human Rights at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt; or 651-539-1100.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Document:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/71537%20-%20LUCERO%20-%20REBECCA%20-%20ECP%20-%20Charge%20of%20Discrimination%20-%20Notarized%20-%206-2-2020%20CJ_tcm1061-433988.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Charge of Discrimination 5.29.2020&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Charge of Discrimination 6.1.20&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Charge of Discrimination (PDF, 302kb)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;This press release was sent out by the Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>433976</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:31:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>Gathering News Releases, News Advisory, and News Articles</Description><Title>Newsroom</Title><Id>384707</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Race</Title><Id>244481</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Governor Walz, Lt. Governor Flanagan Launch Discrimination Helpline</Title><title>Governor Walz, Lt. Governor Flanagan Launch Discrimination Helpline</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-440832&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-04-06T16:23:01Z</Date><ShortDescription>Amid rising reports of discrimination from the Asian American community, Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan today launched a Discrimination Helpline to reinforce the state’s efforts to protect the civil rights of Minnesotans during the COVID-19 pandemic.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; Amid rising reports of discrimination from the Asian American community, Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan today launched a Discrimination Helpline to reinforce the state’s efforts to protect the civil rights of Minnesotans during the COVID-19 pandemic. The toll-free helpline, which is at 1-833-454-0148, will allow those who experience or witness bias and discrimination to report incidents to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. The helpline is staffed Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Minnesotans are resilient people who support their neighbors when the going gets tough,”&lt;/strong&gt; Governor Walz said. &lt;strong&gt;“As Asian Americans in Minnesota report heightened cases of discrimination amid COVID-19, my message is clear: Viruses don’t discriminate, and neither do we.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“There’s a distinct pattern in our nation’s history of increased discrimination during uncertain and trying times, of needing someone to blame,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Lt. Governor Flanagan. &lt;strong&gt;“This is unacceptable and, as Minnesotans, we must work to break this cycle.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“We’ve built a broad base of Asian Minnesotan organizations who agree that this is an important step,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Bo Thao-Urabe, Executive and Network Director of the Coalition of Asian American Leaders. &lt;strong&gt;“By collecting stories from victims and bystanders, and by working together with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights to understand that information, we are letting people know that what is happening to them is not okay, and we are serious about strengthening communities to ensure everyone’s safety.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Minnesota has one of the strongest civil rights laws in the country,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“Having this helpline will allow our Department to continue its work to investigate all incidents of discrimination under the Minnesota Human Rights Act while also giving us the information needed to conduct outreach and education and change policies to create a more welcoming and inclusive Minnesota.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“To use a pandemic that does not discriminate as an opportunity to discriminate is wrong. Now is the time for Minnesotans to turn toward each other, not against each other,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Attorney General Keith Ellison. &lt;strong&gt;“My office and I will keep working with State agencies, justice-system partners, and community to make sure everyone is safe, feels safe, and feels safe to report.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Human Rights Act protects the civil rights of all Minnesotans to ensure everyone can live free from discrimination. Minnesotans who experience or witness bias and discrimination because of their race, ethnicity, disability, or other protected status in their job, housing, or in a public place, should call the toll-free Discrimination helpline.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesotans can call the Discrimination Helpline at 1-833-454-0148 or complete and &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;submit this online form&lt;/a&gt;. Translation/interpretation services are available.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot; style=&quot;text-align: start;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have been the victim of a crime, including a hate crime, or fear for your safety, call 911 immediately.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This press release was sent out by the Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>440832</id><pubdate>2021-10-14T21:05:50Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civil Rights Updates</Title><Id>384599</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Sexual Harassment</Title><Id>244489</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Education</Title><Id>502813</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Settlement Requires West Lutheran High School to Address Sexual Assault, Harassment, and Bullying of Students </Title><title>MDHR Settlelment Requires West Lutheran HS to Address Sexual Assault...</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-421230&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-02-27T17:15:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>A consent decree filed by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and approved today by the Hennepin County District Court orders West Lutheran High School to implement significant system changes that aim at ensuring students can live full lives, free from sexual assault, harassment, and bullying.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; A consent decree filed by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and approved today by the Hennepin County District Court orders West Lutheran High School in Plymouth, Minnesota to implement significant system changes that aim at ensuring students can live full lives, free from sexual assault, harassment, and bullying.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The consent decree settles the Department’s pending lawsuit against the school. The Department filed suit in 2019 because it found the school violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act when school officials failed to act after a student reported she was sexually harassed and assaulted multiple times by other students.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Every school is obligated to actively protect students’ civil rights and no student should have to suffer from sexual assault, harassment, or bullying,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“Today’s court order and consent decree will create immediate, positive change for the students and families at West Lutheran High School. This case also sends a message to other schools across the state that they have an obligation to actively address and prevent bullying and sexual violence.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The consent decree requires West Lutheran High School to take immediate steps to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;develop, adopt, and publicly distribute written policies, including a social media policy, that address and prevent bullying, harassment, and discrimination;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;implement a comprehensive protocol for investigating every complaint of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;require all students, faculty, staff, and members of its Board of Regents sign a Code of Conduct Pledge each school year that specifically addresses bullying, harassment, and discrimination;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;add bullying and harassment as topics to the curriculum for a required class;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;train all faculty, staff, students, and members of the Board of Regents annually on the school’s obligations to create a school environment that is free of discrimination, harassment, and bullying;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;train all staff and officials responsible for conducting investigations with trauma-informed investigation training; and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;report to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights the number of complaints made related to bullying, harassment, and discrimination, the steps took to investigate the complaint, the outcomes of the investigation, and other information necessary.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights will monitor the consent decree for three years. If West Lutheran High School violates the decree, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights has the authority to seek civil penalties and other relief through the Court to ensure the terms are followed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The consent decree involves the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and West Lutheran High School. It does not resolve any claims that the student or her family have against West Lutheran School.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency and enforces the Minnesota Human Rights Act. If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, please contact MDHR at 651.539.1133, 1.800.657.3704, or email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:info.mdhr@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;info.mdhr@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. For more information, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt; or follow the conversation on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;http://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Document:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;2/27/2020 Entered Consent Decree&quot; href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/2020.02.27%20Entered%20Consent%20Decree_tcm1061-421229.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2/27/2020 Entered Consent Decree&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;West Lutheran High School Consent Decree&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>421230</id><pubdate>2021-10-14T21:01:49Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Disability</Title><Id>244473</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Employment</Title><Id>244471</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Reaches Settlement with Employer that Refused to Allow an Employee to Bring Service Animal to Work</Title><title>-Minnesota Department of Human Rights Reaches Settlement with Employer that Refused to Allow an Employee to Bring Service Animal to Work</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-418906&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-02-05T16:30:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights today announced a settlement agreement with Marathon Petroleum Corporation’s St. Paul Park refinery after the company violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act by discriminating against Laura Ritt, a veteran with a service-related disability, when it refused to allow her service animal to accompany her at work. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Settlement requires St. Paul Park refinery to provide anti-bias training, change policies to prevent discrimination from occurring again, and pay former employee $75,000</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Department of Human Rights today announced a settlement agreement with Marathon Petroleum Corporation’s St. Paul Park refinery after the company violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act by discriminating against Laura Ritt, a veteran with a service-related disability, when it refused to allow her service animal to accompany her at work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“This settlement agreement sends the message that employers have important obligations to provide reasonable accommodations to ensure their employees’ dignity,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero&lt;strong&gt;. “More Minnesotans with disabilities are working. Yet, disability discrimination in employment continues to be one of the largest areas of discrimination we investigate. That’s why we must address discrimination in order to build a more equitable and inclusive Minnesota.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Ritt%20with%20Service%20Animal_tcm1061-418909.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Ritt with Service Animal&quot; alt=&quot;Laura Ritt and her service animal, River&quot; style=&quot;vertical-align: middle; width: 30%; height: 30%;&quot; class=&quot;photoRight&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Ritt with Service Animal&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Case&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ritt worked in the office at the St. Paul Park refinery as an administrative assistant. She requested to bring her service animal to work so she could perform her job without the symptoms of her service-related disability interfering. The company repeatedly denied her requests, even when a psychiatric nurse practitioner disclosed Ritt’s diagnosis and explained that a service animal would help prevent the worsening of her disability-related symptoms at work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The service animal was professionally trained to provide Ritt physical and mental comfort. It was also trained to easily maneuver physical barriers in the buildings where Ritt worked and remain calm when hearing sirens or alarms, similar to the ones that went off in the refinery.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On September 23, 2019, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights found probable cause that the St. Paul Park refinery violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Under the Act, employers have a responsibility to accommodate the known disability of an employee. The Department’s investigation found that the service animal would have enabled Ritt to perform the essential functions of her job without the interference of her disability-related symptoms. The Minnesota Department of Human Rights also determined that the employer failed to prove the service animal would have disrupted the workplace, posed a health or safety risk, or caused a significant burden to the employer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Terms of the Settlement&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To build a more culturally competent workplace and prevent future discrimination from occurring, the settlement requires St. Paul Park refinery to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;reform company policies and procedures so that reasonable accommodations are made to ensure employees with disabilities can perform their job without facing discrimination;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;provide anti-discrimination and anti-bias training to address implicit bias, promote equity and inclusion, and prevent future discrimination; and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;partner with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s Vocational Rehabilitation Services to recruit qualified individuals with disabilities to work at the refinery.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The settlement agreement also requires St. Paul Park refinery to pay Ritt $75,000 for payment of lost wages, damages, and attorney fees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, please contact MDHR at 651.539.1133, 1.800.657.3704, or email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:info.mdhr@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;info.mdhr@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. For more information, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt; or follow the conversation on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;http://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Document:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/68478%20-%20RITT%20-%20LAURA%20-%20ECP%20-%20Memorandum%20-%209-23-2019%20FINAL_tcm1061-418498.pdf&quot; title=&quot;68478 - RITT - LAURA - ECP - Memorandum - 9-23-2019 FINAL&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xlink:title=&quot;68478 - RITT - LAURA - ECP - Memorandum - 9-23-2019 FINAL&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Memorandum&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/SPPR-Ritt%20-%20Conciliation%20Settlement%20Agreement%20and%20Release%20of%20Claims%20tagged_tcm1061-418904.pdf&quot; title=&quot;SPPR-Ritt - Conciliation Settlement Agreement and Release of Claims tagged&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xlink:title=&quot;SPPR-Ritt - Conciliation Settlement Agreement and Release of Claims tagged&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;SPPR-Ritt - Conciliation Settlement Agreement and Release of Claims&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Taylor.Putz@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Taylor.Putz@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>418906</id><pubdate>2021-10-14T21:01:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>Gathering News Releases, News Advisory, and News Articles</Description><Title>Newsroom</Title><Id>384707</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Employment</Title><Id>244471</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Files Amicus Brief Urging Minnesota Supreme Court to Protect Minnesotans in Hostile Environments and Include Unpaid Interns under the Minnesota Human Rights Act</Title><title>-Minnesota Department of Human Rights Files Amicus Brief Urging Minnesota Supreme Court to Protect Minnesotans in Hostile Environments and Include Unpaid Interns under the Minnesota Human Rights Act</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-417110&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-01-27T17:23:01Z</Date><ShortDescription>Represented by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, MDHR filed an amicus brief in Meagan Abel vs. Abbott Northwestern Hospital and St. Mary’s University Minnesota.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt; [St. Paul, MN]&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR), represented by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, filed an &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/2020.01.23%20Filed%20-%20Meagan%20Abel%20%28MDHR%20Amicus%20Brief%29_tcm1061-417173.pdf&quot; title=&quot;2020.01.23 Filed - Megan Abel (MDHR Amicus Brief)&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2020.01.23 Filed - Meagan Abel (MDHR Amicus Brief)&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;amicus brief&lt;/a&gt; in &lt;em&gt;Meagan Abel vs. Abbott Northwestern Hospital and St. Mary’s University Minnesota&lt;/em&gt;. The case asks whether courts reviewing harassment cases under the Minnesota Human Rights Act must take into account the total series of actions that create a hostile environment, including discrimination that took place outside the one-year statute of limitations, and also whether unpaid interns are protected by the Act. MDHR is urging the Minnesota Supreme Court to reverse a flawed lower court ruling and ensure that unpaid interns are protected under the Act.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Every Minnesotan deserves to live free from discrimination,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“That’s why we filed this amicus brief because too many Minnesotans continue to face discrimination, hate, and harassment in their communities. The Minnesota Supreme Court must clarify that the law provides protections so all Minnesotans can live full lives without fear of being discriminated against.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this case, Meagan Abel, a St. Mary’s University doctoral student, began her unpaid practicum at Abbott Northwestern Hospital’s clinic psychology program in September 2015. During the program, Abel alleges her supervisor repeatedly sexually and racially harassed her. When Abel reported the harassment multiple times, both the hospital and St. Mary’s University failed to act and protect Abel. Their inaction contributed to a hostile environment. In May 2016, Abel decided to end her practicum early.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Less than one year later in May 2017, Abel filed a charge of discrimination with MDHR. The Fourth Judicial District Court of Hennepin County and the Minnesota Court of Appeals denied Abel’s claim, alleging the supervisor’s harassment and inaction by the hospital and university that Abel experienced in 2015 and early 2016 took place outside of the one-year statute of limitations and thus could not be considered. The District Court also ruled that Abel was not an employee or student during her practicum and was not be protected under the Minnesota Human Rights Act’s employment or education protections.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the brief, MDHR argues that it is crucial for the law to recognize that hostile environment claims are comprised of a series of individual discriminatory events. While individuals have a year to submit a charge of discrimination, MDHR highlights that the law permits a court to take into account discriminatory actions, including inaction by an employer, that took place outside the one-year limitation period that contributed to the hostile environment. The brief also states that the clock for the statute of limitations period for hostile environments must begin on the employee’s last day of work or when an employee resigns.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition, MDHR also argues that the Supreme Court should interpret the law to ensure that individuals in unpaid internships and students performing unpaid work as a requirement of their education are protected under the Minnesota Human Rights Act. MDHR highlights that the Act already protects Minnesotans in the areas of employment and education and should extend to interns and student workers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, please contact MDHR at 651.539.1133, 1.800.657.3704, or email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:info.mdhr@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;info.mdhr@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. For more information, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt; or follow the conversation on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;http://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Document:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/2020.01.23%20Filed%20-%20Meagan%20Abel%20%28MDHR%20Amicus%20Brief%29_tcm1061-417173.pdf&quot; title=&quot;2020.01.23 Filed - Megan Abel (MDHR Amicus Brief)&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2020.01.23 Filed - Meagan Abel (MDHR Amicus Brief)&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Meagan Abel vs. Abbott Northwestern Hospital and St. Mary’s University Minnesota  (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
540 Fairview Ave N, Suite 201, St. Paul, MN 55104
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mn.gov/mdhr&quot;&gt;www.mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;MDHR YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Contact MDHR&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Taylor Putz, Communications Director
&lt;br /&gt;
651.226.4615
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Taylor.Putz@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Taylor.Putz@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>417110</id><pubdate>2021-10-14T21:06:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>Gathering News Releases, News Advisory, and News Articles</Description><Title>Newsroom</Title><Id>384707</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Gender Identity</Title><Id>502812</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Public Places</Title><Id>244480</Id><Key/></Category><Title>CSL Plasma Discriminated Against Another Minnesotan Because of Gender Identity</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText/></Metadata1><Url>/mdhr/assets/Newsroom%201200%20x%20800%20feature%20spotlight-blue_tcm1061-409694.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>-CSL Plasma Discriminated Against Another Minnesotan Because of Gender Identity</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-409618&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-11-07T17:40:29Z</Date><ShortDescription>Today, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) amended its complaint with new allegations of continued discrimination in its lawsuit against CSL Plasma. In September 2019, the plasma collection center unlawfully discriminated again on the basis of gender identity, this time against Charlie Edgar, who is non-binary. </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[SAINT PAUL, MN] –&lt;/strong&gt; Today, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Amended%20Complaint_tcm1061-409745.pdf&quot; title=&quot;State of MN by Commissioner of MDHR vs. CSL Plasma Amended Complaint&quot; xlink:title=&quot;State of MN by Commissioner of MDHR vs. CSL Plasma Amended Complaint&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;amended its complaint&lt;/a&gt; with new allegations of continued discrimination in its lawsuit against CSL Plasma. In September 2019, the plasma collection center unlawfully discriminated again on the basis of gender identity, this time against Charlie Edgar, who is non-binary.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/news-community/newsroom/csl-plasma.jsp&quot; title=&quot;-CSL Plasma Timeline&quot; xlink:title=&quot;-CSL Plasma Timeline&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mdhr/assets/PressReleaseGraphic_CSLPlasmaTimeline_110619_Final_tcm1061-409637.jpg&quot; title=&quot;CSLPlasmaTimeline_110619_Final_PressReleaseGraphic&quot; alt=&quot;CSLPlasmaTimeline_110619_Final_PressReleaseGraphic&quot; style=&quot;width: 333px; height: 666px;&quot; class=&quot;photoRightWithBorder&quot; xlink:title=&quot;CSLPlasmaTimeline_110619_Final_PressReleaseGraphic&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“CSL Plasma is unlawfully turning away donors based on archaic stereotypes,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Deputy Commissioner Irina Vaynerman. &lt;strong&gt;“Today’s announcement demonstrates the vital work ahead in the courts and in our communities to ensure all Minnesotans can live dignified lives.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In March 2019, MDHR filed suit against CSL Plasma for denying Alice James, a transgender woman, from donating her plasma because of her gender identity. In response to the lawsuit, CSL Plasma released a statement explaining they updated their policies based on guidance from the Federal Drug Administration, which prohibits the consideration of gender identity in determining donor eligibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In September 2019, Edgar went to CSL Plasma’s Minneapolis location. As part of the intake process, Edgar answered all the questions CSL Plasma asks of men and women to ensure it has their complete health information. Edgar also offered to comply with CSL Plasma’s guidelines that they identify as either a man or woman so that they could donate plasma.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CSL Plasma required Edgar to leave and prohibited them from donating because their gender identity does not align with their assigned sex at birth. The company’s management repeatedly upheld this decision.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“I am disheartened that I have to fight to be seen as a human being,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Charlie Edgar. &lt;strong&gt;“I was hurt and embarrassed when I was denied to give plasma at CSL. I want to be able to operate in a world where I don&apos;t always have to teach medical professionals how to treat me and wonder how to pay my bills when I can&apos;t access the same services as low income cisgender folks.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minneapolis collection center is where CSL Plasma also banned Alice James from donating in 2018 even after MDHR found probable cause the collection center discriminated against her. CSL Plasma initially denied James from donating plasma in Duluth. CSL Plasma refused to work with MDHR to settle the case, which is why the Department, represented by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, filed suit in March 2019.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CSL Plasma’s decision to deny Edgar and James the ability to donate plasma violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act. The law states any establishment providing goods and services to the general public is prohibited from discrimination based on gender identity. Minnesota became the first state in the nation to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity in 1993.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In its lawsuit, MDHR is asking the court to require CSL Plasma to implement policies and procedures that adhere to the Minnesota Human Rights Act. MDHR is also asking the court to require that CSL Plasma employees undergo training to ensure gender identity is not considered when determining donor eligibility and the company submit reports documenting when a Minnesota-based collection center prohibits a plasma donor from donating because of their gender identity. Finally, MDHR is asking the court to require CSL Plasma to compensate any individual who was discriminated against because of their gender identity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, please contact MDHR at 651.539.1133, 1.800.657.3704, or email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:info.mdhr@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;info.mdhr@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. For more information, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt; or follow the conversation on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;http://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Document:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Memorandum%20of%20Law_tcm1061-409748.pdf&quot; title=&quot;State of MN by Commissioner of MDHR vs. CSL Plasma Memorandum of Law&quot; xlink:title=&quot;State of MN by Commissioner of MDHR vs. CSL Plasma Memorandum of Law&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;State of MN by Commissioner of MDHR vs. CSL Plasma Memorandum of Law&lt;/a&gt; (PDF 125 KB).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For an accessible and downloadable timeline graphic, click on the timeline image or &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/news-community/newsroom/csl-plasma.jsp&quot; title=&quot;-CSL Plasma Timeline&quot; xlink:title=&quot;-CSL Plasma Timeline&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;view the CSL Plasma timeline page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>409618</id><pubdate>2021-10-14T21:02:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Employment</Title><Id>244471</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Joins Multistate Coalition in Support of Lawsuit Protecting Access to Critical Information on Pay Discrimination</Title><title>-MDHR Joins Multistate Coalition in Support of Lawsuit Protecting Access to Critical Info on Pay Discrimination</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-408591&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-10-28T17:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights joined a nationwide coalition of government agencies, led by California, in support of a lawsuit seeking to protect the collection of demographic information critical to ensuring equal pay.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SAINT PAUL, Minn&lt;/strong&gt;. – The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) joined a nationwide coalition of government agencies, led by California, in support of a lawsuit seeking to protect the collection of demographic information critical to ensuring equal pay. The lawsuit arose following a 2017 Federal Administration reversal of a program that would have required the collection of pay data from private employers with over 100 employees. The information would be used as part of the effort to address the persistent wage gap between men, women, and people of color. In an amicus brief in &lt;em&gt;National Women’s Law Center, et al. v. Office of Management and Budget, et al.&lt;/em&gt;, the coalition explains how the information would be beneficial to government investigators and prosecutors working to tackle pay discrimination.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“When women, especially women of color, are paid less for doing the same job as men, it undermines our value as Minnesotans to treat everyone with dignity,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“In joining this lawsuit, we recommit ourselves to equal pay for all Minnesotans. This data would help Minnesota businesses ensure their employees are being treated equally and help agencies like ours enforce anti-discrimination laws.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Inequality in earnings between men, women, and people of color is a widespread, persistent feature of the labor market. In 2016, women in Minnesota still only earned approximately 83 percent of what men earned. For women of color, the pay gap is worse. Black and Native women earned approximately 59 percent of what white men earned and Latinas earned approximately 54 percent of what white men earned in 2016.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Federal law directs the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to work with Fair Employment Practices Agencies (FEPA), like MDHR, to investigate and resolve claims of employment discrimination. In addition, federal law specifically provides for FEPAs to have the right to access certain information collected by the EEOC in relation to efforts to tackle employment discrimination. As a result, the agencies’ efforts to address pay discrimination are directly affected by the Federal Administration’s decision to halt the collection of crucial employment data.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In filing the amicus brief, MDHR joins the attorneys general of California, Delaware, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia. The coalition also includes state and local civil rights agencies. State civil rights agencies in the coalition include the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, Illinois Department of Human Rights, Maine Human Rights Commission, Maryland Commission on Civil Rights, Nevada Equal Rights Commission, Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights, and Washington State Human Rights Commission. At the local level, the coalition includes the Baltimore Office of Civil Rights and Wage Enforcement, New York City Commission on Human Rights, and Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/NWLC%20v.%20OMB%20Amicus.FILED_tcm1061-408590.pdf&quot; title=&quot;NWLC v. OMB Amicus-FILED&quot; xlink:title=&quot;NWLC v. OMB Amicus-FILED&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;copy of the amicus brief can be read here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;###&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>408591</id><pubdate>2021-10-14T21:02:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Public Places</Title><Id>244480</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Gender Identity</Title><Id>502812</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Sexual Orientation</Title><Id>244477</Id><Key/></Category><Title>StarTribune: Keith Ellison, Rebecca Lucero: We will prove LGBTQ discrimination is not free speech</Title><title>StarTribune: op-ed Telescope Media opinion</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-404444&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-10-03T13:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesotans are decent people. We think everyone, no exceptions, should be able to live with the same dignity and respect we want for ourselves and our families. But that common decency is under attack in court.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Appealing the wedding videographer case right now could result in a loss with dire consequences. So we&apos;ll go back to trial to protect everyone&apos;s rights. </Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;by Keith Ellison and Rebecca Lucero&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesotans are decent people. We think everyone, no exceptions, should be able to live with the same dignity and respect we want for ourselves and our families. But that common decency is under attack in court.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last month, the federal appeals court for the Eighth Circuit — in a divided 2-1 ruling with a strong dissent — ruled that in at least one narrow, hypothetical case, a business owner in Minnesota that offers services to the general public can use their personal beliefs to discriminate against same-sex couples.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We don’t think that’s right. The business owners’ free speech and beliefs are already fully protected under the First Amendment. What they want is a license to discriminate against LGBTQ folks. But that’s a can of worms that has unintended consequences for everyone, no matter who you are. As Minnesota’s chief legal officer and the commissioner charged with enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, our job is to respect everyone’s right to their personal beliefs, no matter how much we may disagree with them, and protect everyone’s right to be free from discrimination in public.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The facts of the case are these. A video business in St. Cloud called Telescope Media says it wants to start making wedding videos. Unlike any wedding videographer we’ve ever heard of, this company claims it will exercise complete creative control over wedding videos, so that any couple getting married are essentially just actors in the videographers’ short film. Telescope wants the right to explicitly exclude LGBTQ couples from this highly unusual service.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Refusing to provide that service would be against the law. The Minnesota Human Rights Act doesn’t tell people what they can believe. No law can — that’s fully protected for every American under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. That law just says that if someone offers a service to the general public, they have to offer it to everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With good reason. Imagine if a tax preparer refused to do your taxes because they disapprove of your marital status or think a woman shouldn’t work outside the home. Imagine if a convenience-store clerk wouldn’t let you pump gas because they don’t believe in a religious symbol you’re wearing or the color of your skin offends them. Imagine if your doctor or nurse denied you medical care­­ — even in an emergency room — because of where you worship, what color you skin is, what gender you are, or who you love, for example. In some states, medical providers are already trying to do this, and the federal government is trying to make it easier for them. But the law in Minnesota is clear — it’s illegal to do so.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;People have the right to believe whatever they want to believe. What they don’t have is the right to deny you the same service they’re offering to everyone else. No Minnesotan should be afraid that might happen to them. The Human Rights Act protects all of us from that.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When Telescope sued in federal court to be able to explicitly exclude LGBTQ folks from the wedding-video services they want to offer, the judge rightly dismissed the suit: he said that because Telescope offers services to the Minnesota public, it has to offer the same service to all Minnesotans. But when Telescope appealed, two out of three judges found that because of Telescope’s highly unusual claim that they would retain full creative control of your wedding video, it can hide behind “free speech” to discriminate against LGBTQ couples.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This ruling, while narrow for now, amounts to a license to discriminate against LGBT folks. Worse, it opens a huge can of worms that no Minnesotan wants to open. As Judge Kelly wrote in her strong dissent, “… what may start in the wedding business — ‘we don’t do interracial weddings,’ ‘we don’t film Jewish ceremonies,’ and so on — likely will not end there.” It wasn’t that many decades ago that segregated lunch counters were legal. Thankfully, we’ve moved beyond that ugly past. But letting this decision go unchallenged is the beginning of the path back to it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We’re not letting it go unchallenged.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We could appeal this decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, but the current make-up of the court means we’re not likely to win because the court would have to accept Telescope’s fairy tale as true, since there are no other actual facts on record at this early stage of the case. A loss there would make this kind of discrimination against LGBTQ people the law everywhere in America. Appealing to the Supreme Court at this point in the case is exactly what Telescope and the extremist legal-advocacy group who represents it want.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Instead, the best path forward is to take the case back to federal district court. There, we’ll be able to help the trial court establish a set of facts based in reality. Then, if it ends up on appeal again, including before the Supreme Court, the courts will have to accept those facts as true, not Telescope’s fanciful story.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the meantime, we’re going to keep honoring the First Amendment, which allows everyone to believe what they want, and keep enforcing the Human Rights Act, which allows every Minnesotan to receive the same services in public no matter who they are. Making sure everyone can live with the same dignity and respect we want for ourselves is just common decency. That’s the side we’re on.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Keith Ellison is the Attorney General of Minnesota. Rebecca Lucero is Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;This op-ed was published by the StarTribune on October 2, 2019.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;###&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>404444</id><pubdate>2021-10-14T20:58:30Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights and St. Cloud Human Rights Commission Postpone Hate Crimes Forum</Title><title>MDHR and St. Cloud Human Rights Commission Postpone Hate Crimes Forum</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-403240&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-09-18T21:49:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) and the St. Cloud Area Regional Human Rights Commission have postponed the Dismantling Hate Crimes Forum that was scheduled for today in St. Cloud due to safety concerns.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SAINT PAUL, Minn&lt;/strong&gt;. – The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) and the St. Cloud Area Regional Human Rights Commission have postponed the Dismantling Hate Crimes Forum that was scheduled for today in St. Cloud due to safety concerns.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Hate is not a value in St. Cloud or in any part of our state. Our community deserves better,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“I am heartbroken by the attempts to silence discussion on hate crimes. The goal of the forum was to discuss the community we want to create. One that is full of dignity and joy.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The panelists included individuals with lived experiences of hate crimes and discrimination, including Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Jaylani Hussein and Policy and Community Organizer for OutFront Minnesota Justin Lewandowski. Other panelists included St. Cloud Chief of Police Blair Anderson, Michael Melcher, FBI Supervisory Special Agent, and Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of MN (ACLU-MN) Teresa Nelson.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“We remain committed to advancing a community dialogue focused on dismantling hate crimes,”&lt;/strong&gt; Chair of the Regional Human Rights Commission Eunice Adjei. &lt;strong&gt;“While the decision to postpone the forum was unfortunate, we have renewed energy to ensure this community discussion takes place.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR and the St. Cloud Human Rights Commission is working with community partners, local law enforcement, and the FBI to plan a future forum that is safe.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;###&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>403240</id><pubdate>2025-06-25T20:02:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Sexual Orientation</Title><Id>244477</Id><Key/></Category><Title>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights’ Statement on Telescope Media Group v. Lucero, et al.</Title><title>-The Minnesota Department of Human Rights’ Statement on Telescope Media Group v. Lucero, et al.</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-400497&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-08-23T20:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is deeply disappointed by the split decision issued today in the Telescope Media Group v. Lucero, et al. case by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SAINT PAUL, Minn&lt;/strong&gt;. – The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is deeply disappointed by the split decision issued today in the Telescope Media Group v. Lucero, et al. case by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. The Minnesota Human Rights Act is one of the strongest anti-discrimination laws in the country. It strictly prohibits businesses serving the public from discriminating against individuals based on their core identity, including sexual orientation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Minnesota is not in the business of creating second-class community members in our state,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“Time and again, Minnesotans have chosen love and inclusion in our communities in order to build a state where our laws lift up our beautiful and complex identities, not hold them down.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is working with the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office to explore all legal options.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Document:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/082319%20--%208th%20Cir%20--%20Telescope%20Media%20Group%20et%20al%20v%20Lucero%20et%20al%20decision_tcm1061-400564.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Telescope Media Group v. Lucero, et al.&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Telescope Media Group v. Lucero, et al.&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Telescope Media Group v. Lucero, et al.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;###&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>400497</id><pubdate>2025-06-25T20:03:44Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Education</Title><Id>502813</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Gender Identity</Title><Id>502812</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Court Allows Minnesota Department of Human Rights to Join Lawsuit against Anoka-Hennepin School District for Discriminating Against a Transgender Student</Title><title>-Court Allows Minnesota Department of Human Rights to Join Lawsuit against Anoka-Hennepin School District for Discriminating Against a Transgender Student</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-397168&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-08-06T20:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights can join in a lawsuit against the Anoka-Hennepin School District and School Board for violating the Minnesota Human Rights Act by discriminating against a transgender student, according to a ruling issued by a Minnesota state court yesterday.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SAINT PAUL, Minn&lt;/strong&gt;. – The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) can join in a lawsuit against the Anoka-Hennepin School District and School Board for violating the Minnesota Human Rights Act by discriminating against a transgender student, according to &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/2019.08.05%2002cv19922%20ORD%20%282%29_tcm1061-397169.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Order Granting MDHR the Motion to Intervene&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Order Granting MDHR the Motion to Intervene&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;a ruling&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; issued by a Minnesota state court yesterday.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In March 2019, MDHR &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/newsroom/#/detail/appId/1/id/377055&quot; title=&quot;State of Minnesota agrees, Anoka-Hennepin School District discriminated against a transgender student&quot;&gt;filed to intervene in the lawsuit&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; after its investigation uncovered that Anoka-Hennepin, the largest school district in the State, unlawfully segregated the student from his classmates by relegating him to a separate changing space, based solely on his gender identity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Separate never has been, and never will be, equal,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Deputy Commissioner Irina Vaynerman. &lt;strong&gt;“Since 1993, the Minnesota Human Rights Act has protected everyone from gender identity discrimination, including transgender and gender nonconforming students. The Court’s ruling affirms our right to uphold these protections.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In its ruling, the Court referenced the Minnesota Department of Education’s &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://education.mn.gov/mdeprod/idcplg?IdcService=GET_FILE&amp;amp;dDocName=MDE072543&amp;amp;RevisionSelectionMethod=latestReleased&amp;amp;Rendition=primary&quot; title=&quot;A Toolkit for Ensuring Safe and Supportive Schools for Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students&quot;&gt;Toolkit for Ensuring Safe and Supportive Schools for Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students&lt;/a&gt;,&lt;/strong&gt; which MDHR played a critical role in developing. The Court explained that while the Toolkit states that transgender students “should be afforded the opportunity to use the restroom of their choice,” this recommendation is in “direct conflict” with how Anoka-Hennepin treated this student.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Court noted that it was permitting MDHR to join the lawsuit, in part, because it was seeking systemic relief, such as requesting that Anoka-Hennepin revise its policies and procedures, train its staff, and report to MDHR about compliance with the revised policies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“We are committed to ensuring that Minnesota is the best place in the nation to raise all children, including transgender youth,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Deputy Commissioner Irina Vaynerman. &lt;strong&gt;“As the court aptly stated, this issue impacts every student and family in Minnesota.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR, in partnership with the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, is committed to using all available tools, including litigation, to enforce the Minnesota Human Rights Act.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, please contact MDHR at 651.539.1133, 1.800.657.3704 or email &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:info.mdhr@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;MDHR Information email&quot;&gt;info.mdhr@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. For more information, please visit &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; or follow the conversation on Twitter at &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Document:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/2019.08.05%2002cv19922%20ORD%20%282%29_tcm1061-397169.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Order Granting MDHR the Motion to Intervene&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Order Granting MDHR the Motion to Intervene&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Order Granting MDHR the Motion to Intervene&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; PDF (560kb)
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;###&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>397168</id><pubdate>2021-10-14T20:58:00Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Sexual Harassment</Title><Id>244489</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Reprisal</Title><Id>244490</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Education</Title><Id>502813</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Reaches Agreement with Ramsey County and Sues West Lutheran High School for Permitting Sexual Assault and Harassment</Title><title>-Ramsey County and West Lutheran High School Fail to Protect Minnesotans from Sexual Assault and Harassment</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-396666&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-08-01T20:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) announced one settlement agreement and one lawsuit today in two cases as part of the Department’s ongoing commitment to ensure Minnesotans can live full lives, free from sexual assault and harassment. Today’s announcement involves a settlement agreement with Ramsey County and a lawsuit against West Lutheran High School. Both cases involve sexual assault and harassment of minors, and individuals who failed to act in their positions of authority.  </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SAINT PAUL, Minn&lt;/strong&gt;. – The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) announced one settlement agreement and one lawsuit today in two cases as part of the Department’s ongoing commitment to ensure Minnesotans can live full lives, free from sexual assault and harassment. Today’s announcement involves a settlement agreement with Ramsey County and a lawsuit against West Lutheran High School. Both cases involve sexual assault and harassment of minors, and individuals who failed to act in their positions of authority.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Sexual assault is pervasive in our culture,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“These two cases together demonstrate how it occurs everywhere. Living a life free of sexual assault and harassment is every Minnesotan’s civil right. Announcing these two cases today demonstrates the Department’s commitment to building a world where everyone can lead lives full of dignity, free from sexual assault and harassment.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Ramsey County settlement agreement pertains to a case involving a then 16-year-old seasonal lifeguard. During the summer of 2013, most of the beaches were closed when her supervisor scheduled her to work with him. The supervisor sexually assaulted her at the closed beach. He then drove her in a county vehicle to purchase Plan B emergency contraceptive.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The lifeguard reported the sexual assault to two other supervisors and neither took action. The following summer, Ramsey County rehired the lifeguard and assigned her to work with the supervisor who assaulted her. She then reported the assault to a third supervisor who finally took action.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By permitting the sexual violence to occur and by refusing to act after she repeatedly reported the sexual assault, Ramsey County violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ramsey County unequivocally caused tremendous harm by failing to act. In signing the settlement agreement with MDHR, Ramsey County agrees to work towards preventing sexual assault or harassment in the future. The agreement states that Ramsey County will update its policies to ensure that incidents of sexual harassment are addressed promptly after they are reported and the county will work with MDHR to review and modify these policies over the next three years. The county will also provide sexual harassment prevention training to all lifeguard supervisors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“We must send a message that sexual assault cannot be ignored and cannot be tolerated,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Ramsey County Commissioner Trista MatasCastillo. &lt;strong&gt;“As a survivor of sexual assault by a co-worker, I know all too well how devastating it is to know that your superiors will not take your assault seriously. The initial response to this incident was unacceptable, but it highlights systemic problems throughout our society. Ramsey County is committed to doing better and has implemented policy changes to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To further address the pervasiveness of sexual violence against minors, MDHR filed a lawsuit today against West Lutheran High School in Plymouth, Minnesota, for permitting the sexual assault and harassment of a student. During the 2014-15 school year, West Lutheran High School failed to protect a then ninth grader who was sexually harassed and assaulted multiple times by other students. Rather than ensuring the student’s safety, the school retaliated against her by preventing her from returning for her tenth grade year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR attempted to conciliate with West Lutheran High School after the Department found probable cause that discrimination occurred but conciliation was unsuccessful, necessitating litigation to provide justice for the survivor and to prevent further harm to other students. The lawsuit against West Lutheran High School was filed today in Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District. MDHR is represented by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Anyone who experiences sexual harassment, abuse, or violence deserves to be believed and supported the first time they tell someone and to be protected from future violence,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Hannah Laniado, Interim Executive Director of the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault. &lt;strong&gt;” Our member programs, who are community based advocacy agencies, offer free and confidential services to victims/survivors of sexual assault—available 24/7 throughout Minnesota. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual harassment, abuse, or violence you can find your local advocacy agency at rapehelpmn.org.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, please contact MDHR at 651.539.1133, 1.800.657.3704 or email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:info.mdhr@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;MDHR Information email&quot;&gt;info.mdhr@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. For more information, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt; or follow the conversation on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;http://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Document:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/West%20Lutheran%20High%20School%20Summons%20and%20Complaint_tcm1061-396744.pdf&quot; title=&quot;West Lutheran High School Summons and Complaint&quot; xlink:title=&quot;West Lutheran High School Summons and Complaint&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;West Lutheran High School Summons and Complaint&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;###&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>396666</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:48:02Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>New releases</Title><Id>242833</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>Gathering News Releases, News Advisory, and News Articles</Description><Title>Newsroom</Title><Id>384707</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Gender Identity</Title><Id>502812</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Education</Title><Id>502813</Id><Key/></Category><Title>State of Minnesota agrees, Anoka-Hennepin School District discriminated against a transgender student </Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText/></Metadata1><Url>/mdhr/assets/3-NewsRelease_tcm1061-386791.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>State of Minnesota agrees, Anoka-Hennepin School District discriminated against a transgender student</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-377055&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-03-26T15:30:56Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights, represented by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, filed today to join the lawsuit against the Anoka-Hennepin School District and School Board for violating the Minnesota Human Rights Act by discriminating against N.H., a transgender student. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Minnesota Department of Human Rights and Minnesota Attorney General seek to join lawsuit to ensure access to safe and welcoming schools for all students </Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SAINT PAUL, Minn&lt;/strong&gt;. – The Minnesota Department of Human Rights, represented by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Complaint%20in%20Intervention_tcm1061-377100.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Complaint in Intervention&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Complaint in Intervention&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;filed today to join the lawsuit&lt;/a&gt; against the Anoka-Hennepin School District and School Board for violating the Minnesota Human Rights Act by discriminating against N.H., a transgender student. The Anoka-Hennepin School District and School Board, the largest district in the State, unlawfully segregated the student from his classmates by relegating him to a separate changing space, based solely on his gender identity. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“What happened to my son was not OK,”&lt;/strong&gt; said N.H.’s mother. &lt;strong&gt;“My interest has always been in trying to make things better for all Minnesota students. The Department of Human Rights and the Attorney General’s involvement sends a clear message to them that they are valued and deserve respect.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;N.H. joined the boys’ swim team at Coon Rapids High School for the 2015-2016 school year and used the boys’ locker room without issue. However, during the summer of 2016, the district built an “enhanced privacy” boys’ locker room at the high school, which was entirely separate and segregated from the main boys’ locker room. In 2017, the district and school board required N.H. to use the “enhanced privacy” boys’ locker room, contrary to anti-discrimination provisions in the Minnesota Human Rights Act and N.H.’s wishes. In fact, the district even threatened to discipline N.H. if he did not use the segregated locker room.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;We filed to join this lawsuit because equal access to public schools for all students, including transgender and gender nonconforming students, is a civil right protected by the Minnesota Human Rights Act,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Deputy Commissioner Irina Vaynerman. &lt;strong&gt;“School districts should have policies and procedures that enable all students to thrive, free from discrimination. We stand proudly with transgender and gender nonconforming students across the State.”  &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anoka-Hennepin’s decision to ban N.H. from using the main boys’ locker room because he is transgender was unlawful and resulted in a hostile education environment that stigmatized N.H. and other transgender students. According to the Minnesota Department of Education’s 2016 Student Survey, 31 percent of transgender and gender nonconforming students in 9th and 11th grades reported elevated levels of bullying and harassment. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Everyone wants to live with dignity and respect. Being treated equally is one of the most important ways that we achieve that. Transgender people, however, are facing challenge after challenge in being treated equally, including in school. I’m proud to support the Department of Human Rights in making sure that transgender folks live free from discrimination,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the past several years, students have filed multiple claims of discrimination against the Anoka-Hennepin School District and School Board because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender expression. In 2011, after reports of harassment and following the suicide of four LGBTQ students, a lawsuit was filed against the school district and board. It asserted the district perpetuated a harmful and toxic environment for LGBTQ students. In 2012, the district was subject to a consent decree with the United States Department of Justice requiring them to take proactive measures to eliminate and prevent further instances of discrimination against LGBTQ students.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;N.H. and his mother, represented by Gender Justice and the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, initially filed this lawsuit on Feb. 25, 2019. Involvement in this case by the Department of Human Rights and Attorney General marks the second transgender discrimination lawsuit the State of Minnesota filed this month. On March 7, 2019, the Department of Human Rights and Attorney General filed suit against CSL Plasma for denying a transgender woman from donating her plasma because of her gender identity. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“We will continue to be persistent and insistent that discrimination against any member of the transgender community is not tolerated in this State,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Deputy Commissioner Vaynerman.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, please contact MDHR’s enforcement unit at &lt;strong&gt;651.539.1100, 1.800.657.3704&lt;/strong&gt; or online at &lt;a title=&quot;010 First Step&quot; href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr/intake&lt;/a&gt;. For more information, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt; or follow the conversation on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;http://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Document:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Complaint%20in%20Intervention_tcm1061-377100.pdf&quot; title=&quot;MDHR vs Anoka School&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Complaint in Intervention&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Complaint in Intervention&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Complaint%20in%20Intervention_tcm1061-377100.pdf&quot; title=&quot;MDHR vs Anoka School&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Complaint in Intervention&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;###&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>377055</id><pubdate>2021-10-14T20:57:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>Gathering News Releases, News Advisory, and News Articles</Description><Title>Newsroom</Title><Id>384707</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Gender Identity</Title><Id>502812</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Public Places</Title><Id>244480</Id><Key/></Category><Title>CSL Plasma sued for discriminating against transgender woman</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText/></Metadata1><Url>/mdhr/assets/3-NewsRelease_tcm1061-386791.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>-CSL Plasma sued for discriminating against transgender woman</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-374858&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-03-07T20:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights, represented by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, filed suit today against CSL Plasma for violating the Minnesota Human Rights Act by discriminating against a transgender woman.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Minnesota Department of Human Rights and Minnesota Attorney General speak to lawsuit</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ST. PAUL, MN&lt;/strong&gt; – The Minnesota Department of Human Rights, represented by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, filed suit today against CSL Plasma for violating the Minnesota Human Rights Act by discriminating against a transgender woman. The &lt;a title=&quot;Summons and Complaint&quot; href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Summons%20%26%20Complaint_tcm1061-374945.pdf&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Summons and Complaint&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;lawsuit&lt;/a&gt;, filed in Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District Court in Hennepin County, details how the plasma collection center unlawfully denied Alice James, a transgender woman, from donating her plasma because of her gender identity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“I am proud to live in a state where the law demands that people be treated fairly. I hope this case helps to ensure fair treatment for other Minnesotans,”&lt;/strong&gt; said James.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2011, James began donating plasma at the CSL Plasma collection center in Duluth, MN. Although she is a woman, the center required her to list her assigned sex at birth—male—on the intake form. As she continued to donate plasma, James began marking female on the intake form, consistent with her gender identity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In June 2015, an employee informed James that CSL Plasma did not permit transgender persons to donate plasma and prohibited her from donating. In February 2016, James filed a charge of discrimination with the Department of Human Rights and the Department investigated the allegations. In November 2017, the Department found probable cause that CSL Plasma discriminated against James because of her gender identity. CSL Plasma refused to settle the case through the Department’s conciliation process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CSL Plasma continued to discriminate against James. In October of 2018, CSL Plasma again denied her the ability to donate at a collection center in Minneapolis.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Refusing to allow James to donate her plasma solely based on her gender identity is unlawful and constitutes a clear violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Deputy Commissioner Irina Vaynerman. &lt;strong&gt;“Our agency is committed to ensuring that the civil rights of all Minnesotans, including transgender and gender nonconforming individuals, are upheld so they can thrive and succeed. This lawsuit exemplifies our commitment to this work and seeks to prevent future discrimination.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Under the Minnesota Human Right Act, transgender people are protected from discrimination. Businesses cannot refuse to do business with people who identify as transgender.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“As the People’s Lawyer, my job is to protect all Minnesotans, no exceptions,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office is representing MDHR in this lawsuit. &lt;strong&gt;“State law gives the Department of Human Rights and my office the power to protect transgender folks’ right to live with dignity, safety, and respect, and we’re using that power today. I’ll use it whenever I need to make sure that there are no exceptions to the rule that transgender people count, transgender people matter.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, please contact MDHR’s enforcement unit at 651.539.1100, 1.800.657.3704 or online at &lt;a title=&quot;010 First Step&quot; href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr/intake&lt;/a&gt;. For more information, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mn.gov/mdhr&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt; or follow the conversation on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;http://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Document:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a title=&quot;Summons and Complaint&quot; href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Summons%20%26%20Complaint_tcm1061-374945.pdf&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Summons and Complaint&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Summons and Complaint (PDF 318kb)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;###&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>374858</id><pubdate>2021-10-14T20:58:54Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>New releases</Title><Id>242833</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Governor Walz’s budget makes a significant investment in MDHR’s ability to reduce discrimination statewide</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText/></Metadata1><Url>/mdhr/assets/3-NewsRelease_tcm1061-386791.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>-Governor Walz’s Budget makes an investment in MDHR, sets a path to One Minnesota with expanded education</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-371978&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-02-20T20:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan propose opening four new regional offices and increasing housing and employment opportunities for community members with criminal records. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan propose opening four new regional offices and increasing housing and employment opportunities for community members with criminal records. </Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ST. PAUL, MN&lt;/strong&gt; Gov. Tim Walz announced his budget that makes a significant investment in the Minnesota Department of Human Rights’ work to create a strong, thriving Minnesota by ending discrimination.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Discrimination continues to rise for communities of color, indigenous community members, immigrant communities, people with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community members,”&lt;/strong&gt; MDHR Commissioner Rebecca Lucero said. &lt;strong&gt;“We can and must do better.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For over 50 years, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights has stood for the proposition that everyone deserves to be healthy, safe, valued, and nurtured.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“We must ensure communities across Minnesota aren’t just surviving, they are thriving,”&lt;/strong&gt; Governor Walz said. &lt;strong&gt;“Whether in Greater Minnesota or the urban core, communities of color and Native American communities in our state face unacceptable racial disparities. Our budget takes meaningful action to address these disparities and ensure every Minnesotan has the opportunity to build a better life for their family. We are proposing a transformational path for the Department of Human Rights.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz’s proposed budget would allow MDHR to expand its work and create a path to One Minnesota by:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Opening new regional offices in Bemidji, Duluth, Rochester, and Worthington, while adding capacity to the Department’s existing St. Cloud office.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Enhancing civic engagement work and creating a micro-grant program for local communities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Increasing housing and employment opportunities for community members with criminal records so they can participate fully in society.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“I am proud of our One Minnesota budget and the opportunity to make a transformational path to promote diversity, inclusion, and racial equity in every corner of the state,”&lt;/strong&gt; Lt. Governor Flanagan said.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“This budget allows Minnesotans to work together to be the catalyst for transformational change through partnership with local communities,”&lt;/strong&gt; Lucero said. “&lt;strong&gt;Minnesota will thrive as a state with this comprehensive approach that ensures meaningful opportunities for all.&lt;/strong&gt;”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR’s budget provides an opportunity to create meaningful change through education, engagement, and enforcement statewide with a significant new investment of $2.025 million in fiscal year 2020 and $2.175 million in fiscal year 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;###&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>371978</id><pubdate>2021-10-12T18:03:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Irina Vaynerman named MDHR Deputy Commissioner</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText/></Metadata1><Url>/mdhr/assets/3-NewsRelease_tcm1061-386791.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>-Irina Vaynerman named MDHR Deputy Commissioner</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-370719&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-02-05T14:00:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>Deputy Commissioner Vaynerman brings civil rights litigation law experience working with organizations across the country on racial justice, LGBTQ rights, and immigrant rights.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ST. PAUL, MN&lt;/strong&gt; – Minnesota Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero today announced the appointment of Irina Vaynerman as Deputy Commissioner.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deputy Commissioner Vaynerman brings a wealth of experience and leadership in civil rights law, racial justice, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) Rights, and immigrant rights. She has litigated statutory and constitutional anti-discrimination claims at a law firm in Detroit Michigan. As Deputy Commissioner, she will oversee the operations of the Department.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“We are excited about the leadership and expertise Deputy Commissioner Vaynerman brings to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights,”&lt;/strong&gt; said MDHR Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. &lt;strong&gt;“Her unique experience will benefit Minnesota and MDHR in carrying out Governor Tim Walz’s vision of justice, equity, and One Minnesota.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Most recently, Vaynerman was an attorney at Faegre Baker Daniels, LLP in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is a graduate of Harvard University and Yale Law School. After graduating from law school, Vaynerman served as a federal law clerk for the U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“I am committed to ensuring that our State is a place where people, regardless of background or experience, have the opportunity to succeed, and thrive,”&lt;/strong&gt; Vaynerman said. &lt;strong&gt;“This is a unique moment in history, in which Minnesota is positioned to be a national leader in civil rights and equity.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, please contact MDHR’s enforcement unit at &lt;strong&gt;651.539.1100, 1.800.657.3704&lt;/strong&gt; or online at &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;010 First Step&quot; href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr/intake&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;###&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>370719</id><pubdate>2021-10-12T17:57:28Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civic Engagement</Title><Id>352973</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>A Statement from The Commissioner of Human Rights Kevin Lindsey</Title><title>Dec 19 2018 A Statement from The Commissioner of Human Rights Kevin Lindsey</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-362976&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-12-19T21:37:29Z</Date><ShortDescription>&quot;The work undertaken between Minnesota schools officials and the Department of Human Rights to reduce suspension disparities is not impacted by the recent actions of the Federal Department of Education to rescind technical guidance concerning suspensions issued under the Obama Administration.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The work undertaken between Minnesota schools officials and the Department of Human Rights to reduce suspension disparities is not impacted by the recent actions of the Federal Department of Education to rescind technical guidance concerning suspensions issued under the Obama Administration.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Agreements between the Department of Human Rights and Minnesota schools call for school officials to work with students, parents and community partners to design and develop strategies and solutions. The solutions to reducing our current suspension disparities exist within local school communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We can reduce gun violence in our communities. We can reduce suspension disparities in our schools that don’t involve fighting, weapons or drugs. We can do both. We have creative problem solvers that can solve more than one issue at a time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While it is unfortunate that the federal government appears unwilling and unable to provide leadership; I take pride in knowing that in the first year of the Agreements, Minnesota school leaders are stepping forward to ensure that our schools are safe, inclusive, equitable and secure.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;###&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>362976</id><pubdate>2021-10-12T17:54:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Civic Engagement</Title><Id>352973</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Meaningful Engagement Makes a Difference: MDHR civic engagement guide, website offers officials tools for gathering community input </Title><title>-Meaningful Engagement Makes a Difference: MDHR civic engagement guide, website offers officials tools for gathering community input</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-361066&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-12-03T18:17:34Z</Date><ShortDescription>Meaningful Engagement Makes a Difference in communities by gathering community input for government services, programs and policies while simultaneously strengthening the bonds of democracy.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ST. PAUL, MN&lt;/strong&gt; – The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) launched its &lt;a title=&quot;A Guide to Evaluate Civic Engagement - December 2018&quot; href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/rFinal_2018CivicEngagementUserGuide_t-opt_1.18.19_tcm1061-361141.pdf&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;A Guide to Evaluate Civic Engagement - December 2018&quot;&gt;Civic Engagement User-Guide&lt;/a&gt; as part of its Meaningful Civic Engagement Makes a Difference website that provides tools and resources for government officials at the local, county and state levels to plan, coordinate and evaluate the effectiveness of their civic engagement efforts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Meaningful civic engagement can make a difference in communities while creating better programs, services and policies for communities. Over the past few years, MDHR has worked with state agency leaders and members of the Diversity and Inclusion Council’s civic engagement committee to develop a user-guide based on best practices from pilot projects at state agencies throughout Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“A Guide to Evaluate Civic Engagement” provides government officials a general framework to follow when embarking on evaluation of civic engagement work to ensure the engagement is meaningful and meets goals. The guide offers approaches, templates and lessons learned that serve as examples for government officials as they begin their journey of meaningful civic engagement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Minnesota is stronger when all people in our communities have the chance to share their talent, expertise and unique voices to shape our collective future,”&lt;/strong&gt; MDHR Commissioner Kevin Lindsey said. &lt;strong&gt;“Meaningful civic engagement can make a difference in communities while creating better programs, services and policies for communities.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Through the Department’s civic engagement work, MDHR receive input from government officials indicating that it would be helpful to their civic engagement efforts to have more tools to effectively measure civic engagement and to design a user guide,”&lt;/strong&gt; Lindsey said. &lt;strong&gt;“MDHR designed this user guide as a process to follow when embarking on the first steps of your evaluation journey. Our hope is we can build bridges between government and communities by sharing these resources and best practices.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At MDHR’s 2018 Human Rights Symposium on Dec. 4 at the University of Minnesota Continuing Education Center in St. Paul, Daren Nyquist of the Improve Group, will present on civic engagement measurement and discuss best practices and the civic engagement user guide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, please contact MDHR’s enforcement unit at 651.539.1100, 1.800.657.3704 or online at &lt;a title=&quot;010 First Step&quot; href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr/intake&lt;/a&gt;. For more information about disability discrimination, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mn.gov/mdhr&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt; or follow the conversation on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;http://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;###&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>361066</id><pubdate>2021-10-12T17:52:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Cases</Title><Id>249134</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MDHR reaches agreements with ten school districts, charter schools to reduce disparities in suspensions for students with disabilities, students of color, charges filed against 2 districts</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights reached agreements or tentative agreements with most of the schools, districts to reduce disparities in suspensions and expulsions for students with disabilities, students of color for non-safety related incidents</Title><title>MDHR reached agreements or tentative agreements with most of the schools, districts to reduce disparities in suspensions and expulsions for students with disabilities, students of color for non-safety related incidents</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-347926&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-08-02T21:30:30Z</Date><ShortDescription>MDHR signed settlement agreements with 34 of the charter schools and school districts to reduce disparities in suspensions and expulsions for students with disabilities and students of color and anticipate that agreements with most of the remaining districts and charter schools will be finalized before the start of the school year. </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ST. PAUL, MN&lt;/strong&gt; – The Minnesota Department of Human Rights reached settlement agreements or tentative agreements with 39 of the charter schools or school districts to reduce disparities in suspensions and expulsions for students with disabilities and students of color for non-safety related incidents.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR signed settlement agreements with 34 of the charter schools and school districts to reduce disparities in suspensions and expulsions for students with disabilities and students of color and anticipate that agreements with most of the remaining districts and charter schools will be finalized before the start of the school year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“The Department would like to commend these schools and districts for taking on this important issue to ensure the next generation of Minnesota students have the opportunity to be in class, succeed and reach their educational goals,”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; said Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Parents and community members are eager to work with the schools and districts to collaboratively address this statewide issue.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last fall, MDHR met with 43 Minnesota districts and charter schools after reviewing the most recent five years of public data reported by schools and districts to the Minnesota Department of Education’s Discipline Incident Reporting System (DIRS). MDHR analysis of DIRS data showed that Minnesota’s rate of suspension is equal to or significantly higher than national rates. In Minnesota, students of color comprise 31 percent of the population, yet receive 66 percent of all suspensions and expulsions; students with disabilities comprise 14 percent of the population, yet receive 43 percent of all suspensions and expulsions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MDHR has finalized agreements&lt;/strong&gt; with the following 34 school districts and charter schools: Bemidji School District, Best Academy, Bloomington Public Schools, Brooklyn Center School District, Cass Lake School District, Cloquet School District, Columbia Heights Public Schools, Dugsi Academy, Duluth Public Schools, Eden Prairie Schools, Fridley School District, Hinckley Finlayson Public Schools, Hopkins Public Schools, ISD 15 St. Francis, Mankato Area Public Schools, Mastery Charter School, Minnesota Transitions Charter School, Mounds View Public Schools, North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale Public Schools, Onamia Public Schools, Prairie Seeds Academy, Prodeo Academy, Red Lake Public Schools, Richfield Public Schools, Robbinsdale Area Schools, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan, St. Louis Park Public Schools, St. Paul City School, Saint Paul Public Schools, South St. Paul Public Schools, Wayzata Public Schools, Willmar Public Schools, and Winona Public Schools. Additionally, the Osseo Area Schools, district addressed their agreement at their Board meeting on Monday, July 30 and MDHR is waiting for their signed copy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MDHR has reached tentative agreements&lt;/strong&gt; with five others and is expecting their Boards to take action on their agreement in the next few weeks. Legal counsel for the following have reported that their Boards will consider agreements on the following dates: Anoka-Hennepin School District on Aug. 13, Edina Public Schools on Aug. 13, Kipp Minnesota Charter School on Aug. 17, Minneapolis Public School District on Sept. 4, and Rochester Public Schools on Aug. 7 or 21.  MDHR is continuing negotiations with Global Academy Charter, Moorhead Public Schools, and St. Cloud Public Schools with the goal of finalizing agreements before the school year begins.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The agreements with these school districts and charter schools are aimed at working collaboratively on the complex issues of developing student discipline policies and practices that reduce out of school suspensions and expulsions, address disparities for students of color and students with disabilities, and provide a safe and supportive school environment for all students and school employees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“We fully expect that, by the start of the new school year, we will have come to agreement with all of these districts and charter schools,”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; Commissioner Lindsey said. &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“These collaborative agreements aim to increase educational outcomes and reduce suspensions and expulsions for students of color and students with disabilities. In Minnesota’s public schools, 39% of all of our public school students are children of color and that number is increasing every year. The number of students with disabilities is currently 14% and is rising. If we don’t think smarter now, work together for solutions now, and strive to ensure that all kids have the chance to be successful in school now, our economy will suffer as our children will not be ready for the future. Minnesota is engaging in this effort to give all students an equal opportunity to stay in class, succeed, and build skills. Our future and our shared success depend on it.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;National &amp;amp; Minnesota suspension and expulsion data reveals disparities, opportunities to address barriers&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR’s analysis of DIRS data showed that Minnesota’s rate of suspension is equal to or significantly higher than national rates. In Minnesota, students of color comprise 31 percent of the population, yet receive 66 percent of all suspensions and expulsions; students with disabilities comprise 14 percent of the population, yet receive 43 percent of all suspensions and expulsions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In reviewing the Federal &lt;a href=&quot;https://ocrdata.ed.gov/downloads/crdc-school-discipline-snapshot.pdf&quot;&gt;Civil Rights Data Collection&lt;/a&gt; and data in the recent report released by the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.gao.gov/assets/700/690828.pdf&quot;&gt;Government Accountability Office (GAO)&lt;/a&gt;, MDHR found that:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Nationally, American–Indian students were five times more likely to be suspended or expelled than their white peers. In Minnesota, they are ten times more likely.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Nationally, African–American students were three times more likely to be suspended or expelled than their white peers. In Minnesota, they are eight times more likely.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Students of color were twice more likely to be suspended or expelled than their white peers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Students with disabilities were twice more likely to be suspended or expelled than their peers without disability.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/yourrights/mhra/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Human Rights Act&lt;/a&gt;, please contact MDHR’s enforcement unit at 651.539.1100, 1.800.657.3704, or online at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr/intake&lt;/a&gt;. For more information about disability discrimination, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt;, or follow the conversation on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;###&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>347926</id><pubdate>2025-06-25T20:07:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Cases</Title><Id>249134</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MDHR reaches agreements with ten school districts, charter schools to reduce disparities in suspensions for students with disabilities, students of color, charges filed against 2 districts</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MDHR reaches agreements with 9 additional school districts and charter schools to reduce disparities in suspensions for students with disabilities, students of color </Title><title>MDHR reaches agreements with 9 additional school districts and charter schools to reduce disparities in suspensions for students with disabilities, students of color</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-344202&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-06-28T19:30:30Z</Date><ShortDescription>MDHR analysis showed Minnesota students of color comprise 31 percent of the student population, yet receive 66 percent of all suspensions and expulsions; students with disabilities comprise 14 percent of the student population, yet receive 43 percent of all suspensions and expulsions.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A total of 20 districts and charter schools finalized collaborative agreements with tailored strategies that promote learning and development while maintaining safe environments. </Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 12pt;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;MDHR analysis showed Minnesota students of color comprise 31 percent of the student population, yet receive 66 percent of all suspensions and expulsions; students with disabilities comprise 14 percent of the student population, yet receive 43 percent of all suspensions and expulsions.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ST. PAUL, MN&lt;/strong&gt; – The Minnesota Department of Human Rights has reached collaborative agreements with nine more Minnesota public school districts and charter schools to reduce the disparities in suspension and expulsion rates for students with disabilities, American Indian students, and students of color.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nine additional school districts and charter schools have recently entered into agreements with MDHR. Those districts and charters are: Bemidji Public Schools, Columbia Heights Public Schools, Hopkins Public Schools, Minnesota Transitions Charter School, Prodeo Academy, Onamia Public Schools, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan/District 196, Saint Paul Public Schools, and Winona Public Schools.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“I want to thank these educators for their willingness to tackle this issue head-on,”&lt;/strong&gt; said MDHR Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. &lt;strong&gt;“These leaders should be commended for working to reduce suspension disparities for students with disabilities and students of color while maintaining safe environments for all. These efforts will help build a stronger Minnesota that is ready to embrace the dramatic demographic changes in our near future as our population ages and becomes more diverse.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The collaborative agreements respect local control by allowing school officials to develop strategies tailored to their own charter school or district to redirect student behavior, support staff, and communicate with their community. These three-year agreements between MDHR and districts and charter schools provide:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Parents, students, school personnel, and the educational community will be given meaningful opportunities to provide feedback and qualitative assessment of practices and policies,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Participation on a Diversion Committee to facilitate sharing best practices on reducing suspension, cultural competency, and increasing student engagement, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Data collection, training practices, discipline policies, and behavior management strategies will be consistently implemented, and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Semi–annual reports to the Department detailing efforts to implement their plan.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;None of the agreements prohibit suspensions. In addition, the focus of this collaborative work is not student discipline resulting from behavior causing safety concerns, such as fighting, student possession of weapons, or illegal drugs. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Annually, more than one-third of all suspension and expulsion decisions by school officials are for behavior incidents classified as ‘insubordination, disruptive, and disorderly conduct.’ Examples of such behavior by students include rolling eyes, walking away from school personnel before a conversation is over, talking back to school personnel, making inappropriate remarks or sounds, or swearing. It is for behavior incidents like these that MDHR and these districts and charter schools are collaborating to find teachable moments and reduce their reliance on suspension as a consequence to these behaviors. Nationally, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Office of Civil Rights has recently issued a report that aligns with the efforts of MDHR and these districts and charter schools to use suspension as a last resort.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Saint Paul Public Schools will continue its work to reduce suspensions and expulsions for students of color, American Indian students, and those with disabilities. The District also welcomes the opportunity to continue to collaborate with others to explore solutions for these complex and statewide issues,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Dr. Joe Gothard, Superintendent, Saint Paul Public Schools.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“The future of Minnesota is in the hands of our educational leaders right now. We have to be very deliberate in this process—and we have to get it right,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Dr. Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed, Hopkins Public Schools Superintendent. &lt;strong&gt;“Our kids can’t wait. We have been working since day one to ensure that every child finds success in Hopkins Public Schools.”   &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“We are deeply engaged in this work at Onamia, we all prioritize the importance of being the most culturally competent school we can be, and we are continuing to make great progress in our District in many areas,”&lt;/strong&gt; said JJ Vold, Onamia Public Schools Superintendent. &lt;strong&gt;“In January, we implemented a new innovative Alternative to Suspension (A2S) initiative, and although the program is still young and evolving, we are making great progress and have already reduced out of school suspensions in our schools. The program has an academic component staffed by various licensed teachers, a social worker that works with kids on behavioral change and social skills, and a special education component when needed to ensure that accommodations and support are always met throughout the day.”  &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“I am excited to Chair the Student Engagement Committee, to really bring a cultural focus to our conversations, and to see where this work takes us in our efforts to all being the greatest public schools we can possibly become for all students and families that we serve in our great communities across Minnesota,”&lt;/strong&gt; Vold said.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;National, Minnesota suspensions data reveal disparities, opportunities to address barriers&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to the Federal &lt;a href=&quot;https://ocrdata.ed.gov/downloads/crdc-school-discipline-snapshot.pdf&quot;&gt;Civil Rights Data Collection&lt;/a&gt; and the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.gao.gov/assets/700/690828.pdf&quot;&gt;Government Accountability Office (GAO)&lt;/a&gt;, nationally: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Black students are suspended and expelled at a rate three times greater than white students.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Students of color remain more likely to be identified as having a disability and face harsher discipline than their white classmates.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last fall, MDHR met with Minnesota districts and charter schools after reviewing the most recent five years of public data reported by schools and districts to the Minnesota Department of Education’s Discipline Incident Reporting System (DIRS). MDHR analysis of DIRS data showed that Minnesota’s rates of suspension are equal to or significantly higher than national rates. In Minnesota, students of color comprise 31 percent of the population, yet receive 66 percent of all suspensions and expulsions; students with disabilities comprise 14 percent of the population, yet receive 43 percent of all suspensions and expulsions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The DIRS data indicated that:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;American Indian students were ten times more likely to be suspended or expelled than their white peers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;African–American students were eight times more likely to be suspended or expelled than their white peers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Students of color were twice more likely to be suspended or expelled than their white peers. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Students with disabilities were twice more likely to be suspended or expelled than their peers without disability. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/yourrights/mhra/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Human Rights Act&lt;/a&gt;, please contact MDHR’s enforcement unit at 651.539.1100, 1.800.657.3704, or online at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr/intake&lt;/a&gt;. For more information about disability discrimination, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt;, or follow the conversation on Twitter at Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;###&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>344202</id><pubdate>2025-06-25T20:06:50Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>State, community leaders engage, collaborate and build relationships at state’s first Civic Engagement Summit </Title><title>-State, community leaders engage, collaborate and build relationships at state’s first Civic Engagement Summit</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-343031&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-06-07T17:34:13Z</Date><ShortDescription>Over 150 state and community members, engaged in meaningful dialog at the Minnesota Department of Human Rights first state Civic Engagement Summit in order to increase trust in government, share engagement best practices, and identify solutions to increase collaboration in society.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Over 150 state and community members, engaged in meaningful dialog at the Minnesota Department of Human Rights first state Civic Engagement Summit in order to increase trust in government, share engagement best practices, and identify solutions to increase collaboration in society.</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ST. PAUL, MN&lt;/strong&gt; – Minnesota state, county, city and school board leaders joined community members to actively participate in the state’s first Civic Engagement Summit to hear how government can improve its engagement with the public, to provide more information to the public as to how government works and to share best practices in civic engagement. The Minnesota Department of Human Rights hosted the event Wednesday at Metropolitan State University to create a bridge between government and the communities they serve while building a vision and network for an engaged Minnesota at all levels of Government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“We are trying to change the way people think about government and partner with government,”&lt;/strong&gt; MDHR Commissioner Kevin Lindsey said. &lt;strong&gt;“The event was an opportunity to bring people face to face with government leaders to discuss policies and issues important to them.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon provided welcoming remarks in which he encouraged people not only to vote but to also be involved in shaping public policy by being maintaining contact with their elected officials after elections and by serving on boards and commissions at all levels of government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In his opening remarks, Commissioner Lindsey noted that embedding the concept of civic engagement within the Governor’s Diversity &amp;amp; Inclusion Council was influenced by the Governor’s actions to listen to the concerns of people in North Minneapolis and his pledge that his commissioners stay engaged with community members at the 2010 UROC job summit.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With the theme “A Better Minnesota through Meaningful Engagement,” the event included leaders from the State of Minnesota such as Secretary of State Steve Simon, Governor Mark Dayton’s Chief of Staff Joanna Dornfeld, Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm, Office of Higher Education Commissioner Larry Pogemiller, Department of Administration Assistant Commissioner Alice Roberts Davis, Pollution Control Agency Deputy Commissioner Michelle Beeman, and Department of Education Deputy Commissioner Charlene Briner.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“I think it’s extremely important,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Nicholas Kor, MDHR Civic Engagement Director. &lt;strong&gt;“There is a lot of mistrust in government at all different levels for various reasons. One of the most important goals is building trust. There is a lot of good work that government does for communities, and for people, and I think we often don’t see that work.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Throughout the day, there were a number of discussions and panels covering topics such as racial reconciliation, accessibility for individuals with disability, support for the LGBTQ community and working with Tribal Nations. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he came to the event to listen to community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Your opinion and your perspective is important, and it makes a huge difference in the outcomes and the policies that we ultimately craft,”&lt;/strong&gt; Frey said. &lt;strong&gt;“If we don’t hear from constituents, then we can’t possibly shape and construct policy in the way to best benefit them.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter was present at tables with community members to hear their concerns. &lt;strong&gt;“Whether the conversation is about our recreation centers, or plowing our streets, or just making sure we have quality playgrounds for our children, we need you to be engaged,”&lt;/strong&gt; Carter said.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nick Kor, a 2018 Bush Fellow, has been working to implement the state’s Civic Engagement Plan, which was launched in October 2016. Since publication of the Plan, Kor has overseen the development of multiple training programs on engagement and an effort to develop metrics to measure engagement efforts of agencies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department is hoping that the Plan and civic engagement concept will be adopted by counties, cities, and school boards throughout Minnesota. Government officials in attendance also included Ramsey County Commissioner Toni Carter, Duluth City Council Member Gary Anderson, Mankato School Board Member Abdi Sabrie as well as several county and city officials throughout Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Community leaders affiliated with organizations included Patrice Bailey, Outreach Coordinator, Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage, Ed Fairbanks, MnDOT Tribal Consultation Liaison Bo Thao–Urabe, Network Director, Coalition of Asian American Leaders, and Avi Viswanathan, Program Director, Nexus Community Partners. Asma Mohammed Nizami, Program Manager for Reviving the Islamic Sisterhood for Empowerment, facilitated plenary conversations held during the event.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“I have been pleased with the positive response from community and government leaders to build a better Minnesota for everyone, everywhere in our great state,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Commissioner Lindsey. &lt;strong&gt;“Civic engagement principles should span beyond elections, voting is important but the public should demand a seat at the table with their government officials on the policies that impact them.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;###&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>343031</id><pubdate>2025-06-25T20:06:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Cases</Title><Id>249134</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MDHR reaches agreements with ten school districts, charter schools to reduce disparities in suspensions for students with disabilities, students of color, charges filed against 2 districts</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Race</Title><Id>244481</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Disability</Title><Id>244473</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MDHR reaches agreements with ten school districts, charter schools to reduce disparities in suspensions for students with disabilities, students of color, charges filed against 2 districts</Title><title>MDHR reaches agreements with ten school districts, charter schools to reduce disparities in suspensions for students with disabilities, students of color, charges filed against 2 districts</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-337343&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-04-26T19:34:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Recent MDHR analysis showed Minnesota students of color comprise 31 percent of the population, yet receive 66 percent of all suspensions and expulsions; students with disabilities comprise 14 percent of the population, yet receive 43 percent of all suspensions and expulsions.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Collaborative agreements with districts and charter schools develop tailored strategies to retain local control of student discipline decisions, maintain safe environments that promote learning and development, and offer alternatives to suspension that keep students in school.</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ST. PAUL, MN – Today, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) announced it has reached collaborative agreements with 10 Minnesota public school districts and charter schools to reduce the disparities in suspension and expulsion rates for students with disabilities and students of color and two school districts received charges of discrimination for educational discrimination.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The school districts and charter schools with settlement agreements include: Bloomington School District, Cass Lake-Bena School District, Mankato School District, North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale, Robbinsdale School District, Best Academy Charter School, Dugsi Academy Charter School, Mastery Academy Charter School, Prairie Seeds Academy Charter School , and St. Paul City Charter School. The Department is continuing negotiations with additional school districts and charter schools and anticipates announcing another round of Agreements in the coming weeks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“I want to thank the leaders of these 10 districts and charter schools for coming to the table, having productive conversations, and identifying their own solutions tailored to their independent communities to address the state-wide problem of disparities in discipline. These leaders are not alone with dealing with these disparities—but they are the first to stand up, lean in and drive toward solutions. In our meetings with school districts and charter schools, we heard time and again that Minnesota can do more to support our educators and students to achieve success in the classroom and in life. Kids simply can’t learn if they are not in school. These agreements are a crucial step in ensuring we are doing all we can to help Minnesota students develop their interpersonal and learning skills so they can thrive,”&lt;/strong&gt; said MDHR Commissioner Kevin Lindsey.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The collaborative agreements aim to alleviate disparities in suspensions and expulsions to allow every student the chance to participate fully in their education, to partner with educators to address the implicit bias that influences perceptions of student behavior, and to increase student and community engagement. The agreements allow school officials to develop their own strategies to retain local control in student discipline decisions, maintain effective learning environments that promote academic success, and offer alternatives to suspension that keep students in school.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Educators, community leaders, and legislators from around the state reflect on the opportunity to create safe, positive environments for students while engaging parents, students, and school staff.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“There is no cause greater than providing a great education to all children,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Superintendent Rochelle Johnson, Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools. &lt;strong&gt;“We must all find pathways to keep children in schools as well as make that school time a positive experience in their lives.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;As a State legislator and Director of the MN Education Equity Partnership (MnEEP), I welcome and support the recent collaboration agreements among several public school districts, charter schools and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights to change school discipline practices that disparately punish students of color, American Indian students and students with disabilities,”&lt;/strong&gt; said State Rep. Carlos Mariani Rosa, MnEEP Executive Director. &lt;strong&gt;“Closing academic gaps can’t be done without advancing civil rights and with the State’s help, our schools can do that while designing better ways to create safe schools where all students learn.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“We are looking forward to working with partners such as the Minnesota Department of Human Rights to ensure a positive and supportive school climate where all students can develop their unique potential and positively contribute to their community,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Robbinsdale Superintendent Dr. Carlton Jenkins. &lt;strong&gt;“We must work together to address local, state, and national disparities so we can truly inspire and educate all of our children.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;As we work to eliminate disparate outcomes for students, we are pleased to collaborate with the MDHR and area districts to share best practices and elevate student voice,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Superintendent Christine Osorio, School District 622, North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;Too often in the field of education we find ourselves in the work of replication and not the work of reimagining. Classrooms today look like classrooms from 25 years ago and discipline practices today look like discipline practices from 100 years ago. The unquestioned belief is that school worked for me so surely it must work for all kids. The reality is that it does not. Too many kids are not accessing an equitable learning experience through no fault of their own. Education in 2018 requires new imagination and new ways of doing business. Restorative practices is one such reimagining. Instead of creating a transactional, power-centric school dynamic, restorative practices create a truly human dynamic that acknowledges that we all make mistakes. Instead of blame and shame, we need the chance to repair harm and reintegrate with our community,&lt;/strong&gt; said Justin Tiarks, Principal at St. Paul City School. &lt;strong&gt;“We have spent the past three years exploring this new way of doing school to great impact. Since implementing restorative practices, we have seen a reduction in suspensions of 90% sustained over two years and we have not expelled a single child. We solve problems by pulling students and families into a web of support and community instead of pushing them away. With the right supports, alternatives to exclusionary discipline do exist. Our school community is safer and more connected than ever before. We are eager to continue working to do better for every child in our school and our state.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;&lt;strong&gt;If students are away from school due to a suspension, then that&apos;s time taken away from their learning and not being able to achieve their potential,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Warsame Warsame, Dugsi Academy educator and board member. &lt;strong&gt;“Although schools strive to have a calm and safe place for all students, it&apos;s equally important for schools to find solutions that keep our struggling students in the classroom. As a Board member and as a classroom teacher, I&apos;m very pleased with the leadership role that Mary Stafford and the TrueNorth have taken in solving this issue. We are also thankful to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights for their leadership and support.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;PACER supports the collaborative efforts of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, school districts, and charter schools to address discipline disparities,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Paula Goldberg, PACER Executive Director. &lt;strong&gt;“Through our work with families of children with disabilities, we see the negative impact that exclusionary discipline practices have on students’ ability to learn. We appreciate that the agreements reached offer opportunities for parents, students, and school staff to work together to develop policies focused on maintaining positive learning environments that support improved academic outcomes for all students, including those with disabilities.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The agreements between MDHR and these school districts and charter schools are in effect through 2021 and provide:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Districts and charter schools will implement a three-year plan to ensure that data collection, discipline policies and behavior management strategies are consistently implemented across the entire system;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Districts and charter schools will provide semi-annual reports to the Department to detail their efforts undertaken to implement their behavior management plan. Districts and schools will also account for the training provided to their personnel and the qualitative assessment of practices and policies;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Districts and charter schools will participate on a Diversion Committee created by MDHR in which they will share best practices to reduce suspensions and eliminate disparities, implement implicit bias training and increase student engagement; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;School Boards, Superintendents, Executive Directors and Principals will offer meaningful opportunities for parents, students, school personnel and the larger community to provide feedback concerning their discipline policies; and &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MDHR, in collaboration with MDE, will publish technical guidance on best practices to reduce suspension and expulsion disparities for all students.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The agreements do not involve student discipline decisions made by school officials when safety was a concern or a student was in possession of a weapon or illegal drugs. Rather, agreements focus on schools finding alternatives to suspension for challenges such as disorderly and disruptive behavior, verbal abuse and other non-violent offenses. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More than a third of all suspensions and expulsion decisions reported throughout Minnesota every year are for ‘insubordination, disruptive and disorderly conduct.’ Examples of disrespectful behaviors could include swearing, rolling of the eyes, making inappropriate remarks or sounds in response to a request, walking away from a staff member before a conversation is over or talking back to a staff member.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Agreements also focus on universally communicating and implementing a school or district’s own policy, reliable data collection, shared definitions from classroom to classroom within a charter school or district, training of staff and measuring the effectiveness of whatever training they choose and with communicating with their students, parents and larger community about the school’s successes, goals and challenges.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota suspensions data reveal disparities, opportunities to address barriers&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR met with districts and charter schools last fall after reviewing five years of the most recent DIRS data, which is public data reported through the Minnesota Department of Education’s Discipline Incident Reporting System (DIRS). MDHR analysis of DIRS data showed that in Minnesota, students of color comprise 31 percent of the population, yet receive 66 percent of all suspensions and expulsions; students with disabilities comprise 14 percent of the population, yet receive 43 percent of all suspensions and expulsions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The DIRS data before the Department indicated that:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;American-Indian students were ten times more likely to be suspended or expelled than white peers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;African-American students were eight times more likely to be suspended or expelled than white peers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Students of color were twice more likely to be suspended or expelled than white peers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Students with disabilities were twice more likely to be suspended or expelled as their peers without a disability.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A report from the Government Accountability Office released this month had similar findings, concluding that black students, boys and students with disabilities were overrepresented in disciplinary action: “these disparities were widespread and persisted regardless of the type of disciplinary action, level of school poverty, or type of public school attended,” the GAO report said.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, please contact MDHR’s enforcement unit at 651.539.1100, 1.800.657.3704 or online at &lt;a href=&quot;http://https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr/intake&lt;/a&gt;. For more information about disability discrimination, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt; or follow the conversation on Twitter at Twitter at @mnhumanrights.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;###&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>337343</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:42:39Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Press Releases</Title><Id>242842</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights reaches agreements with nine school districts, charter schools to reduce disparities in suspensions for students with disabilities, students of color, charges filed against 2 districts  </Title><title>-Suspensions Agreements and Charges</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-335585&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-04-25T19:45:16Z</Date><ShortDescription>Recent MDHR analysis showed Minnesota students of color comprise 31 percent of the population, yet receive 66 percent of all suspensions and expulsions; students with disabilities comprise 14 percent of the population, yet receive 43 percent of all suspensions and expulsions.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Collaborative agreements with districts and charter schools develop tailored strategies to retain local control of student discipline decisions, maintain safe environments that promote learning and development, and offer alternatives to suspension that keep students in school.</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ST. PAUL, MN&lt;/strong&gt; – Today, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) announced it has reached collaborative agreements with 9 Minnesota public school districts and charter schools to reduce the &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-324619&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;010 Suspension and Expulsion&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;010 Suspension and Expulsion&quot;&gt;disparities in suspension and expulsion&lt;/a&gt; rates for students with disabilities and students of color, and two school districts receive charges of discrimination for educational discrimination.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The school districts and charter schools with settlement agreements include: Bloomington School District, Cass Lake-Bena School District, Robbinsdale School District, Best Academy Charter School, Dugsi Academy Charter School, Mastery Academy Charter School, Mankato School District,  St. Paul City Charter School, and Prairie Seeds Academy Charter School. MDHR reached an impasse with St. Louis Park School District and Walker-Hackensack-Akeley School District, and filed charges of discrimination. The Department is limited from commenting further during active investigations. The Department is continuing negotiations with the remaining 32 school districts and charter schools and anticipates announcing another round of Agreements in the coming weeks.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px; font-size: 10pt;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;“I want to thank the leaders of these 14 districts and charter schools for coming to the table, having productive conversations, and identifying tailored solutions to address the disparities in discipline in our schools. In our meetings with school districts and charter schools, we heard time and again that Minnesota can do more to support our educators and students to achieve success in the classroom and in life. Kids simply can’t learn if they are not in school. These agreements are the first step in ensuring we are doing all we can to help Minnesota students develop their interpersonal and learning skills so they can thrive,” &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;said MDHR Commissioner Kevin Lindsey.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-334956&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;020 Data Reports and Analytics&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;020 Data Reports and Analytics&quot;&gt;The collaborative agreements&lt;/a&gt; aim to alleviate disparities in suspensions and expulsions to allow every student the chance to participate fully in their education, to partner with educators to address the implicit bias that influences perceptions of student behavior, and to increase student and community engagement. The agreements allow school officials to develop their own strategies to retain local control in student discipline decisions, maintain effective learning environments that promote academic success, and offer alternatives to suspension that keep students in school.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;School superintendents, community leaders and legislators from around the state reflect on the opportunity to create safe, positive environments for students while engaging parents, students, and school staff. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cass Lake Bena School District&lt;/strong&gt;: “There is no cause greater than providing a great education to all children,” said Superintendent Rochelle Johnson, Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools. “We must all find pathways to keep children in schools as well as make that school time a positive experience in their lives.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MN Education Equity Partnership&lt;/strong&gt;: “As a State legislator and Director of the MN Education Equity Partnership (MnEEP), I welcome and support the recent collaboration agreements among several public school districts, charter schools and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights to change school discipline practices that disparately punish students of color, American Indian students and students with disabilities,” said State Rep. Carlos Mariani Rosa, MnEEP Executive Director. “Closing academic gaps can’t be done without advancing civil rights and with the State’s help, our schools can do that while designing better ways to create safe schools where all students learn.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Robinsdale School District&lt;/strong&gt;: “We are looking forward to working with partners such as the Minnesota Department of Human Rights to ensure a positive and supportive school climate where all students can develop their unique potential and positively contribute to their community,” said Robinsdale Superintendent Dr. Carlton Jenkins. “We must work together to address local, state, and national disparities so we can truly inspire and educate all of our children.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dugsi Academy Charter School&lt;/strong&gt;: &quot;If students are away from school due to a suspension, then that&apos;s time taken away from their learning and not being able to achieve their potential,” said Warsame Warsame, Dugsi Academy educator and board member. “Although schools strive to have a calm and safe place for all students, it&apos;s equally important for schools to find solutions that keep our struggling students in the classroom. As a Board member and as a classroom teacher, I&apos;m very pleased with the leadership role that Mary Stafford and the TrueNorth have taken in solving this issue. We are also thankful to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights for their leadership and support.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PACER&lt;/strong&gt;: “PACER supports the collaborative efforts of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, school districts, and charter schools to address discipline disparities,” said Paul Goldberg, PACER Executive Director. “Through our work with families of children with disabilities, we see the negative impact that exclusionary discipline practices have on students’ ability to learn. We appreciate that the agreements reached offer opportunities for parents, students, and school staff to work together to develop policies focused on maintaining positive learning environments that support improved academic outcomes for all students, including those with disabilities.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The agreements between MDHR and these school districts and charter schools are in effect through 2021 and provide: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Districts and charter schools will implement a three-year plan to ensure that data collection, discipline policies and behavior management strategies are faithfully implemented across the entire system; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Districts and charter schools will provide semi-annual reports to the Department to detail their efforts undertaken to implement their behavior plan. They will also account for the training districts and schools provided to their personnel and the qualitative assessment of practices and policies; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Districts and charter schools will participate on a Diversion Committee created by MDHR in which they will to share best practices to reduce suspensions and eliminate disparities, implement implicit bias training and increasing student engagement; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;School Boards and Superintendents/Principals will offer meaningful opportunities for parents, students, school personnel and the larger community to provide feedback concerning their discipline policies; and &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MDHR, in collaboration with MDE, will publish technical guidance on best practices to reduce suspension and expulsion disparities for all students.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The agreements do not involve student discipline decisions made by school officials when safety was a concern or a student was in possession of a weapon or illegal drugs. Rather, agreements focus on suspension decisions such as disorderly and disruptive behavior, verbal abuse and other non-violent offenses. More than a third of all suspensions and expulsion decisions reported throughout Minnesota every year are for ‘insubordination, disruptive and disorderly conduct.’ &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Examples of disrespectful behaviors could include swearing, rolling of the eyes, making inappropriate remarks or sounds in response to a request, walking away from a staff member before a conversation is over or talking back to a staff member. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota suspensions data reveal disparities, opportunities to address barriers &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR analysis of public data reported through the Minnesota Department of Education’s Discipline Incident Reporting System (DIRS) showed that that in Minnesota, students of color comprise 31 percent of the population, yet receive 66 percent of all suspensions and expulsions; students with disabilities comprise 14 percent of the population, yet receive 43 percent of all suspensions and expulsions. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR reviewed five years of the most recent DIRS data. The DIRS data before the Department indicated that:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;American-Indian students were ten times more likely to be suspended or expelled than white peers. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;African–American students were eight times more likely to be suspended or expelled than white peers. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Students of color were twice more likely to be suspended or expelled than white peers. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Students with disabilities were twice more likely to be suspended or expelled as their peers without a disability.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-228417&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;Everyone is protected general copy&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Everyone is protected general copy&quot;&gt;Minnesota Human Rights Act&lt;/a&gt;, please contact MDHR’s enforcement unit at 651.539.1100, 1.800.657.3704 or online at &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-229432&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;File A Complaint Gen. Content&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Connect with Our Office Gen. Content&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr/intake&lt;/a&gt;. For more information about disability discrimination, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt; or follow the conversation on Twitter at Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;###&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/user/mnhumanrights&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MDHR YouTube Channel&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h4 style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact MDHR Communications&lt;/h4&gt;
Christine Dufour, Communications Director
&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
625 Robert St. N.
&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
Saint Paul, MN 55155
&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;651.539.1118
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Christine.Dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Christine.Dufour@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>335585</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:42:19Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Finds Suspension and Expulsion Disparities in School Districts Across the State</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Finds Suspension and Expulsion Disparities in School Districts Across the State</Title><title>-Minnesota Department of Human Rights Finds Suspension and Expulsion Disparities in School Districts Across the State</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-328166&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-03-02T15:24:32Z</Date><ShortDescription>New analysis finds that students of color comprise 31 percent of the population, yet receive 66 percent of all suspensions and expulsions; students with disabilities comprise 14 percent of the population, yet receive 43 percent of all suspensions and expulsions. Students who are absent from the classroom are less likely to graduate and achieve success later in life. The Minnesota Department of Human Rights has engaged with school districts to develop strategies for alleviating disparities.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;New analysis finds that students of color comprise 31 percent of the population, yet receive 66 percent of all suspensions and expulsions; students with disabilities comprise 14 percent of the population, yet receive 43 percent of all suspensions and expulsions.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h2 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h2 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Students who are absent from the classroom are less likely to graduate and achieve success later in life.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h2 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h2 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights has engaged with school districts to develop strategies for alleviating disparities.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ST. PAUL, MN&lt;/strong&gt; – Students of color comprise 31 percent of Minnesota’s student population and receive 66 percent of all suspensions and expulsions and students with disabilities comprise 14 percent of Minnesota’s student population and receive 43 percent of all suspensions and expulsions, according to new analysis released today by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR). These disparities constitute a violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act because they deny students of color and students with disabilities educational access and negatively impact academic achievement. In response to the findings, MDHR has engaged school districts in a series of meetings to develop strategies for resolving disparities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Studies have proven that higher rates of school suspensions and expulsions among students of color and students with disabilities can have lasting negative impacts in their lives and education,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. &lt;strong&gt;“That is why the Minnesota Department of Human Rights takes seriously any allegation or evidence that indicate disciplinary measures are falling disproportionately upon children of color and students with disabilities in our schools. It is our responsibility to fully review such allegations, and work with local school officials to ensure equal treatment under the law for all kids.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All public schools and charters in Minnesota are required to annually report information about their suspension and expulsion decisions to the Department of Education, which maintains the information in its Discipline Incident Reporting System (DIRS). The Department of Human Rights, in turn, reviewed five years of data. The 2015-2016 school year reveals trends in the data that is representative of the last five years:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;American-Indian students were ten times more likely to be suspended or expelled than white peers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;African–American students were eight times more likely to be suspended or expelled than white peers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Students of color were twice more likely to be suspended or expelled than white peers. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Students with disabilities were twice more likely to be suspended or expelled as their peers without a disability.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In its analysis, the Department of Human Rights did not consider situations where physical safety was a concern, the student was fighting or in possession of a weapon or illegal drugs. Excluding these situations, the department found that 55 percent of all suspensions in the state were the result of a subjective judgment made by school officials, leading to disparate results.    &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“At MNEEP, we applaud the collaborative approach that school districts and the MDHR are pursuing to create classroom practices that advance civil rights protections for students while ensuring that powerful teaching and learning occurs in schools,”&lt;/strong&gt; said State Rep. Carlos Mariani, Executive Director, Minnesota Education Equity Partnership. &lt;strong&gt;“I am hopeful we can teach each other new ways on how to structure discipline policies that responsibly keeps students in classrooms and contributes to academic success for all.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Engagement with Minnesota School Districts&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Disparities exist in nearly every school district and charter school in the state. In the fall of 2017, the Department of Human Rights invited 43 school districts and charter schools to meet with the department to develop corrective action strategies. The Department, in collaboration with districts and charter schools, is starting to reach tentative agreements that will help all children succeed. Robbinsdale Public Schools—while it did not have the biggest disparities in the bunch--was the first to want to work collaboratively with MDHR to address this issue.    &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“We are looking forward to working with Minnesota Department of Human Rights and other partners to address these local, state and national disparities,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Dr. Carlton Jenkins, Superintendent, Robbinsdale Area Schools. &lt;strong&gt;“We must work together to do what is in the best interest of our children.”&lt;/strong&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If MDHR and a school district or charter school are unable to reach an agreement, then the department may file administrative charges. An administrative charge would require the school district or charter school to submit additional information necessary for MDHR to investigate. Upon completion of its investigation, the department may issue a probable cause determination. A probable cause determination means the department believes that there is sufficient evidence to believe that discrimination has occurred&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Importance of Alleviating Disparities&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All Minnesota students need and deserve access to a world class education for success in life. School suspensions account for &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289687063_The_Punishment_Gap_School_Suspension_and_Racial_Disparities_in_Achievement&quot;&gt;20 percent of the difference&lt;/a&gt; in achievement between African-American and white students. Students at schools with high rates of suspensions exhibit lower achievement — even if never suspended. Reducing suspension and expulsion disparities will help ensure that students of color, American Indian students, and students with disabilities are given the same opportunities for success as their white peers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“PACER is pleased that the Minnesota Department of Human Rights is working with school districts to address the disproportionate use of suspensions and expulsions for students with disabilities,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Paula Goldberg, Executive Director, PACER Center. &lt;strong&gt;“We hope to see increased use of positive behavioral interventions that support improved academic outcomes for all Minnesota children.”&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The high school graduation rate for students of color has increased by 11.1 percentage points since 2012, reducing the gap between white students and students of color by nearly 30 percent. Despite this improvement significant gaps in educational opportunity and achievement persist. Resolving student discipline disparities could help to further reduce Minnesota’s achievement gaps. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, please contact MDHR’s enforcement unit at 651.539.1100, 1.800.657.3704 or online at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr/intake.&lt;/a&gt; For more information about discrimination, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt; or follow the conversation on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;###&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>328166</id><pubdate>2025-06-25T20:06:31Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Cases</Title><Id>249134</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Fairview Settled MDHR Reasonable Accommodations Discrimination Case</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Disability</Title><Id>244473</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Public Places</Title><Id>244480</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Fairview Settled MDHR Reasonable Accommodations Discrimination Case</Title><title>-Fairview Settled MDHR Reasonable Accommodations Discrimination Case</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-321940&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-12-26T17:18:15Z</Date><ShortDescription>Hibbing couple settles MDHR disability discrimination case against Fairview for failing to adequately communicate with couple after their newborn daughter needs additional tests.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Hibbing couple settles MDHR disability discrimination case against Fairview for failing to adequately communicate with couple after their newborn daughter needs additional tests.</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ST. PAUL, MN –&lt;/strong&gt; Fairview Range Regional Health Services in Hibbing agreed to settle a federal lawsuit that began after the Minnesota Department of Human Rights issued a probable cause finding that Fairview failed to properly communicate with Matthew Svatos over several days that his newborn daughter was receiving several medical tests to determine whether she needed invasive medical care.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Matthew Svatos and his wife, of Hibbing, went to Fairview Range Regional Health Services in May 2013 to become parents for the first time. Matthew, who is deaf and uses American Sign Language as his primary language, had an interpreter available during the birth of the Svatos’ child, consistent with Fairview’s policy to provide interpreters to “family members, friends and other untrained individuals for reasons of completeness, accuracy, impartiality and confidentiality.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shortly after the birth, doctors found a medical abnormality which caused them to have concerns about the possible long-term health of the child. The interpreter for Matt Svatos was not available as the interpreter had left the hospital immediately after the birth of the Svatos daughter. Mr. Svatos spent the next 48 hours without any meaningful ability to directly communicate with the Fairview physicians caring for his daughter. This experience caused him to feel very anxious as he was generally aware that the physicians for his new child were concerned about her health but he could not directly speak to them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt; “The situation was very stressful for Mr. Svatos as a new father, the investigation found that he was often ignored and in the words of one witness, ‘treated like a piece of furniture,’&lt;/strong&gt; said MDHR Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. &lt;strong&gt;“While Fairview initially properly secured an ASL interpreter, Fairview was unable to secure a second ASL interpreter and its efforts to arrange a Video Relay Interpreter were unreasonably slow and not very effective. Fairview violated its own internal policy of not having relatives translate when it asked Mrs. Svatos to translate for her husband.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The MDHR investigation made the following findings:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul style=&quot;margin-top:0in&quot; type=&quot;disc&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;Fairview was unable to successfully communicate with Mr. Svatos because Fairview was unable to provide an ASL interpreter or a reasonable alternative means of communication.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul style=&quot;margin-top:0in&quot; type=&quot;disc&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;Fairview staff violated company policy by asking a relative of Mr. Svatos to translate.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul style=&quot;margin-top:0in&quot; type=&quot;disc&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;Fairview failed to provide adequate training on how to communicate with individuals who are deaf and many Fairview staff personnel ignored Mr. Svatos.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul style=&quot;margin-top:0in&quot; type=&quot;disc&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;Fairview failed to make timely arrangements for VRI and as a result the Svatos discharge meeting was delayed by several hours.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul style=&quot;margin-top:0in&quot; type=&quot;disc&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;Fairview failed to train staff on how to use VRI and as a result the connection was slow, poor, choppy and facing a direction that made it difficult for Mr. Svatos to understand the interpreter.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Disability discrimination claims are the most common claims investigated by MDHR.  Between January and July of 2017, 26% of the complaints filed with the Department involved a claim of disability discrimination.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, please contact MDHR’s enforcement unit at 651.539.1100, 1.800.657.3704 or online at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform/&quot; title=&quot;050 Intake&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr/intake&lt;/a&gt;. For more information about disability discrimination, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr&quot; title=&quot;2.0 Home Page gen. content&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt; or follow the conversation on Twitter at Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; align=&quot;center&quot; style=&quot;text-align:center&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;###&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>321940</id><pubdate>2025-07-23T20:51:54Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>New releases</Title><Id>242833</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights offers a toolkit for organizations interested in hosting a screening of an “Our Rights” episode and engaging community conversations about Minnesota’s history of human rights.

The “Our Rights” series is a co-production of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and Twin Cities Public Television. The three part-series details Minnesota’s efforts to establish and protect human rights for everyone.  Screening events provide the opportunity to start community conversations about the progress Minnesota and your community has made in furthering human rights for all, while recognizing the challenges that remain.
</Description><Audience/><Title>OurRightsToolkit</Title><Publisher>Christine Dufour</Publisher><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><DateCreation>2017-07-28T15:30:00Z</DateCreation><SubjectControlled>Human Rights, Civil Rights, History, Minnesota, anniversary, toolkit, screening</SubjectControlled></DublinCore></metadata><Title>MDHR offers toolkit for organizations interested in hosting an Our Rights screening, community conversation</Title><title>MDHR offers toolkit for hosting Our Rights screening</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-304698&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-07-31T15:30:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>St. Paul, MN: The Minnesota Department of Human Rights offers a toolkit for organizations interested in hosting a screening of an “Our Rights” episode and engaging community conversations about Minnesota’s history of human rights.

The “Our Rights” series is a co-production of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and Twin Cities Public Television. The three-part series details Minnesota’s efforts to establish and protect human rights for everyone.  Screening events provide the opportunity to start community conversations about the progress Minnesota and your community has made in furthering human rights for all, while recognizing the challenges that remain.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, MN&lt;/strong&gt;: The Minnesota Department of Human Rights offers a toolkit for organizations interested in hosting a screening of an “Our Rights” episode and engaging community conversations about Minnesota’s history of human rights.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The “Our Rights” series is a co-production of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and Twin Cities Public Television. The three-part series details Minnesota’s efforts to establish and protect human rights for everyone.  Screening events provide the opportunity to start community conversations about the progress Minnesota and your community has made in furthering human rights for all, while recognizing the challenges that remain.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“In the screenings that MDHR has hosted, the dialog was inspirational and sobering at times, and yet, it left people with hope for the opportunities that are before us,”&lt;/strong&gt; Commissioner Kevin Lindsey said. &lt;strong&gt;“We welcome the opportunity to co-host screenings in your community and continue the work of building a more perfect union for all people in our society.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The first episode, “Our Rights: Justice for All” provides an in-depth history of MDHR over the past 50 years. The second episode, “Our Rights: Raising the Stakes,” airing July 30&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;, examines the transformation of Affirmative Action to Diversity and Inclusion. Lastly, “Our Rights: Building on the Promise” discusses the future of human rights and the role of MDHR in building a better future for all Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presently, MDHR can help facilitate screenings of “Our Rights: Justice for All”. Starting in early August, “Our Rights: Raising the Stakes” will be available. Lastly, “Our Rights: Building on the Promise” will be available in early September.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Organizations such as human rights commissions, libraries and diversity councils are expressing interest in hosting a screening. The first community to host an event is Mankato. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mankatodiversity.org/&quot;&gt;Greater Mankato Diversity Council&lt;/a&gt; will host the first screening of “Our Rights: Justice for All” at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 16&lt;sup&gt;th &lt;/sup&gt;at the Mankato City Council Chambers, 10 Civic Center Plaza, Mankato, Minn. 56001. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.rochesterpubliclibrary.org/&quot;&gt;Rochester Public Library&lt;/a&gt; will host the second screening of “Our Rights: Justice for All” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 24&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit &lt;a href=&quot;file:///C:/Users/christined/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.Outlook/JJOIU0JL/mn.gov/mdhr&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt; for more information or follow the conversation on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; align=&quot;center&quot; style=&quot;text-align:center&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>304698</id><pubdate>2025-06-25T20:15:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Commissioner increases workforce goals</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Press Releases</Title><Id>242842</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MDHR increases Workforce Participation Goals to reduce barriers for women, people of color</Title><title>-Commissioner increases workforce goals</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-302848&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-07-17T14:56:07Z</Date><ShortDescription>St. Paul, MN: Today, Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey announced increased Workforce Participation Goals for women and people of color throughout Minnesota for state construction contractors. </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, MN:&lt;/strong&gt; Today, Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey announced increased Workforce Participation Goals for women and people of color throughout Minnesota for state construction contractors. These increased goals aim to reduce barriers to workforce entry, to respond to demographic changes, and to prepare for Minnesota’s emerging workforce shortage.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The increased goals were adjusted with input from an advisory task force comprised of representatives of construction contractors, unions, trades and the public. The task force was co-chaired by Commissioner Lindsey and Christa Seaberg, Diversity Manager at JE Dunn. The increased workforce participation goals are as follows:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Workforce Participation Goals for Women and People of Color as of July 17, 2017&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img title=&quot;Workforce chart of PR-nh&quot; style=&quot;width: 590px; height: 542px;&quot; alt=&quot;Workforce chart of PR-nh&quot; src=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Workforce%20chart%20for%20press%20release-nohead_tcm1061-302965.png&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Workforce chart of PR-nh&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The workforce participation goals for state construction contractors were last adjusted for people of color in 2012 for the seven-county Twin Cities Metropolitan area. The goals are an important tool in eliminating explicit and implicit barriers in recruiting, training and retaining talent across the state. Over the past five years, contractors, unions and community partners in construction have made tremendous gains in providing equal employment opportunities and these goals seek to build on that progress. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Despite recent progress in eliminating bias, barriers to workforce entry still remain for women and people of color in Minnesota,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. &lt;strong&gt;“The Department has seen tremendous strides by construction contractors, trades and labor unions over the past five years. In increasing the goals for women and people of color throughout Minnesota, we have the opportunity to build upon the recent work of launching careers, creating economic opportunities, and dismantling barriers to entry. These are ambitious yet achievable goals, as we work to build the most inclusive and best construction workforce in the Nation.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2017 Workforce Goals built on a Foundation of Consistent Increases&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workforce participation goals apply to all construction contracts over $100,000 entered into by the Metropolitan Sports Facility Authority, Metropolitan Council, Metropolitan Airports Commission, Metropolitan Mosquito Control Commission and the State of Minnesota on or after July 17, 2017. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since 2012, when workforce participation goals were increased from 11 to 32 percent for people of color in Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, workforce participation rates for people of color increased from 11 to 28 percent. Similarly, when goals were increased to 22 percent in the counties of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Scott and Washington, contractors increased participation for people of color from 11 to 18 percent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Successful projects such as the US Bank Stadium and the State Capitol restoration have met or exceeded workforce participation goals. The US Bank Stadium project reached workforce participation of 37 percent for people of color and 9 percent for women. The Minnesota State Capitol exterior restoration and preservation project exceeded workforce participation goals with 34.89 percent for people of color and 21 percent workforce participation for women with 80 percent of these workers still working in the industry. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Achieving success was a collaborative intentional effort since the 2012 workforce participation goals were implemented. MDHR worked with unions, contractors, and the bid award agencies to increase workforce participation through best practices in human resources. Recently, MDHR released the “&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/assets/Building%20An%20Inclusive%20Workforce%20Brochure_tcm1061-298438.pdf&quot;&gt;Building an Inclusive Workforce for All&lt;/a&gt;” report on the efforts of contractors. The report offers strategies on the importance of senior management’s commitment, the vital role of analyzing its workforce and communicating progress to management to recruit, train and retain talent, engaging community partners and expanding opportunities for people with disabilities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;I thank and recognize the efforts of construction contractors, our workers, the labor community, the education community, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, the Minnesota Department of Transportation, Minnesota Department of Corrections and the Metropolitan Council,”&lt;/strong&gt; Commissioner Lindsey said. &lt;strong&gt;“Your efforts have set a foundation to build a diverse workforce that will best serve our citizens and continue economic prosperity of the state.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Demographic Shifts&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The increased workforce participation goals more closely align with changing demographics in Minnesota’s workforce. Minnesota’s future workforce is growing more diverse each year. With 33 percent of the children in Minnesota’s public schools identifying as students of color, 43 percent of Minnesota students in the seven-county metro area identifying as a person of color and 19 percent of all the students in Greater Minnesota identifying as a person of color, ensuring equal employment opportunities is critical to the sustainability of Minnesota’s economy. Additionally, the percentage of working age adults is expected to decrease from 63 to 57 percent by 2030. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Currently, Minnesota employers have more than 100,000 open positions. In 2016, there were 5,671 openings in the construction industry, according to Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. Employers without inclusive hiring practices will be at a competitive disadvantage as more than one in five Minnesotans will be over 65 years old and 43 percent of the Twin Cities metropolitan area will identify as a person of color in 15 years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDHR provides resources and technical assistance for contractors on its website. The &lt;a title=&quot;2017_Workforce Goals Report&quot; href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Workforce%20Goals_Report-r9-17_tcm1061-312324_tcm1061-312324.pdf&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2017_Workforce Goals Report&quot;&gt;2017 Workforce Goals Report&lt;/a&gt; that was designed specifically with key information and resources for contractors to strengthen and stabilize their existing workforce is available as well as information on a webinar series specifically designed for those interested in the 2017 Workforce Participation Goals. The next webinar, Strengthening and Diversifying Minnesota’s Workforce, is scheduled for 2 p.m. on July 24. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you need further information regarding workforce inclusion, workforce goals or workforce certificates, you can contact MDHR’s Contract Compliance at 651.296.1283, toll-free at 800.657.3704 or online at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/certificates/participation-goals/&quot;&gt;MDHR Contract Compliance&lt;/a&gt;.  Visit mn.gov/mdhr for more information or follow the conversation on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>302848</id><pubdate>2021-10-12T18:16:30Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Statement from Governor Mark Dayton on State Equity Audit</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Press Releases</Title><Id>242842</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Statement from Governor Mark Dayton on State Equity Audit</Title><title>-Statement from Governor Mark Dayton on State Equity Audit</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-280260&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-02-13T19:49:37Z</Date><ShortDescription>ST. PAUL, MN – Today, the results of an independent audit of the state’s procurement, human rights, and affirmative action practices were released. The following is a statement from Governor Dayton.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ST. PAUL, MN – Today, the results of an independent audit of the state’s procurement, human rights, and affirmative action practices were released. The following is a statement from Governor Dayton.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“When we began this audit, we knew there were areas where state government needed to improve, to ensure that our state workforce fully reflects the rich diversity of Minnesota. Last year, I said that state government needed to lead by example, and increase the diversity in our employment to 20 percent, when I leave office in 2019. In 2011, 8 percent of state employees were women and men of color. Today, it is 11 percent. Similarly, I have committed state government to increasing the percentage of employees with disabilities to seven percent by August 2018. Now, we are at 6.2 percent, and I am confident that we will reach, or even surpass, that important goal.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Furthermore, under my Administration, the state has recommitted itself to increasing diversity in state contracting. And, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (DHR) has become more and more efficient, accountable, and effective in addressing the challenges facing Minnesotans of all backgrounds. If my Opportunity Agenda is approved, DHR will be able to better serve Minnesotans in four additional, thriving, and diverse communities across our state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“These efforts provide employment opportunities for more Minnesotans of all backgrounds. They help create a more inclusive and representative state government. There is more we need to do, but we are working hard at it.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; “I look forward to continuing to work with the group members to review this audit&apos;s findings, and to implement recommendations that will help the State of Minnesota better reflect and serve all, who call our state home. I thank these members for their important community leadership. I encourage Legislators to review this audit and join in our efforts this year, to build a better Minnesota for everyone.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>280260</id><pubdate>2021-10-12T18:18:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MDHR Welcomes Jonathan Wong to St. Cloud Regional Office</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MDHR Welcomes Jonathan Wong to St. Cloud Regional Office</Title><title>-MDHR Welcomes Jonathan Wong to St. Cloud Regional Office</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-280251&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-02-07T19:35:19Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights announced the addition of Communications Specialist Jonathan Wong to its St. Cloud Regional Office. Wong, a recent St. Cloud State University graduate, will provide communications and community outreach services for the St. Cloud satellite office. </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights announced the addition of Communications Specialist Jonathan Wong to its St. Cloud Regional Office. Wong, a recent St. Cloud State University graduate, will provide communications and community outreach services for the St. Cloud satellite office. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With the addition of Wong, the St. Cloud Regional Office has two full-time staff. Enforcement Officer Heidi Hovis started with the Department in December.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The St. Cloud Regional Office is now open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The office is located in St. Cloud City Hall, 400 2nd Street South. Hovis can be reached at 320-407-8286 and Wong is available at 320-407-8285. Additionally, MDHR can be reached toll free at 1-800-657-3704. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The St. Cloud Regional office provides outreach, education and intake functions for those in St. Cloud and Saint Joseph areas of Minnesota on a year around basis.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, please contact MDHR’s enforcement unit at 651-539-1100, 1-800-657-3704 or online at mn.gov/mdhr/intake. There is no fee to file a charge with MDHR. For more information about discrimination or your rights under the MHRA, please visit mn.gov/mdhr or follow the conversation on Twitter at @mnhumanrights.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>280251</id><pubdate>2025-06-25T20:16:29Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>A Statement from The Commissioner of Human Rights</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Press Releases</Title><Id>242842</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Telescope Media Group v. Kevin Lindsey and Lori Swanson</Title><title>-A Statement from The Commissioner of Human Rights</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-265784&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-12-06T23:44:51Z</Date><ShortDescription>&quot;We received information indicating that a federal lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for Minnesota challenging the ability of the Department to enforce the provisions of Minnesota Human Rights Act relating to sexual orientation in business and public accommodations...&quot;</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 23px; font-weight: 600;&quot;&gt;A Statement from The Commissioner of Human Rights&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“We received information indicating that a federal lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for Minnesota challenging the ability of the Department to enforce the provisions of Minnesota Human Rights Act relating to sexual orientation in business and public accommodations.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“While we are still reviewing the filing, we anticipate that we will prevail in District Court and that sexual orientation will remain protected under the Act. This lawsuit is part of a pattern of nationwide litigation that is now aimed at eroding the rights of LGBTQ Minnesotans. The Dayton-Smith Administration is committed to ensuring that all individuals within the LGBTQ community are treated fairly and with respect.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;- MDHR Commissioner Kevin Lindsey&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>265784</id><pubdate>2021-10-12T17:54:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Nicholas Kor Named as Civic Engagement Director</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Nicholas Kor Named as Civic Engagement Director</Title><title>-Nicholas Kor Named as Civic Engagement Director</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-256874&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-09-22T18:15:41Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey has appointed Nicholas Kor as Civic Engagement Director.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ST. PAUL, MN – Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey has appointed Nicholas Kor as Civic Engagement Director. In his new role, Kor will lead the implementation of the Civic Engagement Committee’s strategic plan. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The plan is designed to facilitate meaningful dialog between the administrative agencies that comprise the Governor’s Cabinet and all members of the public – with an emphasis on communities of color, LGBTQ communities, American Indian communities and individuals with disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“The work of civic engagement and building bridges between government and the public is so critically important in today’s environment,”&lt;/strong&gt; Commissioner Lindsey said. &lt;strong&gt;“I’m thankful for the strategic plan created by the civic engagement steering committee and the involvement of administrative agency leadership in the process.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Dayton’s Diversity and Inclusion Council was established in 2015 upon the signing of Executive Order 15-02. The goal of the Council is to ensure that all Minnesotans have equitable opportunities to work for their state government, do business with the state and participate fully in the development of state policy within our democracy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“I’m excited to have Nick join the Department given his past experience in community organizing and because of his energy, enthusiasm and passion for ensuring all people have authentic opportunities in the political process,”&lt;/strong&gt; Lindsey said. &lt;strong&gt;“Nick will be instrumental in connecting communities that have not felt like a part of the political process to state administrative agencies.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kor has a background in community engagement and political organizing. He most recently worked with the Alliance for Metropolitan Stability, where he’d been the HIRE Minnesota Campaign Organizer since February of 2015. At the Alliance for Metropolitan Stability, Kor was tasked with holding government and contractors accountable to meeting workforce participation goals and ensuring Minnesota’s communities of color were prepared and qualified to seize job opportunities created by the state’s changing demographics. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additionally, Kor has extensive experience organizing in LGBTQ communities through his work with Minnesota United for All Families, OutFront Minnesota, and Shades of Yellow (SOY). He has also done electoral organizing for Councilmember Dai Thao in 2013 and Senator Al Franken in 2014.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In his new position, Kor will be able to continue working with state government and with Minnesota’s underrepresented communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“What attracted me to this position was the opportunity to connect state government with communities and to have community members assist in the creation process,” Kor said. “We should also be involving people in executive branch policy making,” he added. “I really believe in the power of communities to make decisions and create the communities that they want for themselves.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kor’s first day in his new position will be Sep. 26.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information about the Civic Engagement Committee and Governor&apos;s Diversity and Inclusion Council, visit MDHR’s website. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>256874</id><pubdate>2025-06-25T20:17:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Community Meeting on MDHR&apos;s Expanded St. Cloud Services set for July 18 at St. Cloud State University</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Community Meeting on MDHR&apos;s Expanded St. Cloud Services set for July 18 at St. Cloud State University</Title><title>-Community Meeting on MDHR&apos;s Expanded St. Cloud Services</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-265167&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-07-14T14:48:06Z</Date><ShortDescription>ST. PAUL, MN – MDHR will host a community meeting on Monday, July 18 in St. Cloud to discuss the future vision and work of the office Department of Human Rights&apos; St. Cloud Office. The meeting is set for 6 p.m. at the St. Cloud State University Welcome Center at 355 Fifth Ave. S, St. Cloud, MN, 56301.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ST. PAUL, MN&lt;/strong&gt; – MDHR will host a community meeting on Monday, July 18 in St. Cloud to discuss the future vision and work of the office Department of Human Rights&apos; St. Cloud Office. The meeting is set for 6 p.m. at the St. Cloud State University Welcome Center at 355 Fifth Ave. S, St. Cloud, MN, 56301.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On June 1, Governor Mark Dayton signed legislation to provide annual funding for the Minnesota Department of Human Rights’ Regional Office in St. Cloud. The $180,000 allotment provides for full-time day-to-day operations of the office. The funding became available to the Department on July 1.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“MDHR plays an important role in resolving disputes prior to the involvement of the courts by fostering meaningful community dialog and by constructively examining systems that lead to disparate outcomes,”&lt;/strong&gt; Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey said. &lt;strong&gt;“MDHR has been receiving input from community leaders since the beginning of the year to develop a vision for the St. Cloud office that can support Central Minnesota.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Central Minnesota community members will have another opportunity to shape the approach and plans of MDHR’s regional office at the July 18 meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“The St. Cloud Regional Human Rights Office will be an important resource for Central Minnesota residents,”&lt;/strong&gt; Lt. Governor Tina Smith said. &lt;strong&gt;“These permanent new resources will help us accelerate investigations of human rights violations and support our work to build a more open, welcoming and inclusive community in the St. Cloud area.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“The additional funding will be very instrumental in supporting the mission of the Department,”&lt;/strong&gt; Commissioner Lindsey said. &lt;strong&gt;“We would like to thank Governor Dayton for championing this funding and members of the Legislature, including Representative Jim Knoblach, for supporting this critical work. This is an important first step to ensure all Minnesotans have the opportunity to achieve their full potential.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Experienced enforcement officers from MDHR’s St. Paul office will staff the St. Cloud office every other Wednesday to provide intake services, to investigate discrimination complaints and meet with members of public until an enforcement officer is hired for the St. Cloud office. In addition, the Department has hired student workers to expand its presence at community events and meetings in the St. Cloud area.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, please contact MDHR’s enforcement unit at 651.539.1100, 1.800.657.3704 or online at mn.gov/mdhr/intake. There is no fee to file a charge with MDHR. For more information about discrimination or your rights under the MHRA, please visit mn.gov/mdhr or follow the conversation on Twitter at @mnhumanrights.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>265167</id><pubdate>2025-06-25T20:17:30Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights To Expand Services for St. Cloud Area</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Press Releases</Title><Id>242842</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights To Expand Services for St. Cloud Area</Title><title>-MDHR To Expand Services for St. Cloud Area</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-265169&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-06-30T14:56:45Z</Date><ShortDescription>ST. PAUL, MN – On July 1, additional funding becomes available to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights to support its St. Cloud Regional Office. MDHR will host a community meeting at 6 p.m. on July 18 at St. Cloud State University to discuss the future vision and work of the office.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Mark Dayton Championed and Legislature Approved Full Time Funding For MDHR’s St. Cloud Office &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Community Meeting Scheduled for July 18&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ST. PAUL, MN – On July 1, additional funding becomes available to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights to support its St. Cloud Regional Office. MDHR will host a community meeting at 6 p.m. on July 18 at St. Cloud State University to discuss the future vision and work of the office.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On June 1, Governor Mark Dayton signed legislation to annually fund the Minnesota Department of Human Rights’ Regional Office in St. Cloud. The $180,000 allotment provides for full-time day-to-day operations of the office. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This past session the Minnesota Legislature passed a Supplemental Budget Bill, which in part provided funding to eliminate racial and economic disparities.  Governor Dayton sought additional funding for MDHR in his 2016 supplemental budget to support the Department’s enforcement efforts, expand MDHR’s outreach activities and provide stable funding MDHR’s regional office in St. Cloud.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“MDHR plays an important role in resolving disputes prior to the involvement of the courts, by fostering meaningful community dialog and by constructively examining systems that lead to disparate outcomes,” said Commissioner Kevin Lindsey.  “MDHR has been receiving input from community leaders since the beginning of the year to develop a vision for the St. Cloud office that can support Central Minnesota.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Central Minnesota community members will have another opportunity to shape the approach and plans of MDHR’s regional office at the 6 p.m. community meeting on July 18 at St. Cloud University. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The St. Cloud Regional Human Rights Office will be an important resource for central Minnesota residents,” said Lt. Governor Tina Smith. “These permanent new resources will help us accelerate investigations of human rights violations, and support our work to build a more open, welcoming and inclusive community in the St. Cloud area.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The additional funding will be very instrumental in supporting the mission of the Department,” said Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. “We would like to thank Governor Dayton for championing this funding and members of the Legislature, including Representative Jim Knoblach, for supporting this critical work. This is an important first step to ensure all Minnesotans have the opportunity to achieve their full potential.”  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Experienced enforcement officers from the St. Paul office will staff the St. Cloud office every other Wednesday to provide intake services, to investigate discrimination complaints, and meet with members of public until an enforcement officer is hired for the St. Cloud office.  Beginning in July, the Department will have student workers hired to expand its presence at community events and meetings in the St. Cloud area.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, please contact MDHR’s enforcement unit at 651.539.1100, 1.800.657.3704 or online at mn.gov/mdhr/intake.  There is no fee to file a charge with MDHR. For more information about discrimination or your rights under the MHRA, please visit mn.gov/mdhr or follow the conversation on Twitter at @mnhumanrights. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact: Christine Dufour
&lt;br /&gt;
651-539-1118 office
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Christine.Dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Christine.Dufour@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>265169</id><pubdate>2016-12-01T16:06:46Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Cases</Title><Id>249134</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Oakdale Police pays $30,000 in MDHR Disability Discrimination settlement</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Disability</Title><Id>244473</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Public Services</Title><Id>244486</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Oakdale Police pays $30,000 in MDHR Disability Discrimination settlement</Title><title>-Oakdale Police pays $30,000 in MDHR Disability Discrimination settlement</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242793&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-05-17T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The City of Oakdale Police paid $30,000 to resolve a probable cause finding of disability discrimination by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights for failure to provide effective communication to a deaf citizen sufficient to provide him meaningful access to the police department’s services.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN – The City of Oakdale Police paid $30,000 to resolve a probable cause finding of disability discrimination by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights for failure to provide effective communication to a deaf citizen sufficient to provide him meaningful access to the police department’s services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“Ultimately, it is important for cities, police departments and government entities to examine their policies and training to ensure an inclusive environment for people with disabilities,” said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. “Cases involving Miranda Rights and the rights of individuals to be read their Fifth Amendment rights are central to America’s justice system. As a society, we need to be vigilant to protect a person’s basic rights and provide reasonable accommodations as required by law.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In the complaint filed with MDHR, Alan Read, who is deaf, stated, he had requested an interpreter to communicate with the officer during an after-arrest interview on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2013. After he was provided with a written copy of the Miranda Rights, Mr. Read requested either an interpreter or his sister to allow him to communicate with the officer, as he was not confident in his writing skills and preferred an interpreter. According to the memorandum, the officer called Read’s sister to get information on interpreter services. When the officer reached an interpreter service, the officer stated, “We have read through the Miranda. I think he understands that. Um, I guess that I would feel better … if we’re going to use you to just go through that from the start again.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;About 30 minutes later, the officer told Mr. Read that they did not have an interpreter available. “Ironically, the officer actually spoke with (his) sister to get the contact information for the interpreter service,” the memorandum stated. “However, (the officer) did not ask the sister about her availability or willingness to interpret for (Mr. Read).”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Additionally, three days earlier, the Oakdale Police Department had provided Mr. Read a sign-language interpreter to allow him to file a complaint against an individual for an alleged theft he had experienced. At the time of the Saturday interview, Mr. Read would have been physically available to the Oakdale Police Department for the next 48-hours and there would not have been an opportunity for a first appearance in criminal court until Monday. However, the officer implied there was an obligation to complete the initial report by the end of that day’s shift, according to the Memorandum of Determination. The officer stated it was permissible to create supplemental reports that do not have a time limit, which may include Miranda information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The MDHR investigation determined:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mr. Read had difficulty with understanding written language.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Oakdale Police Department was aware of the charging party’s struggles understanding written communication.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The officer’s comments indicated the police department had concerns that Mr. Read did not understand its communications.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Oakdale Police Department did not have a policy and its officers did not have training on how to interact with deaf suspects.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Despite the officer’s 15 years of experience working with the jail, the officer was unaware of available resources.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Oakdale Police Department relied upon Mr. Read for direction and solutions related to acquiring the preferred accommodation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Most importantly, the Oakdale Police Department repeatedly disregarded the requested use of Mr. Read’s sister, the preferred accommodation, based solely upon speculative, unfounded and unnecessary timeliness concerns.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Read v. Oakdale Police Department settlement agreement details how the Department will update its policies, procedures and services, designate a deaf and hard-of-hearing coordinator, and provide training to staff to ensure individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing have full and equal enjoyment of public services. The Oakdale Police Department paid Mr. Read $15,000, Gilbert Law, PLLC, $10,000 and Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid $5,000.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Minnesota Human Rights Act protects people with disabilities from entities refusing to reasonably accommodate an individual with a disability and from refusing or limiting access to public services. Disability discrimination and retaliation are two of the most common claims that MDHR investigates. Between July and December of 2015, 35 percent of the complaints involved claims of disability discrimination, without regard to the subject area, and 5 percent of the complaints were in the area of public services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Saturday is Deaf Awareness Day and the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens will host an event in North St. Paul. If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, please contact MDHR’s enforcement unit at 651.539.1100, 1.800.657.3704 or online at mn.gov/mdhr/intake. For more information about disability discrimination, please visit mn.gov/mdhr or follow the conversation on Twitter at Twitter at @mnhumanrights&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:christine.dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Christine Dufour&lt;/a&gt; at 651-539-1118
&lt;br /&gt;
or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Christine.Dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Christine.Dufour@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department
&lt;br /&gt;
Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242793</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:40:54Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Case Studies in Enforcement reveal myriad discrimination cases in Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Governor Dayton Appoints James C. Burroughs II as Chief Inclusion Officer for State of Minnesota</Title><title>-Governor Dayton Appoints James C. Burroughs II as Chief Inclusion Officer for State of Minnesota</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242792&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-04-08T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>ST. PAUL, MN – Today, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights released its Case Summaries in Enforcement that spans four years and myriad discrimination charges including age, race, disability, national origin, gender, pregnancy, religion, sexual orientation and reprisal.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A Quote from Minnesota Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;“James will be a wonderful addition to the multi-agency team working to create inclusion in state government within the State of Minnesota. We are very fortunate to add his insight, knowledge and dedication to the important work of creating diversity and establishing inclusion within Minnesota,” said Commissioner Kevin Lindsey upon hearing that Mr. Burroughs had accepted the newly created position of Chief Inclusion Officer. “As a member of the hiring selection committee, I want to personally thank Tawanna Black, Lena Gardner, Dustin Goslin, Ruby Lee, and Terri Thao who served on the committee and who were instrumental to the process.”ST. PAUL, MN - Today, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights released its Case Summaries in Enforcement that spans four years and myriad discrimination charges including age, race, disability, national origin, gender, pregnancy, religion, sexual orientation and reprisal.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Burroughs brings over 20 years of experience to role of ensuring state government creates an inclusive environment and reflects the rich diversity of Minnesota&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ST. PAUL, MN – Today, Governor Mark Dayton announced the appointment of James C. Burroughs II as Chief Inclusion Officer for the State of Minnesota. In this role, Burroughs will oversee the State of Minnesota’s efforts to ensure: (1) that the state’s workforce reflects the rich diversity of Minnesota by increasing economic opportunity for people of color, people with disabilities, and others underrepresented in our workforce; (2) increasing state contracting opportunities for racially diverse businesses; and (3) increasing the state’s civic engagement and partnerships with communities of color and other diverse communities. Burroughs brings over 20 years of experience in diversity and inclusion, non-profit management, and employment law. He has led equity and diversity efforts for educational institutions, public entities, and private sector employers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I am honored to appoint James C. Burroughs II as Chief Inclusion Officer for the State of Minnesota. Mr. Burroughs brings a proven record of success in advising clients and developing effective strategies for diversity and inclusion in both the public and private sectors,” said Governor Mark Dayton. “Mr. Burroughs will be invaluable in our state’s efforts to be more inclusive and representative of the people we serve. I thank the search committee for their exceptional work.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As Chief Inclusion Officer for the State of Minnesota, Burroughs will be responsible for leading efforts across state government to increase the percentage of state jobs held by people of color, as well as increasing economic opportunity for people with disabilities and others underrepresented within the state’s workforce. Governor Dayton has committed $2.6 million in his proposed budget to making this recruitment a reality. Burroughs also will direct efforts within the state workforce to provide training, foster a state work environment that welcomes and respects all Minnesotans, and work with outside groups to ensure that Minnesota is a state that works for everyone, everywhere.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About James C. Burroughs&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;James C. Burroughs has over 20 years of experience in diversity and inclusion, non-profit management, and employment law. He has led equity and diversity efforts for educational institutions, public entities, and the private sector. Burroughs has worked with various consulting groups over the last two decades, providing expertise on issues including diversity in hiring, executive training on diversity and inclusion, and human resources management. In these roles, Burroughs has worked with businesses including Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 companies throughout the world.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Burroughs also served for nearly seven years as the Executive Director of Equity and Diversity for Minneapolis Public Schools, where he oversaw the implementation of the schools’ efforts on diversity and equity, including their integration plan, inclusion training, and diversity partnerships with businesses and institutions (supplier diversity). Previously, Burroughs worked in law. He was an Associate at Dorsey &amp;amp; Whitney LLP where he also assisted the firm in hiring and retaining more diverse lawyers as a member of the firm’s hiring committee. James also co-chaired the Twin Cities Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms and worked with minority lawyers and large law firms to increase racial diversity in the legal profession in Minnesota. James also served as an adjunct faculty member at Hamline (now Mitchell Hamline) University School of Law and the University of Minnesota Law School.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;James C. Burroughs is a board member of the Sabathani Community Center, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, Memorial Blood Centers (Advisory Board), Robert Jones Urban Research and Outreach- Engagement Center (Advisory Board). Burroughs lives in Brooklyn Park with his three-year-old daughter. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at Morehouse College and his Juris Doctorate at Georgetown University Law Center.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View James C. Burroughs’ full biography here.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Search Committee&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There was an extensive search process to fill this crucial role, with ten representatives from a diverse array of public, private, and nonprofit partners coming together to consider more than 100 candidates. Members of Governor Dayton’s senior staff and cabinet, including Chief of Staff Jaime Tincher, Deputy Chief of Staff Shawntera Hardy, Management and Budget Commissioner Myron Frans, Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey, Administration Commissioner Matt Massman, Management and Budget Deputy Commissioner Edwin Hudson, and Olmstead Implementation Office Executive Director Darlene Zangara helped lead the search effort, along with the following search committee members:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tawanna Black, Executive Director, Northside Funders Group&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I commend Governor Dayton and his administration on establishing a strategic goal of strengthening state government operations by fully embracing the diversity of thought and experience that can come through a more diverse workforce that fully embraces the great talent in our communities of color. And, I applaud his decision to ensure that this goal is fulfilled by creating a Chief Inclusion Officer role. James’ breadth of experience leading diversity and inclusion strategies, and his commitment to building inclusive, prosperous, and equitable organizations will serve our state well.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lena K. Gardner, Black Lives Matter Minneapolis&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Hiring James Burroughs is an excellent step in the right direction. The state of Minnesota has failed its Black communities for too long. Adjusting the state workforce to be more representative of our population and more genuinely inclusive of people who have been shut out of the system because of their cultural or other identities is the very beginning. None of us are free until we&apos;re all free and we have a long way to go. It’s heartening to see the Governor&apos;s office and various government agencies make progress in committing to lessening racial disparities. I look forward to a bold commitment from both GOP and DFLers to end them definitively and in unequivocal terms with at least the same fervor with which new stadiums are erected.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dustin Goslin, Vice President of Hotel Operations, Grand Casino Mille Lacs&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Mr. Burroughs will bring a high level of talent and expertise to this important state role. He has demonstrated his ability to influence change through passion and credibility. I am confident that he will be able to drive results and build a state workforce that better represents the diversity of our state.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ruby Lee, President, Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servico (CLUES)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I am excited to work with Mr. Burroughs as he and other State officials lead outreach and inclusion efforts, so that the State workforce can better reflect Minnesota’s rich cultures and diversity.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Terri Thao, Program Director, Nexus Community Partners&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;I was honored to be part of this process selecting the state&apos;s new Chief Inclusion Officer. I look forward to seeing the state of Minnesota, under the lead of the Governor and now Mr. Burroughs, ensuring more equitable outcomes within the state and for the community.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; 
&lt;div&gt;###
&lt;div&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;Office of the Governor &amp;amp; Lt. Governor, Communications Department
&lt;br /&gt;
116 Veterans Service Building, 20 West 12th Street, St. Paul, MN 55155
&lt;br /&gt;
T: 651-201-3400 | E: Dayton.Media@state.mn.us&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242792</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:17:48Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MDHR&apos;s St. Cloud Human Rights office hours expanding March 23</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MDHR&apos;s St. Cloud Human Rights office hours expanding March 23</Title><title>-MDHR&apos;s St. Cloud Human Rights office hours expanding March 23</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242791&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-03-22T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights announced it is expanding its St. Cloud office hours to every other Wednesday beginning March 23, 2016.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN – The Minnesota Department of Human Rights announced it is expanding its St. Cloud office hours to every other Wednesday beginning March 23, 2016.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A MDHR enforcement officer will staff the St. Cloud Human Rights Office from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every other Wednesday to provide intake services, to investigate discrimination complaints and to meet members of the public. MDHR is providing experienced enforcement officers and senior-level civic engagement services to connect St. Cloud to statewide initiatives. Additionally, enforcement officers are available by calling 1.800.657.3704 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“By expanding MDHR’s presence in St. Cloud to every other week, St. Cloud area citizens will have a more consistent presence in the community until a stable funding source can be established,” Commissioner Kevin Lindsey said. “We hope that leadership in both chambers of the Legislature will join the Governor in supporting funding levels for the Department to support the St. Cloud office being open 40 hours a week.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As part of a statewide effort to eliminate racial and economic disparities, Governor Mark Dayton has included $900,000 in his 2016 supplemental budget for MDHR to improve enforcement of state law and make it easier for Minnesotans to file human rights complaints. These new resources will allow the Department to expand community outreach efforts, improve its enforcement efforts, and reopen a Regional Office in St. Cloud.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Commissioner Lindsey will speak at the St. Cloud Technical and Community College Student Success Day from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on March 31, the Global Social Responsibility Conference at St. Cloud State University on April 6, and the Holiday Inn &amp;amp; Suites Annual Human Rights training on May 4. Commissioner Lindsey will be meeting with community members on April 6 to discuss regional and statewide issues, diversity and inclusion efforts, and the Minnesota Human Rights Act.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;MDHR has been providing temporary staffing since October 2015 after the resignation of its local enforcement officer. Since then, an enforcement officer has staffed the office once a month.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, please contact MDHR’s enforcement unit at 651.539.1100, 1.800.657.3704 or online at &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-216450&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;050 Intake&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;050 First Step - Intake&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr/intake&lt;/a&gt;. There is no fee to file a charge with MDHR. For more information about discrimination or your rights under the MHRA, please visit mn.gov/mdhr or follow the conversation on Twitter at @mnhumanrights.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:christine.dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Christine Dufour&lt;/a&gt; at 651-539-1118
&lt;br /&gt;
or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Christine.Dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Christine.Dufour@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department
&lt;br /&gt;
Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242791</id><pubdate>2024-08-01T18:56:23Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Cases</Title><Id>249134</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MDHR Closed Case: Hibbing School District Administrator engages in alleged sex-based behavior with female students</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Public Places</Title><Id>244480</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Sexual Harassment</Title><Id>244489</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MDHR Closed Case: Hibbing School District Administrator engages in alleged sex-based behavior with female students</Title><title>-MDHR Closed Case  Hibbing School District Administrator engages in alleged sex based behavior with female students</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242743&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-02-26T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>ST. PAUL, MN – Minnesota Department of Human Rights issued a probable cause determination finding of illegal sexual discrimination against Hibbing School District 701 for its failure to respond to complaints from female students who were inappropriately subjected to questioning by a senior administrator about the sexual abuse they suffered.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MDHR issued a probable cause determination finding of illegal sexual discrimination against Hibbing School District 701 for its failure to respond to complaints from female students</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN - Minnesota Department of Human Rights issued a probable cause determination finding of illegal sexual discrimination against Hibbing School District 701 for its failure to respond to complaints from female students who were inappropriately subjected to questioning by a senior administrator about the sexual abuse they suffered.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will be meeting with parents and community members to answer questions regarding the case at the Hibbing Coalition for Save and Accountable School meeting starting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 29 at the Lincoln Elementary School Library in Hibbing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In September 2013, The Department of Human Rights initiated a Commissioner&apos;s charge regarding sexual discrimination and sexual-orientation discrimination at the Hibbing School District following concerns from several Hibbing community members. MDHR investigators completed the investigation, which included over 60 interviews, in July 2014. The 14-page memorandum of determination found probable cause of sexual discrimination. It found no probable cause of discrimination in the case of sexual orientation discrimination.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;MDHR investigators found evidence of severe and pervasive sex-based behavior that created a hostile environment for female students that consequently interfered with their ability to learn,&quot; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. &quot;After issuing the determination, MDHR began monitoring the school district and senior administrator. Recently, MDHR has issued a probable cause determination against the District in a second matter and anticipates that it will be extending the monitoring period.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In accordance with state law, MDHR has provided the Board of School Administrators with investigative data regarding this case. BOSA&apos;s duties include licensing of Minnesota school administrators, and enforcing the code of ethics covering standards of practice for school administrators.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;MDHR investigators found the sex-based behavior during the 2012-13 school year was severe and pervasive enough to constitute a hostile environment that interfered with the students&apos; access to education. According to the memorandum of determination, the Department found evidence of illegal discrimination against students by the administrator based on their sex, primarily during the 2012-13 school year. The Department found:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The conversations between the administrator and the female students - who were inappropriately subjected to questioning about the sexual abuse they suffered - is sufficient evidence to support a discrimination finding.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The administrator discriminated against female students by advising and questioning them on the female students&apos; use of birth control, their sexuality and their dating life.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The disruption of class time by the administrator, including but not limited to the use of pink slips, to routinely call female students out of class to have conversations regarding their dating life and other conversations unrelated to his job duties, is sufficient evidence to support a finding of discrimination by the District.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Department&apos;s investigation also found that the District failed to comply with its own harassment investigation policies and it did not act in good faith when responding to the reports of district teachers that female students were inappropriately subjected to questioning about the sexual abuse they suffered. This questioning made them uncomfortable and traumatized.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;After issuing the probable cause determination, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights reached an understanding that the Hibbing School District would secure an expert to review its policies, and process for ensuring compliance with state and federal laws. Additionally, the District would secure training for the senior administrator, the School Board, Superintendent, Administrators, faculty and staff on discrimination, appropriate boundaries, and the reporting responsibilities under Minnesota law.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, please contact MDHR&apos;s enforcement unit at 651.539.1100, 1.800.657.3704 or online at &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-216450&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;050 Intake&quot; xlink:title=&quot;050 First Step - Intake&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr/intake&lt;/a&gt;. For more information about discrimination in educational institutions, please visit mn.gov/mdhr or follow the conversation on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Contact: &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:christine.dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Christine Dufour&lt;/a&gt; at 651-539-1118
&lt;br /&gt;
or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Christine.Dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Christine.Dufour@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department
&lt;br /&gt;
Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242743</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:38:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Case Studies in Enforcement reveal myriad discrimination cases in Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Case Studies in Enforcement reveal myriad discrimination cases in Minnesota</Title><title>-Case Studies in Enforcement reveal myriad discrimination cases in Minnesota</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242714&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-02-19T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Today, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights released its Case Summaries in Enforcement that spans four years and myriad discrimination charges including age, race, disability, national origin, gender, pregnancy, religion, sexual orientation and reprisal.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Cases span four years and myriad discrimination charges</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN - Today, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights released its Case Summaries in Enforcement that spans four years and myriad discrimination charges including age, race, disability, national origin, gender, pregnancy, religion, sexual orientation and reprisal.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-229648&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;2.0 MDHR Enforcement Case Summaries&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2.0 MDHR Enforcement Case Summaries&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;These cases represent a portion of the approximately 2,400 cases the Department investigated from 2011 to 2015. The cases include well-publicized cases such as the&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/news-releases/news-releases.jsp#/detail/appId/1/id/242750&quot;&gt;wedding venue that denied service to a same-sex couple&lt;/a&gt; and the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/news-releases/news-releases.jsp#/detail/appId/1/id/242708&quot;&gt;hearing-impaired female that sought a loan modification&lt;/a&gt; and allegedly was refused a reasonable accommodation request to solely communicate with her by email. The cases also give a glimpse into the broad range of discrimination complaints filed with the Department.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;MDHR investigators within the Department are responsible for investigating claims of discrimination in areas such as business, credit, education, employment, housing, public accommodation and public services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;Our hope is that the citizens of Minnesota will better understand the Minnesota Human Rights Act through these cases to see the many faces of discrimination throughout the state,&quot; Commissioner Kevin Lindsey said. &quot;All individuals in Minnesota are protected from discrimination under the Human Rights Act. Filing is easy, free and does not require an attorney to file.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Cases reveal stories of discrimination throughout the state. &quot;By shining a light on discrimination, we can educate, change policies and begin to alter behaviors to reduce discrimination and create a more inclusive environment,&quot; Lindsey said.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Cases show alleged discrimination in workplaces, businesses and schools such as these.
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/news-releases/news-releases.jsp#/detail/appId/1/id/242708&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Letourneau v. Bank of America&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; - Bank of America paid $155,000 to resolve a probable cause finding of discrimination by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights concerning the processing of a home loan modification for Kathryn Letourneau, the hearing-impaired customer. The charging party sought a loan modification with the respondent. The charging party&apos;s husband asked that the respondent communicate with the charging party solely via e-mail. The respondent did not honor this request. After review of the evidence, the Department concluded the respondent&apos;s denial of service was attributable to the respondent&apos;s refusal to reasonably accommodate the charging party by communicating with her solely via e-mail. The matter was resolved through conciliation where the respondent agreed to provide training to staff, pay damages and attorney fees to the charging party, and allow the charging party, contingent on final FHA loan payment, to assume the mortgage loan.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/case-histories/case-spotlight/?id=1061-242722&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hinrichs v. Alexandria Light and Power&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; - Alexandria Light and Power paid $65,000 to resolve a Minnesota Department of Human Rights&apos; finding of probable cause that discrimination occurred related to the termination of its former Information Technology Administrator Richard Hinrichs. During his employment, the charging party had his right leg amputated just below the knee. After surgery, but before the charging party returned to work, the respondent gave the charging party a revised job description, which included the requirement to lift 50 lbs, climb ladders, and crawl into tight spaces. The charging party&apos;s attorney sent a letter to respondent requesting removal of certain elements from the revised job description. Several months the after charging party returned to work, he received a warning letter stating the respondent&apos;s general manager would be monitoring his work performance. The Department&apos;s investigation found the respondent&apos;s general manager sought to embarrass Hinrichs and that the respondent&apos;s actions were pretext. This matter was resolved through conciliation where the respondent agreed to provide training to all its management and supervisory employees and pay damages and attorney fees to the charging party.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/case-histories/case-spotlight/?id=1061-242753&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Altenburg v. Jack Links Beef Jerky&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; - Jack Link&apos;s Beef Jerky agreed to pay a former employee $50,000 after the Minnesota Department of Human Rights issued a probable cause discrimination finding for sexual harassment and constructive discharge. Altenburg, a female, was employed by the respondent. The charging party worked with a male supervisor who created a sexually hostile working environment. The charging party complained, which resulted in the supervisor being given a written warning. Two weeks later, the supervisor was promoted to charging party&apos;s direct supervisor. The Department&apos;s investigation found the charging party was subjected to a hostile work environment based on her sex, reprisal, and constructive discharge. This matter was resolved through conciliation where the respondent agreed to provide training for managerial and supervisory employees and pay damages to the charging party.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;B.R. v. Electro Static Corp&lt;/strong&gt;. - The respondent&apos;s supervisor, a male, made inappropriate sexual comments to and physically touched the charging party. The charging party, an undocumented worker, informed him his conduct was unwelcome. The respondent&apos;s supervisor persisted and took photos of the charging party over her objection; pulled up her blouse; asked her to show him her underwear; pretended to unzip his pants in the charging party&apos;s face while she was working on her knees; and drove past her home and attempted to enter when her husband wasn&apos;t home. The charging party stopped speaking to the respondent and sought to avoid all contact with him. The respondent&apos;s supervisor immediately began to become critical of all aspects of her work performance. The charging party was then informed by the respondent&apos;s Vice-President that her employment was being terminated because of her supervisor&apos;s complaints. The Department&apos;s investigation found a sexually hostile working environment and retaliation by the manager as a result of B.R. rejecting his sexual advances. The matter was resolved through conciliation. Electro Static Corp. paid B.R. and her attorneys $45,000.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/case-histories/case-spotlight/?id=1061-242777&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;LeClaire v. Brian Fanfulik/Liquor Pig&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; - The owner of a St. Cloud liquor store paid a former employee and her attorneys $30,000 after the Department of Human Rights found probable cause to believe he had sexually harassed her. The Department also found that, after she complained about the harassment, store owner Brian Fanfulik engaged in reprisal by making her working conditions intolerable.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hashi v. County of Hennepin&lt;/strong&gt; - Hashi is a Muslim woman of Somali national origin who went to the respondent to obtain services. While obtaining services, Hashi realized it was time for required prayer and was given permission to pray in a small area near the work cube of the respondent&apos;s representative. While Hashi was praying, a different representative of the respondent came out, ordered Hashi to move, touched Hashi in an effort to move her, moved Hashi&apos;s belongings, and continued to do so after being told Hashi was given permission to pray. This matter was resolved through conciliation where the respondent agreed to provide training through the Council on American-Islamic Relations, develop or review policies and procedures, notify employees of designated meditation/ prayer space, issue a letter of apology, and pay damages of $1,500.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Read more about the &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Case_Summaries_Report_tcm1061-213368.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Case_Summaries_Report&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Case_Summaries_Report&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Case Studies in Enforcement&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/&quot;&gt;how to file a claim&lt;/a&gt; by visiting mn.gov/mdhr, liking us on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt;, or following us on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:christine.dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Christine Dufour&lt;/a&gt; at 651-539-1118
&lt;br /&gt;
or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Christine.Dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Christine.Dufour@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department
&lt;br /&gt;
Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242714</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:37:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Cases</Title><Id>249134</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Job Candidate with a Disability Receives $185,000 for Failure to be Hired</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Job Candidate with a Disability Receives $185,000 for Failure to be Hired</Title><title>-Job Candidate with a Disability Receives  185,000 for Failure to be Hired</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242739&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2015-12-22T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>ST. PAUL, MN – Medical Transportation Management paid $185,000 to resolve a Minnesota Department of Human Rights’ finding of probable cause that disability discrimination occurred related to the failure to hire a job candidate with a visual impairment.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN - Medical Transportation Management paid $185,000 to resolve a Minnesota Department of Human Rights&apos; finding of probable cause that disability discrimination occurred related to the failure to hire a job candidate with a visual impairment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights announced Medical Transportation Management paid Therese Dahlberg, a job candidate as a customer service representative, $185,000 to resolve alleged disability discrimination for failure to hire Dahlberg. Medical Transportation Management allegedly released Dahlberg from a job interview after the company&apos;s human resources representative learned of Dahlberg&apos;s visual disability.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Disability discrimination is one of the most common claims that MDHR investigates. &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/mdhr_legislative_report_july2015_tcm1061-229698.pdf&quot; title=&quot;mdhr_legislative_report_july2015.pdf&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mdhr_legislative_report_july2015.pdf&quot;&gt;From January to June of 2015&lt;/a&gt;, 23 percent of the cases the Department investigated were disability discrimination charges.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;It is important to remember the critical opportunity for both the employer and the job candidate in creating Minnesota&apos;s future workforce through competitive employment opportunities,&quot; said Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. &quot;All employers must ensure that their management staff is knowledgeable about providing necessary &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/employers/reasonable-accommodations/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;000 Reasonable Accommodations Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Reasonable Accommodations Page Intro&quot;&gt;reasonable accommodations during the job application and hiring process to allow job candidates with disabilities to participate&lt;/a&gt;.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As alleged in the charge of discrimination, Dahlberg interviewed with a Medical Transportation Management human resources representative on Jan. 16, 2012, and was told, &quot;There was no point in proceeding with the job interview as the accommodation for this disability (text-to-speech software) did not work on the respondent&apos;s computer operating system.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;After Dahlberg&apos;s interview, employees of the Minnesota State Services for the Blind performed an on-site evaluation of the respondent&apos;s operating systems. The SSB employees specifically investigated whether the certain text-to-speech software would effectively allow Dahlberg to perform the duties of a customer service representative.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Medical Transportation Management hired three candidates for the position, according to the MDHR determination memorandum. Medical Transportation Management indicated it did not hire the charging party because it was unable to accommodate her disability-related work restrictions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;Sufficient evidence indicated the failure to hire (Dahlberg) was based upon speculative fears or challenges, which the evidence indicated could have been accommodated without posing an undue hardship to the respondent,&quot; according to the MDHR determination memorandum. Medical Transportation Management&apos;s undue hardship claims were insufficient as concerns related to privacy could be addressed with headphones.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;As we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act, we need to remember that barriers to employment for people with disabilities are still very real,&quot; said Joan Willshire, Minnesota State Council on Disability Executive Director. &quot;This case illustrates the ongoing challenges for individuals with disabilities. The ADA states that people with disabilities have the right to equal access during the hiring process. Therefore, employers must give people with disabilities the same consideration as all other candidates. Assistive technologies help make that possible. Modern technology allows employers to reasonably accommodate most applicants who have a disability. Failure to provide reasonable accommodations is discrimination and against the law.&quot;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For more information on assistance for people who are visually impaired, contact the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/YqoaknncRLU&quot;&gt;State Services for the Blind&lt;/a&gt;. Other resources may be available through the Minnesota STAR (System of Technology to Achieve Results), which helps Minnesotans connect with assistive technology devices and services. If you believe you have been discriminated against and you are an individual with a disability or another protected class under the &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-213230&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;000 Minnesota Human Rights Act Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Minnesota Human Rights Act Page Intro&quot;&gt;Minnesota Human Rights Act&lt;/a&gt;, you can contact MDHR&apos;s enforcement unit at: 651.539.1100 or online at &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-216450&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;050 Intake&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;050 First Step - Intake&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr/intake&lt;/a&gt;. For more information about disability discrimination and disability employment, visit mn.gov/mdhr or follow the conversation on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt; or Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:christine.dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Christine Dufour&lt;/a&gt; at 651-539-1118
&lt;br /&gt;
or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Christine.Dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Christine.Dufour@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department
&lt;br /&gt;
Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Assistive Technology Resources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deed/job-seekers/blind-visual-impaired/business-services/&quot;&gt;State Services for the Blind&lt;/a&gt;: SSB serves individuals with vision impairments through a publicly funded vocational rehabilitation program. Using SSB&apos;s placement services does not cost employers anything. There are no costs to the employer when partnering with SSB. Additionally, SSB has information for employers including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tips for interviewing a person who is blind&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Myths&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Why hire SSB applicants&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Technology to assist you
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;State Services for the Blind
&lt;br /&gt;
651-539-2300
&lt;br /&gt;
800-652-9000&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mn.gov/admin/star/&quot;&gt;Minnesota STAR Program&lt;/a&gt;: helps Minnesotans with disabilities find the assistive technology they need to succeed at home, school, work and in the community b providing devise loans, devices reuse, information, training and technical assistance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Star Program
&lt;br /&gt;
651-201-2640 (main)
&lt;br /&gt;
888-234-1267 (toll free)
&lt;br /&gt;
800-627-3529 or 7-1-1 (Minnesota Relay)
&lt;br /&gt;
651-282-6671 (fax)
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/admin/star&quot;&gt;http://mn.gov/admin/star&lt;/a&gt; (website)
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:star.program@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;star.program@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; (email)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242739</id><pubdate>2024-08-01T18:56:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Rowzat Shipchandler named MDHR Deputy Commissioner</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Rowzat Shipchandler named MDHR Deputy Commissioner</Title><title>-Rowzat Shipchandler named MDHR Deputy Commissioner</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242776&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2015-09-01T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey today announced the appointment of Rowzat Shipchandler as Deputy Commissioner.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN - Minnesota Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey today announced the appointment of Rowzat Shipchandler as Deputy Commissioner.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Deputy Commissioner Shipchandler brings a wealth of experience and leadership in racial equity, multiculturalism, community engagement, project management and operations. As Deputy Commissioner, she will oversee the operations of the Department.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;We are pleased with the leadership and expertise that Deputy Shipchandler will bring to the Department,&quot; Commissioner Lindsey said. &quot;Rowzat is uniquely suited to help lead MDHR&apos;s diversity and inclusion efforts in realizing Governor Mark Dayton&apos;s commitment to equal employment opportunities, equal contracting opportunities, and full participation in civic life for all Minnesotans.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Rowzat comes to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights from The Saint Paul Foundation, an affiliate of Minnesota Philanthropy Partners. The Saint Paul Foundation has been elevating the issue of racial equity for many years, efforts which were led by Rowzat for the past 10 years. During her tenure at the foundation, Rowzat led a dialogue program focused on race, established the annual Facing Race Ambassador Awards and staffed culturally specific grantmaking programs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;As a daughter of immigrants, diversity and inclusion is an area that has intrigued me throughout my career,&quot; Deputy Shipchandler said. &quot;This is an opportunity to make a difference on a larger scale.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Shipchandler&apos;s career includes diverse experience from serving as a community organizer to helping the Minnesota Crime Victim Reparations Board design and outreach program for communities of color in 1996. At the Greater Twin Cities United Way, she spent five years supporting small nonprofits that serve immigrants and communities of color.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more information about the Governor&apos;s Diversity and Inclusion Council, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-244206&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;000 Chatcasts Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Chatcasts Page Intro&quot;&gt;MDHR&apos;s Chatcast&lt;/a&gt; or read the &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-244219&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;000 Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Page Intro&quot;&gt;Diversity and Inclusion Council&apos;s report&lt;/a&gt; by visiting &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt; or following us on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:christine.dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Christine Dufour&lt;/a&gt; at 651-539-1118
&lt;br /&gt;
or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Christine.Dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Christine.Dufour@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department
&lt;br /&gt;
Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242776</id><pubdate>2017-06-23T20:43:59Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MDHR Commissioner Lindsey Guest Reader at the Reading Oasis Tuesday</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MDHR Commissioner Lindsey Guest Reader at the Reading Oasis Tuesday</Title><title>-MDHR Commissioner Lindsey Guest Reader at the Reading Oasis Tuesday</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242744&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2015-08-24T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Commissioner Lindsey reads to kids at the Reading Oasis, August 25.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Commissioner Lindsey reads to kids at the Reading Oasis, August 25.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN - MDHR Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will be a guest reader at the Reading Oasis at Mower County Health and Human Services at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 25th.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will visit with children and parents and then read three books: &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sneetches_and_Other_Stories&quot;&gt;The Sneetches&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.com/Teammates-Peter-Golenbock/dp/0152842861&quot;&gt;Teammates&lt;/a&gt; (the story of Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese), and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.com/On-Day-You-Were-Born/dp/015205944X&quot;&gt;On the Day You Were Born&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;Because literacy and early childhood education efforts are so vital to the success of children, it is my pleasure to be able to read at the Reading Oasis,&quot; MDHR Commissioner Kevin Lindsey said. &quot;The Mower County community should be commended for its efforts to leverage the delivery of its health and human services programs with the opportunity to expand the love of reading to children.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Commissioner Lindsey was appointed Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights in February 2011 after previously serving as a civil litigation attorney in the Office of the Ramsey County Attorney. Commissioner Lindsey has 20 years of experience in resolving complex legal and public policy questions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As Commissioner, Lindsey is responsible for a department whose mission is to make Minnesota discrimination free. The Department of Human Rights enforces the &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-213230&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;000 Minnesota Human Rights Act Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Minnesota Human Rights Act Page Intro&quot;&gt;Minnesota Human Rights Act&lt;/a&gt;, which prohibits discrimination based on race, gender, religion, color, creed, nationality, age, disability, sexual orientation and other characteristics protected under the Act. Discrimination is prohibited in employment, housing, public accommodations, public services, business, credit and other areas.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, please contact MDHR&apos;s enforcement unit at 651.539.1100, 1.800.657.3704 or online at &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-216450&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;050 Intake&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;050 First Step - Intake&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr/intake&lt;/a&gt;. For more information about sexual harassment, please visit mn.gov/mdhr or follow the conversation on Twitter at Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:christine.dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Christine Dufour&lt;/a&gt; at 651-539-1118
&lt;br /&gt;
or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Christine.Dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Christine.Dufour@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department
&lt;br /&gt;
Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242744</id><pubdate>2024-08-01T18:56:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Cases</Title><Id>249134</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MDHR settlement: Jack Link’s Beef Jerky to pay $50,000 for its failure to successfully address sexual harassment in the workplace</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Sexual Harassment</Title><Id>244489</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MDHR settlement: Jack Link’s Beef Jerky to pay $50,000 for its failure to successfully address sexual harassment in the workplace</Title><title>-MDHR settlement  Jack Link s Beef Jerky to pay  50,000 for its failure to successfully address sexual harassment in the workplace</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242753&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2015-07-21T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Jack Link’s Beef Jerky has agreed to pay a former employee $50,000 after the Minnesota Department of Human Rights issued a probable cause discrimination finding for sexual harassment and constructive discharge.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Agreed to pay a former employee $50,000 after MDHR issued a probable cause discrimination finding for sexual harassment and constructive discharge.</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN - Jack Link&apos;s Beef Jerky has agreed to pay a former employee $50,000 after the Minnesota Department of Human Rights issued a probable cause discrimination finding for sexual harassment and constructive discharge.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In August 2012, the female employee was hired as a line lead worker at Jack Link&apos;s Beef Jerky. Almost immediately after beginning her new job, the woman&apos;s Supervisor began making sexual advances toward her; calling her &quot;baby,&quot; saying she was beautiful, asking if she was single, chanting &quot;pack baby pack&quot; and asking her if he was too old for her. Despite initial discipline by the employer, the employer promoted the alleged harasser two weeks later as an immediate supervisor of the lead line work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;This is an unusual case in that the employer took the right step in originally disciplining the supervisor,&quot; said MDHR Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. &quot;The employer however undermined its efforts by not subsequently monitoring the actions of the alleged harasser. Employers need to maintain contact with the employee who has complained of sexual harassment to make sure that the measures that they have undertaken are actually working.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;On November 24, 2012, the woman reported the Supervisor&apos;s sexual harassment to the company&apos;s human resources department. The Supervisor was subsequently suspended for two days. Within days of returning from the suspension, the Supervisor was promoted to become the former employee&apos;s new Direct Supervisor. As a result of the promotion, the Supervisor had more direct access to the former employee.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Supervisor continued to engage in harassing conduct toward the former employee and, according to co-workers, the woman was brought to tears at work. The woman&apos;s final shift was Dec. 9 and on Dec. 16 she informed Jack Link&apos;s Beef Jerky that she could no longer &quot;tolerate what is going on at work.&quot; The Department&apos;s investigation into the employer&apos;s workplace found multiple female employees confirmed the Supervisor had a &quot;high frequency of making comments, inappropriately touching female employees and acting as though he was in search of a girlfriend.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Department concluded that such &quot;a close temporal connection of time between a complaint of sexual harassment, discipline and then a promotion that gave the supervisor more access to the employee who complained belies the original intent of discipline. Rather, the respondent&apos;s actions sent the opposite message of discipline; one may receive a reward for (engaging in harassment).&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Under the terms of the settlement, Jack Link&apos;s Beef Jerky will provide training on the Minnesota Human Rights Act and how to properly respond to sexual harassment to all managerial and supervisory employees who have authority over Minnesota production and processing operations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, please contact MDHR&apos;s enforcement unit at 651.539.1100, 1.800.657.3704 or online at &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-216450&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;050 Intake&quot; xlink:title=&quot;050 First Step - Intake&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr/intake&lt;/a&gt;. For more information about sexual harassment, please visit mn.gov/mdhr or follow the conversation on Twitter at Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:christine.dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Christine Dufour&lt;/a&gt; at 651-539-1118
&lt;br /&gt;
or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Christine.Dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Christine.Dufour@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department
&lt;br /&gt;
Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242753</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:39:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Cases</Title><Id>249134</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Bank of America pays $155,000 in Minnesota Department of Human Rights settlement</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Public Places</Title><Id>244480</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Disability</Title><Id>244473</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Bank of America pays $155,000 in a MDHR settlement</Title><title>-Bank of America pays  155,000 in Minnesota Department of Human Rights settlement</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242708&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2015-03-02T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Bank of America will pay $155,000 to resolve a MDHR probable cause finding of discrimination concerning the processing of a home loan modification for Kathryn Letourneau, the hearing-impaired customer.</ShortDescription><Subtitle> Resolves a probable cause finding of discrimination by MDHR when processing a home loan modification for a hearing-impaired customer.</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN - Bank of America will pay $155,000 to resolve a probable cause finding of discrimination by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights concerning the processing of a home loan modification for Kathryn Letourneau, the hearing-impaired customer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;bgyel border&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;imgcaption&quot;&gt;Kathryn Letourneau&apos;S HOME&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;Next year marks the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act,&quot; said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. &quot;All businesses that serve the public must ensure that they are providing &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/yourrights/who-is-protected/disability/reasonable-accommodation.jsp&quot;&gt;reasonable accommodations&lt;/a&gt; for people with disabilities.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In the complaint filed with the Department, Ms. Letourneau stated, she had requested Bank of America communicate solely with her via email during the $140,000 HARP loan modification process. After initially honoring the accommodation request, Bank of America stopped providing the accommodation in the months immediately before its decision to deny the loan modification. Bank of America&apos;s denial of the loan modification was attributable to Bank of America&apos;s refusal to reasonably accommodate the deaf customer&apos;s request to communicate by email, according to the MDHR determination memorandum.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;This experience has left me so appreciative of people and organizations that stand for and defend equal rights for people with disabilities, especially when dealing with very personal situations with impersonal parties,&quot; Letourneau said. &quot;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights, along with Heather Gilbert, reinforced the fact that I, a person with a hearing loss, had every right to ask for accommodations that allow me to manage my obligations independently, and be an independent home owner, for that, I am deeply grateful.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/yourrights/mhra/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Human Rights Act&lt;/a&gt; prohibits businesses that offer &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=363A.16&quot;&gt;credit and loans&lt;/a&gt; from discriminating against customers who have a disability. Disability discrimination and retaliation are two of the most common claims that MDHR investigates. Between &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/mdhr_legislative_report_jan2014_tcm1061-229700.pdf&quot; title=&quot;mdhr_legislative_report_jan2014.pdf&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mdhr_legislative_report_jan2014.pdf&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;January and June of 2014&lt;/a&gt;, 30 percent of the complaints involved claims of disability discrimination and 19 percent were retaliation claims.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, please contact MDHR&apos;s enforcement unit at 651.539.1100, 1.800.657.3704 or online at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr/intake&lt;/a&gt;. For more information about disability discrimination, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mn.gov/mdhr/&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt; or follow the conversation on Twitter at Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:christine.dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Christine Dufour&lt;/a&gt; at 651-539-1118
&lt;br /&gt;
or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Christine.Dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Christine.Dufour@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242708</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:36:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MDHR launches Minnesota Conversations Chatcast</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MDHR launches Minnesota Conversations Chatcast</Title><title>-MDHR launches Minnesota Conversations Chatcast</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242749&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2015-02-24T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is announcing the launch of the Minnesota Conversations Chatcast with its first episode featuring local civil rights legend Dr. Josie Johnson reflecting on the 50th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act and the &quot;Selma to Montgomery&quot; march for voting rights in March 1965.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;First Chatcast features Dr. Josie Johnson reflecting on 50th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, the &apos;Selma to Montgomery&apos; March&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN - The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is announcing the launch of the Minnesota Conversations Chatcast with its &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu9uHIZJo3kandfeature=youtu.be&quot;&gt;first episode&lt;/a&gt; featuring local civil rights legend Dr. Josie Johnson reflecting on the 50th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act and the Selma to Montgomery march for voting rights in March 1965.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We are enthusiastic to add chatcasts to the Department&apos;s content management strategy, Commissioner Kevin Lindsey said. It offers the opportunity to discuss important issues relevant to people&apos;s lives in a relaxed setting with the convenience of listening on your own terms.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;MDHR&apos;s Minnesota Conversations Chatcasts is one element of the Department&apos;s goal to provide employees, employers, advocates, people interested in civil and human rights, and the public with compelling, relevant and viewable content to inform their lives. Portions of the chatcasts will be shown on MDHR&apos;s television program, Minnesota Conversations, which is featured on Roseville&apos;s CTV and the St. Paul Neighborhood Network in St. Paul. MDHR&apos;s Minnesota Conversations Chatcasts are available on YouTube and iTunes as a podcast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;MDHR began featuring content on the history of the Selma to Montgomery march and the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act through a social media campaign on Feb. 18. This included a tribute blog written by Commissioner Kevin Lindsey on &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/rights-blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/242899&quot;&gt;Jimmie Lee Jackson&lt;/a&gt;, whose death is considered by many to have been the catalyst for the famed march from Selma to Montgomery, which ultimately led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The demand for audio and video content that audiences can view on-demand is increasing, Communications Director Christine Dufour said. MDHR&apos;s aim is to provide relevant content to users on their own terms whether you prefer your local cable television station, a computer or your hand-held device.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Throughout March, Minnesota Conversations television program will feature four chatcasts focusing on the history of voting rights, the Selma to Montgomery march and the struggle that led to the signing of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The program will also include chatcasts on recent changes to Minnesota&apos;s voting laws, policies that disenfranchise many Americans, and how to make voting better while ensuring that all eligible voters can participate in the electoral process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;On March 4, the Minnesota Conversations television program will begin airing in ten North Suburban communities on CTV-15. The programs can also be seen on MDHR&apos;s YouTube channel.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242749</id><pubdate>2021-10-13T18:50:28Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MDHR to host Key Findings meeting on Minnesota’s Ethnic Councils, Jan. 20</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MDHR to host Key Findings meeting on Minnesota’s Ethnic Councils, Jan. 20</Title><title>-MDHR to host Key Findings meeting on Minnesota s Ethnic Councils  Jan  20</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242754&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2015-01-13T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>MDHR to host Key Findings meeting on Minnesota’s Ethnic Councils, Jan. 20</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN - The Minnesota Department of Human Rights will host a Community Conversation on the key findings regarding Minnesota&apos;s ethnic councils on how to best maximize the positive impacts of Minnesota&apos;s ethnic councils.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota&apos;s four ethnic councils were evaluated by the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor in a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us/ped/2014/councils.htm&quot;&gt;March 2014 report&lt;/a&gt;. Following the report, the Minnesota Legislature tasked MDHR to conduct community outreach regarding the role of Minnesota&apos;s ethnic councils. MDHR hosted six Community Conversations throughout Minnesota in November and conducted interviews with stakeholders from a variety of foundations, non-profits, community members, legislators and government officials regarding the Minnesota ethnic councils. MDHR is interested in hosting a community conversation in the East Metro Area.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Who&lt;/strong&gt; - Community members, students, advocates, businesses, and anyone interested in Minnesota&apos;s ethnic councils or in political engagement among racial and ethnic communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What&lt;/strong&gt; - The forum will offer the opportunity for the community to review and discuss initial key findings, community needs, the scope of Minnesota&apos;s ethnic councils and discuss your thoughts on the ideal role, organizational structure and the priorities for the ethnic councils.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When&lt;/strong&gt; - Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015
&lt;br /&gt;
6:30 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where&lt;/strong&gt; - Dayton&apos;s Bluff Community Council
&lt;br /&gt;
804 Margaret Street,
&lt;br /&gt;
Saint Paul, MN 55106&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Day-of-Event Contact:&lt;/strong&gt; Christine Dufour, 651.231.6531&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more information about the Minnesota ethnic councils and other Minnesota Department of Human Rights events, visit mn.gov/mdhr or follow us on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;This Media Alert is available in Spanish:&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Media Alert: Departamento de Derechos Humanos de Minnesota
&lt;br /&gt;
ALERTA A LOS MEDIOS DE COMUNICACIOacute&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: Jeff Holman at 651-539-1090
&lt;br /&gt;
or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jeff.holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department
&lt;br /&gt;
Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242754</id><pubdate>2017-06-06T17:48:48Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Cases</Title><Id>249134</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Disabled Employee receives $65,000 for discriminatory practices</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Employment</Title><Id>244471</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Disability</Title><Id>244473</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Disabled Employee receives $65,000 for discriminatory practices</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Person in wheelchair going up ramp</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mdhr/assets/Wheelchair%20Accessability_tcm1061-225226.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText/></Metadata1><Url>/mdhr/assets/3-NewsRelease_tcm1061-386791.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>-Disabled Employee receives 65,000 for discriminatory practices</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242722&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-12-30T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Alexandria Light and Power will pay $65,000 to resolve a Minnesota Department of Human Rights’ finding of probable cause that discrimination occurred related to the termination of its former Information Technology administrator.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN - Alexandria Light and Power will pay $65,000 to resolve a Minnesota Department of Human Rights&apos; finding of probable cause that discrimination occurred related to the termination of its former Information Technology administrator.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights announced Alexandria Light and Power will pay its former Information Technology administrator Richard Hinrichs $65,000 to resolve alleged discrimination that began after Hinrichs&apos; leg was amputated and continued through his discharge 10 months later.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Disability discrimination and retaliation are two of the most common claims that MDHR investigates. &lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/mdhr_legislative_report_july2014_tcm1061-229699.pdf&quot; title=&quot;mdhr_legislative_report_july2014.pdf&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mdhr_legislative_report_july2014.pdf&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;From January to June of 2014&lt;/a&gt;, 30 percent of the cases the Department investigated were Disability discrimination charges and 19 percent were reprisal charges.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;Next year marks the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act,&quot; said Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. &quot;All employers must ensure that their management staff is knowledgeable about providing necessary, medically required &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/employers/reasonable-accommodations/&quot;&gt;reasonable accommodations for their employees with disabilities&lt;/a&gt;.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As alleged in the Charge of Discrimination, while Hinrichs was recovering during his medical leave, an Alexandria Light and Power manager revised Hinrichs&apos; job description to require the ability to climb ladders and crawl into tight spaces and then told Hinrichs that in order to return to work he would have to meet all of the requirements of the new job description.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;After Hinrichs&apos; attorney sent a letter to Alexandria Power and Light requesting that these newly added elements of the revised job description be removed, Alexandria Light and Power revised the job description. However, the Department&apos;s investigation found that Alexandria Light and Power subjected Hinrichs to differential treatment by asking coworkers to secretly monitor his work and forcing him to document and report on menial tasks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The MDHR probable cause determination stated, &quot;One witness described the way in which the … manager treated (Hinrichs) compared to how he treated his other employees as &apos;pathetic.&apos;&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Six months later, after a written warning letter was sent, Hinrichs&apos; manager informed him that he had a choice of voluntarily retiring or being terminated. In less than seven months, after returning to work, Hinrichs was no longer employed by Alexandria Light and Power.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against and you are an individual with a disability or another protected class under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, you can contact MDHR&apos;s enforcement unit at: 651.539.1100 or online at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr/intake&lt;/a&gt;. For more information about disability discrimination and retaliation in employment, visit mn.gov/mdhr or follow the conversation on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;http://youtu.be/V67_VmXSzc0&quot;&gt;A video&lt;/a&gt; featuring comments from Commissioner Lindsey on the case and on disability discrimination is available on the Department&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;http://youtu.be/V67_VmXSzc0&quot;&gt;YouTube&lt;/a&gt; site.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: Christine Dufour at 651-539-1118
&lt;br /&gt;
or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:christine.dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;christine.dufour@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department
&lt;br /&gt;
Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242722</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:37:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Rosemount Middle School Students win ‘Living the Legacy’ video contest</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Rosemount Middle School Students win ‘Living the Legacy’ video contest</Title><title>-Rosemount Middle School Students win  Living the Legacy  video contest</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242775&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-12-08T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>ST. PAUL, MN –   Rosemount Middle School students are the statewide winners of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights&apos; &quot;Living the Legacy&quot; youth video contest, the Department announced today.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN - Rosemount Middle School students are the statewide winners of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights&apos; Living the Legacy youth video contest, the Department announced today.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The competition invited young people from across the state to create short videos on how they view race, diversity and civil rights and reflected on how far we have come since the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 50 years ago by President Lyndon Johnson. The contest is part of a week-long series of MDHR events celebrating Human Rights Week in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Sixth and eighth grade students from Rosemount Middle School submitted the video titled Racism in the Way, which presents a dramatic scenario in which a student is harassed by classmates who tell him he does not belong here.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Racism doesn&apos;t stop with laws. It stops because of you, the video concludes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The winning video can be viewed &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN9bA0-aaSkandfeature=youtu.be&quot;&gt;online&lt;/a&gt; this morning.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will recognize the Rosemount students at 2 p.m. on Dec. 11 at Rosemount Middle School. The Commissioner will talk with students about how the Civil Rights Act was passed and the challenges that remain today to ensure that education, jobs and equal opportunity are available to all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This is the second year that MDHR sponsored the video contest for Minnesota youth. Last year&apos;s contest challenged students to create videos on what the ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King&apos;s dream mean to them in their lives today. This is the second year Rosemount Middle School students submitted an award-winning entry.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more information about the &apos;Living the Legacy&apos; video contest and other Minnesota Human Rights Week events, visit mn.gov/mdhr or follow us on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: Jeff Holman at 651-539-1090
&lt;br /&gt;
or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Jeff.Holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Jeff.Holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department
&lt;br /&gt;
Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242775</id><pubdate>2017-06-23T20:41:54Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Human Rights Week event to discuss Police-Community Relations</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Human Rights Week event to discuss Police-Community Relations</Title><title>-Human Rights Week event to discuss Police Community Relations</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242738&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-12-02T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>ST. PAUL, MN – Minnesota’s Human Rights week will feature a community event, “Beyond Assumptions: Police-Community Relations,” to discuss best practices in police community relations and racial bias in law enforcement.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
              &lt;h3&gt;
      Beyond Assumptions event on Dec. 4 at Macalester College
    &lt;/h3&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      ST. PAUL, MN - Minnesota&apos;s Human Rights week will feature a community event, &quot;Beyond Assumptions: Police-Community Relations,&quot; to discuss best practices in police community relations and racial bias in law enforcement.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Beyond Assumptions is co-hosted by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and Macalester College as part of the Minnesota Human Rights week Dec. 3 to Dec. 10. The event will feature discussions on racial bias in law enforcement and best practices in police community relations.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Panelists United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota Andrew Luger , Saint Paul Police Chief Tom Smith and Mr. Mohamed Farah, Executive Director Ka Joog, a community development program focusing on the enrichment of Somali-American youth in Minnesota, will discuss effective police community relations and the importance of outreach efforts in ensuring effective neighborhood policing and community health. William Mitchell College of Law Professor Sarah Deer, a recent MacArthur Foundation Fellowship &quot;Genius Grant&quot; recipient will discuss racial bias in law enforcement.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      &quot;Beyond Assumptions is an opportunity to discuss issues and solutions regarding police and community relations that is not limited to any one community or jurisdiction,&quot; Commissioner Kevin Lindsey said. &quot;Building trust, opening doors and discussing the barriers that limit community engagement with government is essential to building strong communities.&quot;
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Saint Paul/Minneapolis area is one of three cities, including Boston and Los Angeles, chosen by a partnership of the United State Department of Justice, the White House, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Counterterrorism Center for a pilot program to create a national model of comprehensive local strategies to improve community engagement, strengthen community resiliency, and - ultimately - to build a broad network of community partnerships to keep our nation safe.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
       For more information about Minnesota Human Rights week, visit www.mn.gov/mdhr or follow the conversation on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Date: &lt;/strong&gt;Dec. 4, 2014
      &lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Time: &lt;/strong&gt;1:30 p.m.
      &lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Event Location: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.macalester.edu/about/maps/&quot;&gt;Macalester College&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
        Ruth Stricker Dayton Campus Center
        &lt;br /&gt;
        John B. Davis Lecture Hall
        &lt;br /&gt;
        The corner of Snelling and Grand Ave.
        &lt;br /&gt;
          St. Paul, Mn, 55105
        &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;
          ###
        &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
          Contact: Christine Dufour at 651-539-1118
          &lt;br /&gt;
           or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Christine.Dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Christine.Dufour@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
          Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department
          &lt;br /&gt;
          Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155
        &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242738</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:17:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Human Rights Week Centers on Jobs, Education, Equity, Police Community Relations in Celebrating the Legacy of the Civil Rights Act</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Human Rights Week Centers on Jobs, Education, Equity, Police Community Relations in Celebrating the Legacy of the Civil Rights Act</Title><title>-Human Rights Week Centers on Jobs  Education  Equity  Police Community Relations in Celebrating the Legacy of the Civil Rights Act</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242736&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-12-02T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>ST. PAUL, MN –  Fifty years after President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights will celebrate its annual Human Rights Week with events exploring the key issues, latest trends and challenges of today to ensure that education, jobs and equal opportunity are available to all.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN - Fifty years after President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights will celebrate its annual Human Rights Week with events exploring the key issues, latest trends and challenges of today to ensure that education, jobs and equal opportunity are available to all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Human Rights Week begins Dec. 3 with MDHR&apos;s annual Diversity and Inclusion Summit for state government leaders discussing strategies to ensure a strong, quality workforce that reflects Minnesota&apos;s growing diversity. The event features a presentation by Carleen Rhodes, president and CEO of the St. Paul Foundation, on a comprehensive strategy that could serve as a model for other organizations seeking to promote diversity in their workforces and community relationships. Ramsey and Hennepin counties will present Pathways to Employment. Ramsey Director Meghan Mohs, Ramsey County Human Services, Mike Christensen, Vice President MCTC and David Hough, Hennepin County Administrator will present best practices to recruit and promote diversity through recruiting, internships, apprenticeships and relationships.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;On December 4, MDHR is co-sponsoring a forum on Police and Community Relations at Macalester College in St. Paul. The &quot;Beyond Assumptions - Police Community Relations&quot; event features William Mitchell College of Law Professor Sarah Deer speaking on Racial Bias in Law Enforcement and a panel discussing best practices in police and community relations. St. Paul Police Chief Tom Smith and United States Attorney Andrew Luger will join Mohamed Farah for a discussion on &quot;Muslims, Somalis and Law Enforcement in Minnesota.&quot; Farah is the Executive Director of Ka Joog, a community development program focusing on Somali-American youth in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A cornerstone of Human Rights Week is the MDHR Human Rights Symposium, an all-day conference on Dec. 10 focusing on employment, public policy, emerging issues, employment law and business and economic development. A series of workshops offers the latest insights and information on topics such as Pregnancy and Familial Status, Minnesota&apos;s WESA law, Religious Accommodation in the Workplace, Health Race Equity, Reducing Violence Against Women and Wage Discrimination.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For Minnesota&apos;s youth, Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will honor the winners in the Department&apos;s &quot;Living the Legacy&quot; video competition. The contest challenged youth across the state to create short videos on how they view race, diversity and civil rights and how far we have come since the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The winning videos will be posted on a Department YouTube site and Commissioner Lindsey will honor the winners at their school.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Throughout December, MDHR&apos;s newest televised program called Minnesota Conversations&quot; will feature three programs focusing on voting in Minnesota, felony voting and Minnesota Philanthropy Partners&apos; Facing Race initiative which is aimed at addressing racial disparities. On Nov. 30 the programs began airing in ten North Suburban communities on CTV-15. The programs can also be seen on MDHR&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: Jeff Holman at 651-539-1090
&lt;br /&gt;
or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Jeff.Holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Jeff.Holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department
&lt;br /&gt;
Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242736</id><pubdate>2017-06-02T16:14:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>St. Cloud Community Conversations on Minnesota’s Ethnic Councils, Nov. 19</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>St. Cloud Community Conversations on Minnesota’s Ethnic Councils, Nov. 19</Title><title>-St  Cloud Community Conversations on Minnesota s Ethnic Councils  Nov  19</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242778&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-11-19T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights will host a Community Conversation on Minnesota’s ethnic councils to discuss how to best maximize the positive impacts of Minnesota’s Ethnic Councils.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. CLOUD, MN - The Minnesota Department of Human Rights will host a Community Conversation on Minnesota&apos;s ethnic councils to discuss how to best maximize the positive impacts of &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-229975&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;000 Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Page Intro&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s Ethnic Councils&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota&apos;s four ethnic councils were evaluated in a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us/ped/2014/councils.htm&quot;&gt;Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor report&lt;/a&gt; in March 2014. Following the report, the Minnesota Legislature tasked MDHR to conduct community outreach regarding the role of Minnesota&apos;s ethnic councils. Several meetings are scheduled throughout Minnesota in November.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Who -&lt;/strong&gt; Educators, community groups, students, advocates, businesses and anyone interested in the positive impacts of Minnesota&apos;s ethnic councils in preparing for Minnesota&apos;s changing demographics.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What -&lt;/strong&gt; The forum will offer the opportunity to address your community needs, learn about Minnesota&apos;s ethnic councils and discuss your thoughts on the ideal role, organizational structure and the priorities for the ethnic councils.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When -&lt;/strong&gt; Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014 at 7 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where -&lt;/strong&gt; Great River Regional Library - St. Cloud
&lt;br /&gt;
Mississippi Room
&lt;br /&gt;
1300 W. St. Germain St.
&lt;br /&gt;
St. Cloud, MN 56301&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Day-of-Event Contact:&lt;/strong&gt; Christine Dufour, 651.231.6531&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more information about the Minnesota ethnic councils and other Minnesota Department of Human Rights events, visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt; or follow us on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: Jeff Holman at 651-539-1090
&lt;br /&gt;
or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jeff.holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department
&lt;br /&gt;
Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242778</id><pubdate>2017-06-23T21:28:29Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Mankato Community Conversations on Minnesota’s Ethnic Councils, Nov. 24</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Mankato Community Conversations on Minnesota’s Ethnic Councils, Nov. 24</Title><title>-Mankato Community Conversations on Minnesota s Ethnic Councils  Nov  24</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242742&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-11-19T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>MANKATO, MN – The Minnesota Department of Human Rights will host a Community Conversation on Minnesota’s ethnic councils to discuss how to best maximize the positive impacts of Minnesota’s Ethnic Councils.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;MANKATO, MN - The Minnesota Department of Human Rights will host a Community Conversation on Minnesota&apos;s ethnic councils to discuss how to best maximize the positive impacts of &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-229975&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;000 Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Page Intro&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s Ethnic Councils&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota&apos;s four ethnic councils were evaluated in a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us/ped/2014/councils.htm&quot;&gt;Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor report&lt;/a&gt; in March 2014. Following the report, the Minnesota Legislature tasked MDHR to conduct community outreach regarding the role of Minnesota&apos;s ethnic councils. Several meetings are scheduled throughout Minnesota in November.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Who -&lt;/strong&gt; Educators, community groups, students, advocates, businesses and anyone interested in the positive impacts of Minnesota&apos;s ethnic councils in preparing for Minnesota&apos;s changing demographics.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What -&lt;/strong&gt; The forum will offer the opportunity to address your community needs, learn about Minnesota&apos;s ethnic councils and discuss your thoughts on the ideal role, organizational structure and the priorities for the ethnic councils.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When -&lt;/strong&gt; Monday, Nov. 24, 2014
&lt;br /&gt;
7 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where -&lt;/strong&gt; Minnesota State University, Mankato
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mnsu.edu/maps/university/buildings/su-2.pdf&quot;&gt;Centennial Student Union&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
South East Ballroom 200SE
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mnsu.edu/maps/university/parking.pdf&quot;&gt;Park in Pay Lot 4&lt;/a&gt;, which is south of the Student Union
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mnsu.edu/maps/directions/&quot;&gt;Mankato, MN&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Day-of-Event Contact:&lt;/strong&gt; Christine Dufour, 651.231.6531&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more information about the Minnesota ethnic councils and other Minnesota Department of Human Rights events, visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt; or follow us on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: Jeff Holman at 651-539-1090
&lt;br /&gt;
or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jeff.holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department
&lt;br /&gt;
Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242742</id><pubdate>2017-06-05T21:08:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Worthington Community Conversations on Minnesota’s Ethnic Councils, Nov. 25</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Worthington Community Conversations on Minnesota’s Ethnic Councils, Nov. 25</Title><title>-Worthington Community Conversations on Minnesota s Ethnic Councils  Nov  25</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242789&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-11-14T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights will host a Community Conversation on Minnesota’s Ethnic Councils to discuss how to best maximize the positive impacts of Minnesota’s Ethnic Councils.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ROCHESTER, MN - The Minnesota Department of Human Rights will host a Community Conversation on Minnesota&apos;s Ethnic Councils to discuss how to best maximize the positive impacts of &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-229975&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;000 Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Page Intro&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s Ethnic Councils&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota&apos;s four ethnic councils were evaluated in a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us/ped/2014/councils.htm&quot;&gt;Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor report&lt;/a&gt; in March 2014. Following the report, the Minnesota Legislature tasked MDHR to conduct community outreach regarding the role of Minnesota&apos;s ethnic councils. Several meetings are scheduled throughout Minnesota in November.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Who -&lt;/strong&gt; Educators, community groups, students, advocates, businesses and anyone interested in the positive impacts of Minnesota&apos;s ethnic councils in preparing for Minnesota&apos;s changing demographics.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What -&lt;/strong&gt; The forum will offer the opportunity to address your community needs, learn about Minnesota&apos;s ethnic councils and discuss your thoughts on the ideal role, organizational structure and the priorities for the ethnic councils.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When -&lt;/strong&gt; Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2014
&lt;br /&gt;
7 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where -&lt;/strong&gt; Biotechnology Advancement Center
&lt;br /&gt;
1527 Prairie Dr.
&lt;br /&gt;
Worthington, MN 5618&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Day-of-Event Contact:&lt;/strong&gt; Christine Dufour, 651.231.6531&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more information about the Minnesota ethnic councils and other Minnesota Department of Human Rights events, visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt; or follow us on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: Jeff Holman at 651-539-1090
&lt;br /&gt;
or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jeff.holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department
&lt;br /&gt;
Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242789</id><pubdate>2017-08-14T18:00:48Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Rochester Community Conversations on Minnesota’s Ethnic Councils, Nov. 20</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Rochester Community Conversations on Minnesota’s Ethnic Councils, Nov. 20</Title><title>-Rochester Community Conversations on Minnesota s Ethnic Councils  Nov  20</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242774&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-11-14T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights will host a Community Conversation on Minnesota’s Ethnic Councils to discuss how to best maximize the positive impacts of Minnesota’s Ethnic Councils.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ROCHESTER, MN - The Minnesota Department of Human Rights will host a Community Conversation on Minnesota&apos;s Ethnic Councils to discuss how to best maximize the positive impacts of &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-229975&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;000 Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Page Intro&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s Ethnic Councils&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota&apos;s four ethnic councils were evaluated in a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us/ped/2014/councils.htm&quot;&gt;Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor report&lt;/a&gt; in March 2014. Following the report, the Minnesota Legislature tasked MDHR to conduct community outreach regarding the role of Minnesota&apos;s ethnic councils. Several meetings are scheduled throughout Minnesota in November.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Who -&lt;/strong&gt; Educators, community groups, students, advocates, businesses and anyone interested in the positive impacts of Minnesota&apos;s ethnic councils in preparing for Minnesota&apos;s changing demographics.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What -&lt;/strong&gt; The forum will offer the opportunity to address your community needs, learn about Minnesota&apos;s ethnic councils and discuss your thoughts on the ideal role, organizational structure and the priorities for the ethnic councils.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When -&lt;/strong&gt; Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014
&lt;br /&gt;
7 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where -&lt;/strong&gt; Rochester Community and Technical College, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.rctc.edu/campustour/maps/buildingmaps.html&quot;&gt;Campus Map&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Coffman Room 206/208
&lt;br /&gt;
851 30th Ave SE,
&lt;br /&gt;
Rochester, MN 55904-4999
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Day-of-Event Contact:&lt;/strong&gt; Christine Dufour, 651.231.6531&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more information about the Minnesota ethnic councils and other Minnesota Department of Human Rights events, visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt; or follow us on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: Jeff Holman at 651-539-1090
&lt;br /&gt;
or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jeff.holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department
&lt;br /&gt;
Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242774</id><pubdate>2017-08-14T19:46:41Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Brainerd Community Conversations on Minnesota’s Ethnic Councils, Nov. 13</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Brainerd Community Conversations on Minnesota’s Ethnic Councils, Nov. 13</Title><title>-Brainerd Community Conversations on Minnesota s Ethnic Councils  Nov  13</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242710&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-11-12T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights will host a Community Conversation on Minnesota’s Ethnic Councils to discuss how to best maximize the positive impacts of Minnesota’s Ethnic Councils.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;BRAINERD, MN - The Minnesota Department of Human Rights will host a Community Conversation on Minnesota&apos;s Ethnic Councils to discuss how to best maximize the positive impacts of &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/community-collaboration/ethnic-councils.jsp&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s Ethnic Councils&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota&apos;s four ethnic councils were evaluated in a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us/ped/2014/councils.htm&quot;&gt;Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor report&lt;/a&gt; in March 2014. Following the report, the Minnesota Legislature tasked MDHR to conduct community outreach regarding the role of Minnesota&apos;s ethnic councils. Several meetings are scheduled throughout Minnesota in November.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Who -&lt;/strong&gt; Educators, community groups, students, advocates, businesses and anyone interested in the positive impacts of Minnesota&apos;s ethnic councils in preparing for Minnesota&apos;s changing demographics.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What -&lt;/strong&gt; The forum will offer the opportunity to address your community needs, learn about Minnesota&apos;s ethnic councils and discuss your thoughts on the ideal role, organizational structure and the priorities for the ethnic councils.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When -&lt;/strong&gt; Thursday, Nov. 13, 2014
&lt;br /&gt;
7 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where -&lt;/strong&gt; Central Lakes College
&lt;br /&gt;
501 West College Drive
&lt;br /&gt;
Brainerd, MN 56401
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Day-of-Event Contact:&lt;/strong&gt; Christine Dufour, 651.231.6531&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more information about the Minnesota ethnic councils and other Minnesota Department of Human Rights events, visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr/&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt; or follow us on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: Jeff Holman at 651-539-1090
&lt;br /&gt;
or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jeff.holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department
&lt;br /&gt;
Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242710</id><pubdate>2017-05-09T20:19:26Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Duluth Community Conversations on Minnesota’s Ethnic Councils, Nov. 12</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Duluth Community Conversations on Minnesota’s Ethnic Councils, Nov. 12</Title><title>-Duluth Community Conversations on Minnesota s Ethnic Councils  Nov  12</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242723&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-11-05T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights will host a Community Conversation on Minnesota’s Ethnic Councils to discuss how to best maximize the positive impacts of Minnesota’s Ethnic Councils.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;DULUTH, MN - The Minnesota Department of Human Rights will host a Community Conversation on Minnesota&apos;s Ethnic Councils to discuss how to best maximize the positive impacts of &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-229975&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;000 Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Page Intro&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s Ethnic Councils&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota&apos;s four ethnic councils were evaluated in a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us/ped/2014/councils.htm&quot;&gt;Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor report&lt;/a&gt; in March 2014. Following the report, the Minnesota Legislature tasked MDHR to conduct community outreach regarding the role of Minnesota&apos;s ethnic councils. This is the first of several meetings throughout Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Who -&lt;/strong&gt; Educators, community groups, students, advocates, businesses and anyone interested in the positive impacts of Minnesota&apos;s ethnic councils in preparing for Minnesota&apos;s changing demographics.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What -&lt;/strong&gt; The forum will offer the opportunity to address your community needs, learn about Minnesota&apos;s ethnic councils and discuss your thoughts on the ideal role, organizational structure and the priorities for the ethnic councils.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When -&lt;/strong&gt; Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2014
&lt;br /&gt;
7 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where -&lt;/strong&gt; Duluth City Hall, Room 303
&lt;br /&gt;
411 West First Street
&lt;br /&gt;
Duluth, MN 55802
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Day-of-Event Contact:&lt;/strong&gt; Christine Dufour, 651.231.6531&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more information about the Minnesota ethnic councils and other Minnesota Department of Human Rights events, visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt; or follow us on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: Jeff Holman at 651-539-1090
&lt;br /&gt;
or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jeff.holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department
&lt;br /&gt;
Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242723</id><pubdate>2017-05-25T21:33:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Cases</Title><Id>249134</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MDHR negotiates settlement agreement 
      with Same-Sex Couple, wedding venue that denied service</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Public Places</Title><Id>244480</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Sexual Orientation</Title><Id>244477</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MDHR negotiates settlement agreement with Same-Sex Couple, wedding venue that denied service</Title><title>-MDHR negotiates settlement agreement with Same Sex Couple  wedding venue that denied service</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242750&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-08-22T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>ST. PAUL, MN – Just in time for their August wedding, Cole Frey and his fiancé, a Minnesota same-sex couple, have settled their case against a Little Falls wedding venue that had refused to rent to them a few months earlier.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A Minnesota same-sex couple settled their case against a Little Falls wedding venue that had refused to rent to them a few months earlier.</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN - Just in time for their August wedding, Cole Frey and his fiancée, a Minnesota same-sex couple, have settled their case against a Little Falls wedding venue that had refused to rent to them a few months earlier.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;On Tuesday, the Minnesota Human Rights Department announced a settlement agreement between Frey and LeBlanc&apos;s Rice Creek Hunting and Recreation, Inc., that requires the venue to pay the costs associated with the couple&apos;s wedding ceremony and reception. In addition, the venue&apos;s owners apologized to the couple and agreed to comply with the Minnesota Human Rights Act in their future business dealings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This is Minnesota Department of Human Rights&apos; first same-sex wedding case involving discrimination in public accommodation based on sexual orientation since same-sex marriage was legalized on Aug. 1, 2013. Sexual orientation was added to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights Act in 1993.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;Both parties in this case should be recognized for reaching an agreement swiftly and allowing Cole Frey and his fiancée to enjoy their wedding day with this case fully resolved,&quot; said Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. &quot;This is the first public accommodation case for the Department related to same-sex marriage, and it serves as a reminder that businesses may not deny services based on a person&apos;s sexual orientation just as they can&apos;t deny services on the basis of race or gender.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Through its investigation of this case, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights determined there was probable cause of discrimination by the LeBlanc&apos;s Rice Creek Hunting and Recreation, Inc., due to sexual orientation, which is prohibited by the Minnesota Human Rights Act.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;We made a mistake and we corrected it as quickly as possible,&quot; said Paul Rogosheske, the attorney representing LeBlanc&apos;s Rice Creek Hunting and Recreation, Inc. &quot;We did everything we could to remedy it. We wish them the best.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;When the couple inquired about prices and availability for their wedding, the venue provided price quotes and specific dates that were available. After initial information about the couple&apos;s event was provided, the venue&apos;s owner realized the marriage was between two men and told the couple that the hunting lodge would not host a same-sex wedding and to find another venue.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As part of the Minnesota Human Rights investigation, the Department posed as a potential customer. The conversation between the hunting lodge representative and the test caller was very similar to Frey&apos;s conversation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;While the same-sex law passed by the Legislature in 2013 provides specific exemptions for religious entities from taking part in the solemnization of same-sex marriages, it does not exempt individuals, businesses, nonprofits, or the secular business activities of religious entities from non-discrimination laws based on religious beliefs regarding same-sex marriage.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mn.gov/mdhr/&quot;&gt;MDHR&apos;s website&lt;/a&gt; for more information about the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.state.mn.us/lrl/guides/guides?issue=gay&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s same-sex marriage law&lt;/a&gt;, which includes information on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/?id=74&amp;amp;doctype=Chapter&amp;amp;year=2013&amp;amp;type=0&quot;&gt;religious exemptions&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-228387&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;Sexual Orientation&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Sexual Orientation&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Frequently Asked Questions&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: Christine Dufour at 651-539-1118
&lt;br /&gt;
or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:christine.dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;christine.dufour@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department
&lt;br /&gt;
Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Editor&apos;s Note: Please call Jeff Holman at 651.539.1090 to schedule interviews.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242750</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:39:39Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>New law requires State Contractors to secure                             Equal Pay Certifications beginning Aug. 1</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>New law requires State Contractors to secure                             Equal Pay Certifications beginning Aug. 1</Title><title>-New law requires State Contractors to secure                             Equal Pay Certifications beginning Aug  1</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242767&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-07-30T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Beginning Aug. 1, some Minnesota State Contractors will be required to obtain an Equal Pay Certificate from the Minnesota Department of Human Rights prior to executing a contract.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN - Beginning Aug. 1, some Minnesota State Contractors will be required to obtain an Equal Pay Certificate from the Minnesota Department of Human Rights prior to executing a contract.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The new Equal Pay Certificate law signed by Governor Mark Dayton on Mother&apos;s Day to close the gender pay gap by ensuring there is no discrimination in pay by Minnesota state contractors. Currently, women in Minnesota make on average &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wfmn.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/WFMN_SWGM_EconomicOverview_2014.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;80 cents for every $1 dollar a man makes&lt;/a&gt;. WESA will reduce the gender pay gap through increased enforcement of equal pay laws for state contractors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The new law requires businesses with 40 or more employees seeking state contracts of over $500,000 to certify they are paying employees equal wages, regardless of gender. Contractors will also have to certify there are no pay gaps between men and women by job class.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;We have made progress in eliminating disparities in pay since the Equal Pay Act of 1963 was signed into law by President John F. Kennedy,&quot; Commissioner Kevin Lindsey said. &quot;This is a step to ensure businesses working on Minnesota State Contracts are complying with equal pay laws. Minnesota businesses have responded positively to the change and are working to comply with the states simplified application process.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtaining an Equal Pay Certificate from the Department of Human Rights consists of three simple steps:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Submit a statement of &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-229811&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;000 Equal Pay Requirements Intro Page&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Equal Pay Requirements Intro Page&quot;&gt;equal pay compliance application form&lt;/a&gt; by the organization&apos;s Chief Executive Officer.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Submit the $150 application fee&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Then, mail the application materials to MDHR.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;MDHR will host a Equal Pay Certificate webinar at 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 7 on Equal Pay Certifications for state contractors.The webinar will feature MDHR Commissioner Kevin Lindsey and Assistant Commissioner Tim Flynn regarding the Equal Pay certification and the audit process. Register now on the MDHR website. MDHR posted a &lt;a href=&quot;http://youtu.be/8OAv0X4xv98&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt; and answered your most &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-214478&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;000 Equal Pay Certificate FAQ Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Equal Pay Certificate FAQ Page Intro&quot;&gt;frequently asked questions&lt;/a&gt; on the MDHR website.
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more information about the Equal Pay Certification, visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/mnhumanrights&quot;&gt;MDHR Facebook Page&lt;/a&gt; and the website at &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mn.gov/mdhr&quot;&gt;www.mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: Christine Dufour at 651-539-1118
&lt;br /&gt;
or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:christine.dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;christine.dufour@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242767</id><pubdate>2019-08-08T20:30:48Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Women’s Economic Security Act Takes Effect Today</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Women’s Economic Security Act Takes Effect Today</Title><title>-Women s Economic Security Act Takes Effect Today</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242788&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-07-01T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Today, several provisions of legislation that was signed into law by Gov. Mark Dayton on Mother’s Day 2014 take effect. The Women’s Economic Security Act (WESA) strengthens workplace protections and flexibility for pregnant women and nursing mothers, expands employment opportunities for women in high-wage, high-demand occupations, and reduces the gender pay gap through increased enforcement of equal pay laws. (Fact sheet) Increased pregnancy accommodations and familial status protections went into effect May 12.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;New state law will expand economic opportunity for women in Minnesota&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN - Today, several provisions of legislation that was signed into law by Gov. Mark Dayton on Mother&apos;s Day 2014 take effect. The Women&apos;s Economic Security Act (WESA) strengthens workplace protections and flexibility for pregnant women and nursing mothers, expands employment opportunities for women in high-wage, high-demand occupations, and reduces the gender pay gap through increased enforcement of equal pay laws. (&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Familial_Status_FAQ_tcm1061-213908.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Familial_Status_FAQ&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Familial_Status_FAQ&quot;&gt;Fact sheet&lt;/a&gt;) Increased pregnancy accommodations and familial status protections went into effect May 12.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;By signing the Women&apos;s Economic Security Act, Gov. Dayton has significantly expanded protections for women in the workplace, said Commissioner of Human Rights Kevin Lindsey. These measures make a strong statement about Minnesota&apos;s commitment to gender equality. The Women&apos;s Economic Security Act promises a better future for Minnesota&apos;s women and their families, and helps ensure that all Minnesotans will have the opportunity to contribute to our state and our shared prosperity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;Pregnancy Accommodations and Familial Status Protections&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Already in place from WESA&apos;s adoption are provisions increasing pregnancy accommodation protections and protecting workers from discrimination based on their &apos;familial status&apos;. The new pregnancy accommodations provisions are enforced by the Department of Labor and complement existing pregnancy protections under the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Protecting &apos;familial status&apos; in employment means that it is now illegal for employers to discriminate against employees for being pregnant or having minor children living at home.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;Pregnancy leave and nursing mothers&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;WESA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to an employee for health conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth. Employers must make a reasonable effort to provide a private area and a reasonable unpaid break time for working mothers to express breast milk for her infant child. The law also enhances protections for employees seeking to assert rights or remedies if a violation occurs in the workplace. (&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Familial_Status_FAQ_tcm1061-213908.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Familial_Status_FAQ&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Familial_Status_FAQ&quot;&gt;Fact sheet&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;Equal pay laws to close gender pay gap&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;WESA provides equal pay laws to close the gender pay gap to:
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;reduce the gender pay gap through increased enforcement of equal pay laws for state contractors and require businesses with 40 or more employees seeking state contracts more than $500,000 to certify they pay equal wages to workers regardless of gender (effective Aug. 1, 2014);
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;ensure the rights of employees to voluntarily discuss their compensation without fear of retaliation from their employers; (&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Familial_Status_FAQ_tcm1061-213908.pdf&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Familial_Status_FAQ&quot;&gt;Fact sheet&lt;/a&gt;) and
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;decrease the gender pay gap to address the &quot;motherhood penalty,&quot; that requires businesses to make hiring, promotion and termination decisions regardless of an employee&apos;s &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-214625&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;000 Familial Status Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Familial Status  Page Intro&quot;&gt;familial status&lt;/a&gt;&quot; (pregnant women and parents and legal guardians of children under 18 who live with them).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;Sick and safe leave&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;WESA expands family and sick leave under the Minnesota Parental Leave Act from six to 12 weeks and allows use of leave during pregnancy. It also allows grandparents to use existing earned sick leave to care for an ill or injured grandchild. (&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Familial_Status_FAQ_tcm1061-213908.pdf&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Familial_Status_FAQ&quot;&gt;Fact sheet&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For victims of domestic violence, the WESA law allows employees to use existing earned sick leave to recover from sexual assault, domestic violence or stalking (&lt;a href=&quot;/mdhr/assets/Familial_Status_FAQ_tcm1061-213908.pdf&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Familial_Status_FAQ&quot;&gt;Fact sheet&lt;/a&gt;) and will expand unemployment insurance eligibility on Oct. 5, 2014, to include victims of stalking and sexual assault.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;Workforce recruitment and training&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;WESA expands support for employers; workforce organizations; and others to recruit, prepare, place and retain women in nontraditional occupations and apprenticeships, especially low income and older women. Plus, it supports the development of high economic impact women-owned businesses in nontraditional industries.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;Retirement security&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;WESA enhances retirement security by initiating as study of a state retirement savings plan for those without an employer-provided option.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242788</id><pubdate>2017-08-14T18:20:39Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Living the Legacy: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 premieres this weekend</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Living the Legacy: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 premieres this weekend</Title><title>-Living the Legacy  The Civil Rights Act of 1964 premieres this weekend</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242741&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-06-13T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>ST. PAUL, MN – The Minnesota Human Rights Department will premiere “Living the Legacy: The Civil Rights Act of 1964” to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the historic legislation this weekend on local cable and YouTube and will continue airing the program through July 5th.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      ST. PAUL, MN - The Minnesota Human Rights Department will premiere &quot;Living the Legacy: The Civil Rights Act of 1964&quot; to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the historic legislation this weekend on local cable and YouTube and will continue airing the program through July 5th.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      On July 2, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin. The law also ended unequal application of voter registration and racial segregation in schools, workplace and facilities that served the general public.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      &quot;Passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a significant moment in our country&apos;s history and while all of the evils of discrimination didn&apos;t end, we took a big step forward,&quot; said Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. &quot;I hope that viewers will gain a greater appreciation for the sacrifices made on our collective behalf, what we have accomplished and the work that remains ahead us.&quot;
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      MDHR&apos;s Living the Legacy show will feature insightful interviews by Commissioner Lindsey with the Honorable Governor Mark Dayton, Civil Rights Pioneer and Leader Dr. Josie Johnson, Macalester College Professor Emeritus of History Mahmoud El-Kati, Former St. Paul NAACP President Nathaniel Khaliq, and Freedom Rider Claire O&apos;Connor. The show will also include MDHR&apos;s archival interview with the late Minneapolis NAACP President Matt Little. The show also includes an in studio interview with community leader Trista Harris, President of the Minnesota Council on Foundations, discussing what is being done in the Twin Cities to create a more inclusive society for all.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
       Living the Legacy will began airing this weekend on CTV15 in Roseville and Metro 6 in the Twin Cities. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usbjd0uU4X4andfeature=youtu.be&quot;&gt;Watch the promo&lt;/a&gt; and plan to watch one of the following viewings:
      &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Metro 6 - June 14 to July 5&lt;/strong&gt;
                &lt;br /&gt;
      Saturday 7- 8:30 p.m.
      &lt;br /&gt;
        Sunday 3 - 4:30 a.m.
        &lt;br /&gt;
          Sunday 5:30 - 7 p.m.
          &lt;br /&gt;
            Monday 2:30 - 4 p.m.
            &lt;br /&gt;
              Tuesday 7:30 - 9 p.m.
              &lt;br /&gt;
                Wednesday 4:30 - 6 a.m.
                &lt;br /&gt;
                  Wednesday 9:30 - 11 a.m.
                  &lt;br /&gt;
                    Thursday 7 - 8:30 p.m.
                  &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;CTV&lt;/strong&gt;
                &lt;br /&gt;
                    Monday, June 16 9 p.m.
                    &lt;br /&gt;
                      Tuesday, June 17 5 a.m. and 1 p.m.
                      &lt;br /&gt;
                        Thursday, June 19 5:30 p.m.
                        &lt;br /&gt;
                          Friday, June 20 1:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.
                          &lt;br /&gt;
                            Tuesday, June 24 3 p.m. and 11 p.m.
                            &lt;br /&gt;
                              Wednesday, June 25 7 a.m.
                              &lt;br /&gt;
                                Friday, June 27 3 p.m.
                                &lt;br /&gt;
                                  Saturday, June 28 1 a.m. and 8 a.m.
                                &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;
                                  ###
                                &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                                   Contact: Jeff Holman at 651.539.1090 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                                  Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155
                                &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242741</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:17:58Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Health-care providers offered a “Ban the Box” webinar on March 13</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Health-care providers offered a “Ban the Box” webinar on March 13</Title><title>-Health care providers offered a  Ban the Box  webinar on March 13</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242731&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-02-25T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota’s health-care providers and professionals can register for a webinar on Minnesota’s new Ban the Box law on March 13 at 10:30 a.m., the second in a series of seminars and webinars providing information and technical assistance. The new law took effect Jan. 1, 2014.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota&apos;s health-care providers and professionals can register for a webinar on Minnesota&apos;s new Ban the Box law on March 13 at 10:30 a.m., the second in a series of seminars and webinars providing information and technical assistance. The new law took effect Jan. 1, 2014.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights and the Department of Human Services are partnering to present the webinar, a followup to a webinar offered to health care providers and professionals in January.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In the March 13 webinar, Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will provide an overview of the new law and Human Services Inspector General Jerry Kerber will address the unique concerns of health and human services professionals in understanding its requirements.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The webinar will be live online at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 13, and a webinar video will be available at the MDHR website following the live event.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The new webinar is designed to offer those who attended the first one an opportunity to review Ban the Box requirements and ask additional questions, while introducing a new health care audience to Ban the Box.
&lt;br /&gt;
Register for the live event at: &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-244974&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;000 Webinars Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Webinars Page Intro&quot;&gt;Webinar Sign Up&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more information on how to participate, contact the Department of Human Rights -- email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jeff.holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;We know that many employers have questions about Ban the Box, and we will be partnering with other agencies throughout the year to reach out to employers and businesses in every corner of our state,&quot; said Commissioner Lindsey.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Ban the Box law does not prevent an employer from considering an applicant&apos;s criminal history. The law does require employers to wait until a job applicant has been selected for an interview, or a conditional offer of employment has been extended, before asking the applicant about their criminal record or conducting a criminal background record check.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Employers in the health and human services fields may have questions specific to their areas, since by law those who have been convicted of certain crimes are excluded from some occupations. The Ban the Box law does not remove these legal requirements. &quot;The new law does not change who needs a background study before working with children and vulnerable adults,&quot; said Inspector General Kerber, &quot;but it does change when that background study is initiated and when questions about criminal history may be asked in the hiring process.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Watch the Department of Human Rights&apos; website for further information on the March 13 webinar and future Ban the Box seminars and webinars.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: Jeff Holman at 651.539.1090 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242731</id><pubdate>2018-04-16T19:41:13Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MDHR ends year by reducing backlog, closing oldest cases</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MDHR ends year by reducing backlog, closing oldest cases</Title><title>-MDHR ends year by reducing backlog  closing oldest cases</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242747&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-02-19T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>ST. PAUL, MN – MDHR made significant progress in reducing its backlog of older cases during the last six-months of 2013 through its efficiency in investigating charges and by targeting its oldest cases for investigation during the time period.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;MDHR closes 76 more cases than were opened to continue its work to reduce its backlog&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN - MDHR made significant progress in reducing its backlog of older cases during the last six-months of 2013 through its efficiency in investigating charges and by targeting its oldest cases for investigation during the time period.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In the last six months, the Department closed 76 more cases than it opened and averaged closing 68 cases a month. This is the second consecutive reporting period in which the Department closed more cases than it opened. In addition, MDHR closed 270 of its oldest cases over 365 days old.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For two consecutive reporting periods, we have closed more cases than we opened, said Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. Additionally, we strategically reduced the Department oldest cases. Progress takes time. Consistent, steady progress to reduce the backlog will result in the Department reaching its goal of completing all cases within one year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As of December 31, there were 732 cases pending determination. This is a 10 percent decrease from the previous reporting period. MDHR closed 409 cases and 333 new charges were filed. The Department reduced its inventory of cases over 365 days by 9%. There were 143 cases over a year old as of December 31, 2013. While progress was made on the backlog, the Department must continue to make progress.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The period saw 13.21% of determinations or resolution of cases result in a favorable outcome for the claimant. The Department closed 26 cases (6.36%) with a probable cause determination, 22 cases (5.38%) were closed before a determination was issued and in 6 cases (1.47%) the
&lt;br /&gt;
Department was able to reach a settlement agreement. The Department closed 325 cases (79.46%) with a no probable cause determination, 20 cases (4.89%) were dismissed by the Department, and 10 cases (2.44%) were withdrawn by the charging party. The average time to reach a determination or resolution of a case was 387 days. This represents a decrease of 39 days from the prior reporting time period.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more Information on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/reports/legislative-report.jsp&quot;&gt;MDHR Report to the Legislature&lt;/a&gt;, visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: Jeff Holman at 651.539.1090 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242747</id><pubdate>2017-06-05T21:23:54Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>State Capitol Contractor exceeding State workforce goals through community partnerships</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>State Capitol Contractor exceeding State workforce goals through community partnerships</Title><title>-State Capitol Contractor exceeding State workforce goals through community partnerships</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242779&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-01-21T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota State Capitol interior restoration and preservation project is exceeding diversity workforce goals with 34.89 percent minority workforce hours and 21 percent female workforce hours earning the project a premium rating of 1 from the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;Contractor JE Dunn employs 34% minorities, 21% females on State Capitol interior project&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN - The Minnesota State Capitol interior restoration and preservation project is exceeding diversity workforce goals with 34.89 percent minority workforce hours and 21 percent female workforce hours earning the project a premium rating of 1 from the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This marks the first time JE Dunn earned a premium rating of 1, which means the contractor is meeting or exceeding workforce goals, for its efforts to recruit, hire and retain a diverse workforce, and the comprehensive good faith efforts the company implemented on the project. Through its efforts, JE Dunn exceeded &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-233600&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;000 Workforce Goals FAQ&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Workforce Goals FAQ&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s 2012 workforce goals&lt;/a&gt; for Hennepin and Ramsey counties, which are 32 percent minority and 6 percent female. Good faith efforts are specific actions a contractor takes to enhance its participation of women and minorities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;JE Dunn is implementing strategies that are improving the diversity of its workforce,&quot; said Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. &quot;JE Dunn has made a laudable turnaround in their workforce inclusion performance and this deserves to be highlighted.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;Contractors such as JE Dunn are developing best practices that not only strengthen and improve Minnesota&apos;s workforce for today, it is also cultivating Minnesota workers for tomorrow&apos;s diverse workforce,&quot; he said.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In March 2013, JE Dunn received a 4 rating, which means the contractor failed to meet good faith efforts, for failing to meet its good faith efforts or its workforce goals on the State Capitol exterior project. The restoration of the Minnesota State Capitol is overseen by the Minnesota Department of Administration.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;The Minnesota State Capitol belongs to all Minnesotans and the workforce restoring this landmark should be reflective of the state&apos;s citizens,&quot; said Spencer Cronk, Commissioner of the Department of Administration. &quot;We applaud JE Dunn&apos;s commitment to recruiting a project team embracing Minnesota&apos;s diversity.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;After several meetings with Human Rights representatives, JE Dunn developed a work plan, hired Diversity Manager Christa Seaberg and implemented trainings and strategies designed to increase diversity. The plan involved concerted efforts and commitments by the entire project team and JE Dunn&apos;s subcontractors. JE Dunn also partnered with Job Connect and the unions to help the company recruit women and minorities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Building the diversity of Minnesota&apos;s workforce&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;JE Dunn and other companies are implementing several strategies to diversify its workforce and either meet or exceed workforce goals:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Improved business practices&lt;/strong&gt; - Contractors that work closely with their subcontractors and monitor workforce participation levels ensure that subcontractors are meeting their obligations. JE Dunn developed Good Faith Efforts training with input from MDHR for its subcontractors on the State Capital Projects. Every subcontractor on these projects are required to go through this training.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Community partnerships to train future workers&lt;/strong&gt; - Contractors that work closely with community organizations, unions and the building trades councils, particularly the Minneapolis Building Trades Councils, are helping to diversify its workforce for today and tomorrow.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Under Construction Program - JE Dunn participates in the Under Construction Program in St. Paul that exposes female and minority high school students to the Construction industry. Students are hired by companies to work on a project and get hands on learning in construction trades. For the State Capital interior work project, JE Dunn hired, as an apprentice, a minority male graduate.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Construction Career Expo in October provided training, community networking opportunities, construction project information and trade career information to people interested in a construction career and work opportunities. The event was organized by contractors, unions, and community organizations including JE Dunn. The next Construction Career Expo is scheduled for March.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Construct Tomorrow&lt;/strong&gt; is an initiative sponsored by the Apprenticeship Coordinators Association of Minnesota, Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry and the Associated General Contractors of America. It is designed to give youth, particularly minorities and females, hands-on experience in the construction industry trades. The success of this effort requires sponsorship and commitment by construction companies such as JE Dunn, who participated in the Construct Tomorrow event at Humboldt High School in October 2013. JE Dunn Diversity Manager Seaberg and Mary DesJarlais of the Department of Labor and Industry have been instrumental in the initiative&apos;s success.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;This has been a dramatic turnaround,&quot; Commissioner Lindsey concluded. &quot;JE Dunn has put together a plan in which they are working with the community, and as a result they are seeing tremendous success with their workforce participation.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: Jeff Holman at 651.539.1090 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242779</id><pubdate>2017-07-10T16:42:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Health-care providers offered a “Ban the Box” webinar on Jan. 23</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Health-care providers offered a “Ban the Box” webinar on Jan. 23</Title><title>-Health care providers offered a  Ban the Box  webinar on Jan  23</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242730&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-01-08T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota’s health-care providers and professionals can register for a webinar on Minnesota’s new Ban the Box law on January 23, at 10:30 a.m., the first in a series of seminars and webinars providing information and technical assistance. The new law took effect Jan. 1, 2014.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota&apos;s health-care providers and professionals can register for a webinar on Minnesota&apos;s new Ban the Box law on January 23, at 10:30 a.m., the first in a series of seminars and webinars providing information and technical assistance. The new law took effect Jan. 1, 2014.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights and the Department of Human Services are partnering to present the webinar. Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will provide an overview of the new law and Human Services Inspector General Jerry Kerber will address the unique concerns of health and human services professionals in understanding its requirements.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The webinar will be live online at 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 23, and a webinar video will be available at the MDHR website following the live event.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Register for the live event at: &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-244974&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;000 Webinars Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Webinars Page Intro&quot;&gt;Webinar Sign Up&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more information on how to participate, contact the Department of Human Rights -- email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jeff.holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;We know that many employers have questions about Ban the Box, and we will be partnering with other agencies throughout the year to reach out to employers and businesses in every corner of our state,&quot; said Commissioner Lindsey.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Ban the Box law does not prevent an employer from considering an applicant&apos;s criminal history. The law does require employers to wait until a job applicant has been selected for an interview, or a conditional offer of employment has been extended, before asking the applicant about their criminal record or conducting a criminal background record check.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Employers in the health and human services fields may have questions specific to their areas, since by law those who have been convicted of certain crimes are excluded from some occupations. The Ban the Box law does not remove these legal requirements. &quot;The new law does not change who needs a background study before working with children and vulnerable adults,&quot; said Inspector General Kerber, &quot;but it does change when that background study is initiated and when questions about criminal history may be asked in the hiring process.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Watch the Department of Human Rights&apos; website for further information on the January 23 webinar and future Ban the Box seminars and webinars.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: Jeff Holman at 651.539.1090 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242730</id><pubdate>2018-04-16T19:41:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Departments of Human Rights, Human Services to offer “Ban the Box” webinar January 23</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Minnesota Departments of Human Rights, Human Services to offer “Ban the Box” webinar January 23</Title><title>-Minnesota Departments of Human Rights  Human Services to offer  Ban the Box  webinar January 23</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242765&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-12-27T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>A webinar on Minnesota’s new Ban the Box law will be offered for health and human services professionals on January 23, the first in a series of seminars and webinars providing information and technical assistance. The new law takes effect January 1, 2014.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      A webinar on Minnesota&apos;s new Ban the Box law will be offered for health and human services professionals on January 23, the first in a series of seminars and webinars providing information and technical assistance. The new law takes effect January 1, 2014.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The webinar will be offered jointly by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and the Department of Human Services. Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will provide an overview of the new law and Human Services Inspector General Jerry Kerber will address the unique concerns of health and human services professionals in understanding its requirements. The webinar will be offered live at 10 AM on January 23, and a webinar video will be available on the web following the live event.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      &quot;We know that many employers have questions about Ban the Box, while others many not be aware that it&apos;s taking effect on January 1,&quot; said Commissioner Lindsey. &quot;We will be partnering with other agencies throughout the year to reach out to employers and businesses in every corner of our state.&quot;
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Ban the Box law does not prevent an employer from considering an applicant&apos;s criminal history. But it does require employers to wait until a job applicant has been selected for an interview, or a conditional offer of employment has been made, before asking the applicant about their criminal record or conducting a criminal background record check.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      &quot;This law offers the vast majority of individuals with a non-violent criminal record a second chance at an opportunity for employment to better their lives,&quot; Commissioner Lindsey said. The requirement had been in place for public employers since 2009; the new law extends it to private employers.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Employers in the health and human services may have questions specific to their areas, since by law those who have been convicted of certain crimes are excluded from some occupations. The Ban the Box law does not remove these legal requirements; thus, existing laws will continue to protect vulnerable adults and children from people with violent or sexual criminal histories. The new law does change the timing with respect to when questions related to criminal history may be asked in the hiring process.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Watch the Department of Human Rights&apos; website for further information on the January 23 webinar and future Ban the Box seminars and webinars.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
       Contact: Jeff Holman at 651.539.1090 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242765</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:18:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Students from three Minnesota schools win top honors in statewide ‘I Have a Dream’ video contest</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Students from three Minnesota schools win top honors in statewide ‘I Have a Dream’ video contest</Title><title>-Students from three Minnesota schools win top honors in statewide  I Have a Dream  video contest</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242782&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-12-04T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Students from Hibbing High School, Rosemount Middle School and Creek Valley Elementary School in Edina were the statewide winners in the Minnesota Department of Human Rights &quot;I Have a Dream&quot; youth video contest, the Department announced today.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Students from Hibbing High School, Rosemount Middle School and Creek Valley Elementary School in Edina were the statewide winners in the Minnesota Department of Human Rights I Have a Dream youth video contest, the Department announced today.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
       The competition invited young people from across the state to create short videos on what the ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King&apos;s dream mean to them in their lives today, 50 years after the historic March on Washington in which Dr. King delivered his iconic message. The winning videos were announced as part of Human Rights Week in Minnesota, and can be viewed online this morning at &lt;a href=&quot;http://youtube.com/mnyouthvideo&quot;&gt;http://youtube.com/mnyouthvideo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      A video by students in the Hibbing High School Drama Club was the highest-rated entry at the high school level. The Hibbing entry, which looks at diversity issues at the school, also received the most points overall. A panel of independent judges gave the Hibbing entry high marks for creativity and cited the students&apos; courage in challenging their school to better embrace diversity.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      A video by students at Rosemount Middle school scored highest among entries in that age group, and was the second-highest rated video overall. The video features students in the school lunchroom talking candidly about diversity-related issues in their lives. Judges also praised the video&apos;s creativity and found that it holds a powerful message.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Students at Creek Valley Elementary in Edina submitted the top-scoring video among students in that age group, and the third highest rated entry overall. The video features students in Mrs. Jamie Hawkinson&apos;s 4th grade class sharing their personal dreams -- to live in a world in which everyone will feel respected and no one will have to be scared. Judges praised the students&apos; insights on race and diversity and called the presentation a lovely and straightforward way to honor Dr. King&apos;s theme.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Commissioner Lindsey will recognize the Rosemount Middle School students at a 1 p.m. event on Friday and will be visiting Edina winners in the days ahead to recognize their work and talk with students about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.&apos;s message as it relates to jobs, education and equal opportunity. Recognitions for other schools will be scheduled.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The contest challenged students to show how they view race, diversity and the ideals of Martin Luther King, Jr.&apos;s dream today. The videos were judged by an independent panel that included representative from the communities of color and video/communications professionals.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information about the &apos;I Have a Dream&apos; video contest and other Minnesota Human Rights Week events, visit mn.gov/mdhr or follow us on Twitter at @mnhumanrights.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
       Contact: Jeff Holman at 651.539.1090 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242782</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:18:21Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Virtual Panel to discuss strategic advantages of hiring people with disabilities during Human Rights Week</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Virtual Panel to discuss strategic advantages of hiring people with disabilities during Human Rights Week</Title><title>-Virtual Panel to discuss strategic advantages of hiring people with disabilities during Human Rights Week</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242785&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-11-25T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Realizing the strategic advantages to hiring people with disabilities will be featured at a virtual panel discussion from 9 to 11 a.m. on Dec. 6 as part of MDHR’s Human Rights’ week.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN - Realizing the strategic advantages to hiring people with disabilities will be featured at a virtual panel discussion from 9 to 11 a.m. on Dec. 6 as part of MDHR&apos;s Human Rights&apos; week.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesotans statewide can engage in a virtual discussion regarding the advantages of hiring people with disabilities by looking beyond stereotypes and expanding the employment opportunities for the disability community. Disability community members will share their successes in finding rewarding employment as well as the challenges in seeking employment. Employers will discuss the advantages of hiring people with disabilities and the successes realized through their experiences&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;More businesses are beginning to recognize the talents of the disability community as an important segment in Minnesota&apos;s workforce,&quot; said Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. &quot;There is more work to be done to expand opportunities for people with disabilities to use their talents in mutually rewarding employment.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Employees engaging in the conversation includes Howard Rosten, an assistive technology expert from Mankato, Meredith Dupre, a licensed social worker seeking employment, Allen Chandler, an Independent Living Specialist at Southeast Minnesota Center for Independent Living, Tracy Bell, a deaf and hard of hearing services supervisor from Mankato, and Lori Thompson, office administrative support specialist with the Minnesota Board of Pharmacies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Employer panelists include Mara Thompson, Medtronic, Scott Berscheid, operations manager at Pitney Bowes Presort Services in the Twin Cities, Kari Scanlon, Human Resources professional from JEM Technical from Orono, and Patricia Eggers, Office Manager for the Minnesota Board of Pharmacies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The event will feature video remarks from Michael Murray, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, on the Strategic Advantages to Hiring People with Disabilities and will be moderated by Jon Alexander, Chief Executive Officer, Kaposia.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Event sponsors include: Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, Minnesota State Council on Disability, Minnesota Management and Budget, Minnesota Governor&apos;s Council on Developmental Disabilities, Department of Human Services, State Services for the Blind, Commission of Deaf, Blind and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans, State Ombudsman for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division, and Minnesota STAR Program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Minnesota Satellite Locations&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Brown County Family Services, Sleepy Eye Room, 1117 Center St., New Ulm, MN 56073&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Clay County Courthouse, 807 - 11th St. N., 3rd Floor, Rm 15, Moorhead, MN 56560&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Douglas County Human Services, 809 Elm St, Suite 1186, Alexandria, MN 56308&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Goodhue County Government Center, 509 Fifth St., Red Wing, Mn 55066&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hennepin County Government Center, Room 1713, 300 S. 6th St., Minneapolis, MN 55487&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;LeSueur County Human Services, 88 S. Park Ave., LeCenter, MN 56057&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Marshall County Social Services, 208 E. Colvin Ave., Warren, MN 56762-1695&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Martin County Human Services, 115 W. 1st St., Fairmont, 56031&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Nicollet County, EOC Room, 501 S. Minnesota Ave., St. Peter, MN 56082&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Office of Administrative Hearings, Duluth&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Olmsted County Community Services, 2117 Campus Drive SE, 2nd Fl., Rochester, MN 55904&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Otter Tail County Government Services Center, 550 West Firt Ave., Fergus Falls, MN 56538&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Polk County Government Center, Room 302, 612 N. Broadway, Crookston, MN 56716&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Renville County Human Services, Room 121b, 410 E. DePue, Olivia, MN 56277&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;St. Louis County, Office of Administrative Hearings, 11 E. Superior St., Suite 180 Duluth MN, 55802&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Stearns County Human Services, Rm 33, 705 Courthouse Sq., Saint Cloud, MN 56302&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Waseca County Public Health, 299 Johnson Ave. SW, Waseca, MN 56093&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: Jeff Holman at 651.539.1090 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242785</id><pubdate>2017-07-10T17:45:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Human Rights Week Centers on Jobs, Education, Equity in Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King’s Dream, the March on Washington</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Human Rights Week Centers on Jobs, Education, Equity in Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King’s Dream, the March on Washington</Title><title>-Human Rights Week Centers on Jobs  Education  Equity in Honoring Dr  Martin Luther King s Dream  the March on Washington</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242737&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-11-22T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Fifty years after the historic March on Washington, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights is presenting a week of events centered on jobs, education and equal opportunity memorialized in Dr. Martin Luther King’s iconic &quot;I Have a Dream” speech.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Fifty years after the historic March on Washington, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights is presenting a week of events centered on jobs, education and equal opportunity memorialized in Dr. Martin Luther King&apos;s iconic I Have a Dream&quot; speech.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      During Minnesota Human Rights Week, Dec. 2 - 6, the Department will feature events focused on equity and employment for minorities, women, people with disabilities who -- in the words of Dr. King -- are still holding a promissory note, and still seeking &quot;the riches of freedom and the security of justice.&quot;
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      A cornerstone of the week is the Department&apos;s Human Rights Symposium, an all-day conference on Dec. 5 focusing on employment, public policy, and criminal justice. The conference features a series of workshops on issues such as voting rights, criminal background checks, equal pay, Minnesota&apos;s Olmstead Plan and other topics that continue to present challenges to achieving Dr. King&apos;s vision of freedom and equality.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      On Friday Dec. 6, the Department recalls the goals of the 1963 march with an event shining a light on the struggle to ensure employment opportunities for people with disabilities. A Statewide Video Conference on the Strategic Advantages of Hiring People with Disabilities will bring together employers and members of the disability community to discuss successes in disability employment, and challenges that remain.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The week will feature a number of noted guests, sharing their perspectives on the progress made in the decades since Dr. King&apos;s words rang out from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial decades ago, and the unfinished business of ensuring America makes good on its promise of justice for all. One special guest is Kimberly F. Price, Vice President, 3Mgives and 3M Foundation, who speaks on Monday at a Diversity and Inclusion summit for state government senior executives.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For Minnesota&apos;s youth, Commissioner Lindsey will recognize the finalists in the Department&apos;s &quot;I Have a Dream&quot; video competition. The competition invited young people from across the state to create short videos on what the ideals of Dr. King&apos;s dream mean to them in their lives today. As part of Human Rights Week, Commissioner Lindsey will congratulate the winners, and their videos will be published on the web.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
       Contact: Jeff Holman at 651.539.1090 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242737</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:17:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Businesses Encouraged to Prepare for New ‘Ban the Box’ Law</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Minnesota Businesses Encouraged to Prepare for New ‘Ban the Box’ Law</Title><title>-Minnesota Businesses Encouraged to Prepare for New  Ban the Box  Law</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242760&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-10-31T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota businesses are encouraged to prepare for the “Ban the Box” law that becomes effective in 60 days.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN - Minnesota businesses are encouraged to prepare for the &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-213194&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;000 BtB Overview Private Employers Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 BtB Overview Private Employers Page Intro&quot;&gt;&quot;Ban the Box&quot; law&lt;/a&gt; that becomes effective in 60 days.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The &quot;Ban the Box&quot; law eliminates the question that has a check box asking about criminal background on initial job applications. A recent review of employment applications showed nearly 70 percent of the applications submitted to the Department inquired about a job candidate&apos;s criminal background. While the &quot;Ban the Box&quot; law does not become effective until Jan. 1, 2014, the Department is providing employers with a reminder to update application forms, and adjust hiring practices now before for the law becomes effective.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;Minnesota businesses may not be aware of the new law that takes effect the first of the year,&quot; said Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. &quot;We are providing businesses with &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-214430&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;000 BtB FAQ Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 BtB FAQ Page Intro&quot;&gt;education and information&lt;/a&gt; regarding the law to encourage a change in their hiring practices before the law becomes effective.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;While MDHR&apos;s review is antidotal in nature, it is in keeping with a Society of Human Resource Management survey which found that approximately 92 percent of its members conducted criminal background checks. Many job candidates are screened out of the hiring process due to a criminal background without regard to the age of the incident, the type of criminal offense and whether the criminal offense is job related. Broad sweeping use of criminal background checks can create a disproportionate impact on various racial and ethnic groups. Many advocates view the &quot;Ban the Box&quot; law as a tool to reduce racial employment disparities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Employers may still exclude applicants if they are required by law not to hire individuals who have been convicted of a crime, thus, existing laws will continue to protect vulnerable adults and children from people with violent or sexual criminal histories. Additionally, employers may still exclude applicants if a crime is relevant to the position&apos;s job duties, but must wait until the preliminary offer or interview stage of the application process to make the inquiry.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-213194&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;000 BtB Overview Private Employers Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 BtB Overview Private Employers Page Intro&quot;&gt;The new law&lt;/a&gt; outlines potential penalties for employers found in violation of the law. If the Human Rights Commissioner finds that a violation has occurred, the Commissioner may impose &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-214430&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;000 BtB FAQ Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 BtB FAQ Page Intro&quot;&gt;penalties up to $500 in 2014&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more information about criminal background check and Minnesota&apos;s new &quot;Ban the Box&quot; law, visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/&quot; title=&quot;000 Page Intro&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt; or follow the conversation on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot; class=&quot;external&quot;&gt;@mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;EDITOR&apos;S NOTE:&lt;/strong&gt; Friday, Nov. 1 marks 60 days from implementation. We are providing this release early to allow editors to schedule stories accordingly.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: Christine Dufour
&lt;br /&gt;
651-539-1118 office
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Christine.dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Christine.dufour@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department
&lt;br /&gt;
Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155
&lt;br /&gt;
mn.gov/mdhr, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/user/mnhumanrights&quot; class=&quot;external&quot;&gt;MDHR YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242760</id><pubdate>2017-06-06T19:46:52Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Nominate a Deserving Person for the MDHR&apos;s Humanitarian Service Award</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Nominate a Deserving Person for the MDHR&apos;s Humanitarian Service Award</Title><title>-Nominate a Deserving Person for the MDHR s Humanitarian Service Award</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242769&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-10-01T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is now accepting nominations for the 2013 Humanitarian Service Award and Student Humanitarian Award to be presented at a ceremony the first week of December.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      ST. PAUL, MN - The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is now accepting nominations for the 2013 Humanitarian Service Award and Student Humanitarian Award to be presented at a ceremony the first week of December.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The MDHR Humanitarian Service Awards recognize a Minnesotan and a student who has demonstrated personal character through encouragement of non-violent beliefs and actions, volunteer service in the community and who demonstrated an ability to reach out to others with broad cultural acceptance.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
       To nominate a deserving humanitarian or student humanitarian from your community, please send nominations to &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:info.mdhr@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;info.mdhr@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Nov. 1.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;h3&gt;
      MDHR Humanitarian Service Award Eligibility
    &lt;/h3&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      To be eligible for this award, candidates need to demonstrate:
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;ul&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        An explanatory, written statement as to why the individual is worthy of the award;
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Evidence of exemplary personal character, altruism and advocacy for non-violence or support of Minnesota Human Rights or the Minnesota Human Rights Act.
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Evidence of volunteer service within the community.
      &lt;/li&gt;
              &lt;/ul&gt;
              &lt;h4&gt;
      Nomination Information:
    &lt;/h4&gt;
              &lt;ul&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Supportive materials such as written testimonials or letters from those who have been affected by the nominee&apos;s contributions.
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Biographical information of the nominee.
      &lt;/li&gt;
              &lt;/ul&gt;
              &lt;h3&gt;
      Student Humanitarian Service Award Eligibility
    &lt;/h3&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      To be eligible for this award, candidates need to demonstrate:
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;ul&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Sophomore, junior or senior enrolled full time during the academic year in which the award is given.
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Evidence of exemplary personal character, altruism and advocacy for non-violence or support of Minnesota Human Rights or the Minnesota Human Rights&apos; Act.
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Evidence of volunteer service on campus and within the larger community as a student.
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        The award recognizes the full measure of a person&apos;s worth, not just as a scholar, but as someone whose efforts on behalf of others define a quality of character that embodies core values that merit recognition.
      &lt;/li&gt;
              &lt;/ul&gt;
              &lt;h4&gt;
      Nomination Information:
    &lt;/h4&gt;
              &lt;ul&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Supportive materials such as written testimonials or letters from those who have been affected by the nominee&apos;s contributions.
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Biographical information of the nominee.
      &lt;/li&gt;
              &lt;/ul&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      All submissions are due by November 1, 2013.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information about the MDHR Humanitarian Service Awards, visit mn.gov/mdhr or follow the conversation on Twitter at @mnhumanrights.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
       Contact: Christine Dufour at 651.539.1118 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Christine.dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;christine.dufour@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Minnesota Department of Human Rights,Communications Department
      &lt;br /&gt;
      Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242769</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:18:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Cases</Title><Id>249134</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Sexual Harassment Charge against St. Cloud Liquor Store Leads to $30,000 Settlement</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Employment</Title><Id>244471</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Sexual Harassment</Title><Id>244489</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Sexual Harassment Charge against St. Cloud Liquor Store Leads to $30,000 Settlement</Title><title>-Sexual Harassment Charge against St  Cloud Liquor Store Leads to  30,000 Settlement</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242777&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-08-30T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The owner of a St. Cloud liquor store has agreed to pay a former employee and her attorneys $30,000 after the Department of Human Rights found probable cause to believe he had sexually harassed her. The Department also found that, after she complained about the harassment, store owner Brian Fanfulik engaged in reprisal by making her working conditions intolerable.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>St. Cloud liquor store owner agreed to pay a former employee and her attorneys $30,000 after MDHR found probable cause to believe he had sexually harassed her. </Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The owner of a St. Cloud liquor store has agreed to pay a former employee and her attorneys $30,000 after the Department of Human Rights found probable cause to believe he had sexually harassed her. The Department also found that, after she complained about the harassment, store owner Brian Fanfulik engaged in reprisal by making her working conditions intolerable.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In her charge, the former employee of the Liquor Pig in St. Cloud alleged that the harassment started a week or two after she was hired on September 27, 2011, and continued for the almost seven months she worked at the store. Fanfulik&apos;s alleged behavior included requests that she agree to have sex with him, unwanted physical contact, unwelcome sexual comments, and gestures evocative of sexual acts.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      After she complained about the harassment, Fanfulik accused her of taking inappropriately long breaks, which he referred to as stealing, and ultimately fired her, according to the charge.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In answering the charge, Fanfulik criticized the former employee&apos;s work performance, and contended that she had quit her job voluntarily. However, the Department&apos;s investigation concluded that her working conditions were so intolerable that she had been constructively discharged. (A constructive discharge can occur when working conditions are so intolerable as to amount to a firing, despite a lack of a formal termination notice.)
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In addition to paying $18,000 to the charging party and $12,000 to her attorneys, the respondent has agreed to provide training for the store&apos;s managers on the Minnesota Human Rights Act&apos;s provisions related to unfair discrimination in employment. Liquor Pig, in signing the settlement agreement, denies discriminating against the changing party and denies violating Minnesota law.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
       Contact: Jeff Holman at 651.539.1090 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242777</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:40:01Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Cases</Title><Id>249134</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Health Care Provider to Pay $70,000 to Settle Age and Disability Discrimination Charge by Nurse Fired after 37 Years</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Employment</Title><Id>244471</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Disability</Title><Id>244473</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Age</Title><Id>244301</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Health Care Provider to Pay $70,000 to Settle Age and Disability Discrimination Charge by Nurse Fired after 37 Years</Title><title>-Health Care Provider to Pay  70,000 to Settle Age and Disability Discrimination Charge by Nurse Fired after 37 Years</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242729&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-08-30T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>ST. PAUL, MN - A nurse in her mid-70s who worked for Health East and Health Inventures in Maplewood until she was fired in 2009 will receive $70,000 in settlement of a charge of disability and age discrimination filed with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.</ShortDescription><Subtitle> A nurse in her mid-70s fired settles MDHR charge of disability and age discrimination</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      ST. PAUL, MN - A nurse in her mid-70s who worked for Health East and Health Inventures in Maplewood until she was fired in 2009 will receive $70,000 in settlement of a charge of disability and age discrimination filed with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Department of Human Rights found probable cause to believe that Health Inventures discriminated against the nurse, Bernice Schwab, by failing to accommodate a disability she developed after she fell and injured her shoulder. The Department also concluded that her disability and her age were factors in the Health Care provider&apos;s decision to terminate her employment following a medical leave, in September 2009.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Schwab, who was 73 when she filed her charge, had worked as an RN for Health East, and became an employee of Health Inventures when it purchased Health East, in part, in 2007. During her total tenure of 37 years, she had received good performance reviews, had received no formal performance warnings, and had rarely missed a day of work.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Department&apos;s investigation found that following a medical leave, Health Inventures refused to allow Schwab to return to work, even though it knew her doctor had cleared her to do so. Although Schwab repeatedly tried to communicate with her employer about returning to work, Health Inventures was uncooperative in replying, the Department found.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      After the Department found that disability and age were factors in Schwab&apos;s termination, Health Inventures appealed the Department&apos;s determination. The Department investigated further and affirmed its conclusion that Health Inventures had engaged in age and disability discrimination in its treatment of Schwab.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In addition to paying $70,000 to Bernice Schwab, Health Inventures, LLC, has agreed to provide training to its managers regarding the Minnesota Human Rights Act. The settlement does not constitute and admission of wrongdoing, and Health Inventures denies that it discriminated against Schwab.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
       Contact: Jeff Holman at 651.539.1090 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242729</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:38:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MDHR Conducts More Investigations, Reduces Backlog</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MDHR Conducts More Investigations, Reduces Backlog</Title><title>-MDHR Conducts More Investigations  Reduces Backlog</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242746&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-08-07T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Efficiency improves 63 percent over 2012, stated MDHR&apos;s Semi-Annual report to the Legislature</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Efficiency improves 63 percent over 2012, stated MDHR&apos;s Semi-Annual report to the Legislature</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Efficiency improves 63 percent over 2012, stated MDHR&apos;s Semi-Annual report to the Legislature&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN - The Minnesota Department of Human Rights completed more investigations and reduced the backlog of its older cases, the Department announced in a report submitted to the Legislature this week.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In the Department&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/assets/mdhr_legislative_report_jan2013_tcm1061-229702.pdf&quot;&gt;semi-annual report&lt;/a&gt; for the first half of 2013, Commissioner Kevin Lindsey outlined the Department&apos;s ongoing progress in streamlining its enforcement efforts. In the past six months, MDHR issued 405 investigation memoranda, which is an increase of 17 percent over the previous reporting period and a 63 percent increase in the number of investigation memoranda completed over the first six months of 2012. MDHR&apos;s increased efficiency efforts align with Governor Mark Dayton&apos;s common sense reforms by providing Minnesotans a Better Value for their tax dollars.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For the first time in two years, MDHR closed more cases than were filed. Over the past six months, 367 charges were filed with MDHR and 381 cases were closed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;MDHR&apos;s determinations of cases are outpacing the new filings resulting in the backlog decreasing, said Commissioner Lindsey. This dedication to efficiency will ensure that the Department continues to reduce the backlog of older cases and the time to reach a determination.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The number of cases pending a determination decreased 5 percent in the first half of 2013 compared to the last half of 2012. At the same time, there was a 6 percent reduction in the number of pending cases that were over a year old. As a result, during the past six months, the average time to reach a determination for all cases increased to 426 days, which was an increase over the prior six months.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;While the average time to reach a determination is over a year, it is important to note that the backlog decreased 5 percent (pending cases) and the number of cases over a year old decreased by 6 percent, Lindsey said. With continued commitment to efficiency, you can anticipate a steady decline in the number of cases over a year old.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;More positive results included:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;As of June 30, 2013, 808 cases were pending determination. This 5 percent decrease from the previous reporting period is indicative of increased efficiency that is reducing the number of Minnesotans waiting for a resolution to their discrimination claims.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The first half of 2013 saw a 6 percent reduction in the number of pending cases more than a year old. Of cases pending determination, 80 percent were less than one year old. 220 were less than 90 days old; 131 cases were 91-180 days old; 141 were 181-270 days old; 157 were 271-365 days old; and 159 were older than 365 days.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;This period saw 14 percent of determinations result in a favorable outcome for the claimant. The determinations of cases closed reached the following results: In 15 cases (4 percent), parties were able to reach a settlement agreement. 15 cases (4 percent) were closed with a probable cause determination and 24 cases (6 percent) were resolved before a determination was made. 20 cases (5 percent) were dismissed, 21 cases (6 percent) were withdrawn, and in 286 cases (75 percent) it was determined there was no probable cause.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Department continues its efforts to resolve more cases through mediation. In the past six months, nearly twice as many cases were referred to mediation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MDHR referred 29 cases to mediation (8 percent of all new charges filed), compared to only 15 in the final six months of 2012.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The average time for a mediated case to reach a settlement was 99 days.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Of the 367 charges filed with MDHR during the past six months, more charges were filed on the basis of disability - 28 percent - than on any other protected characteristic. But almost as many charges were filed on the basis of race - 27 percent. Gender discrimination was alleged in 13 percent of charges filed, followed closely by age (12 percent) and national origin charges (12 percent). Although sexual orientation was on the minds of many Minnesotans as the state debated same-sex marriage, only 3 percent of charges filed with MDHR during the first six months of 2013 were based on sexual orientation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more information please contact Christine Dufour, &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:christine.dufour@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;christine.dufour@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; or 651-539-1118.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242746</id><pubdate>2017-06-05T21:22:40Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MDHR Offers Toolkit on Minnesota&apos;s New Same Sex Marriage Law</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MDHR Offers Toolkit on Minnesota&apos;s New Same Sex Marriage Law</Title><title>-MDHR Offers Toolkit on Minnesota s New Same Sex Marriage Law</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242752&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-06-28T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights released a toolkit today on how Minnesota&apos;s new law legalizing same-sex marriage impacts people, communities, businesses and religious entities.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN - The Minnesota Department of Human Rights released a toolkit today on how Minnesota&apos;s new law legalizing same-sex marriage impacts people, communities, businesses and religious entities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Beginning August 1, two individuals of the same gender can become lawfully wed in Minnesota. This is a milestone for equal rights for all Minnesotans, said Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. Minnesota&apos;s same-sex marriage law seeks to strike a delicate balance in recognizing individual liberty while respecting the Nation&apos;s long standing tradition of separating church and state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;During the debate of the bill, the legislature sought to ensure that the legislation would not unconstitutionally infringe upon the rights of religious entities. Religious entities can, therefore consistent with their theological doctrine, policy and teachings, perform same-sex marriages. The new law does not compel legal religious entities to perform same-sex marriages.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;However, the law does not exempt individuals, businesses, nonprofits, or the secular business activities of religious entities from non-discrimination laws based on religious beliefs regarding same-sex marriage. Therefore, a business that provides wedding services such as cake decorating, wedding planning or catering services may not deny services to a same-sex couple based on their sexual orientation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota has prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation, under the &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-213230&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;000 Minnesota Human Rights Act Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Minnesota Human Rights Act Page Intro&quot;&gt;Minnesota Human Rights Act&lt;/a&gt;, since 1993. Nothing has changed, Commissioner Lindsey said. Denying commercial activity or refusing to enter into a commercial contract with someone on the basis of their sexual orientation has been against the law in Minnesota for 20 years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Department of Human Rights&apos; toolkit offers guidance to businesses, religious organizations and individuals on the effect of the new law, and the protections for sexual orientation under the MHRA at MDHR&apos;s website:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-228377&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;Sexual Orientation Callout&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Sexual Orientation Callout&quot;&gt;Overview of the new Same Sex Marriage law&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVoyfrN6DMM&quot;&gt;Video message from Commissioner Lindsey on the new law.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242654&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;2.0 Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2.0 Page Intro&quot;&gt;Additional resources on how the new same-sex marriage law impacts people, communities, businesses and religious entities.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Department will update this information and provide guidance as necessary, including information on the U.S. Supreme Court&apos;s DOMA decision and its impact on same-sex Minnesota couples who choose to marry.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you believe you have been discriminated against based on sexual orientation or another protected class you can contact MDHR&apos;s enforcement unit at: 651.539.1100 or online at &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-216450&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;050 Intake&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;050 First Step - Intake&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr/intake&lt;/a&gt;. For more information about same-sex marriage in Minnesota, visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdhr&quot; title=&quot;000 Page Intro&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt; or follow the conversation on &lt;a href=&quot;http://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot; class=&quot;external&quot;&gt;Twitter at @mnhumanrights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more information contact: Jeff Holman at 651.539.1090 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155 mn.gov/mdhr, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/user/mnhumanrights&quot; class=&quot;external&quot;&gt;MDHR YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242752</id><pubdate>2024-08-01T18:56:20Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MDHR Offers Employers a Toolkit on Minnesota&apos;s New &apos;Ban the Box&apos; Law signed by Governor Mark Dayton</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MDHR Offers Employers a Toolkit on Minnesota&apos;s New &apos;Ban the Box&apos; Law signed by Governor Mark Dayton</Title><title>-MDHR Offers Employers a Toolkit on Minnesota s New  Ban the Box  Law signed by Governor Mark Dayton</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242751&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-06-05T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>New law expands job opportunities for Minnesotans with criminal backgrounds who need a &quot;second chance&quot;</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;New law expands job opportunities for Minnesotans with criminal backgrounds who need a second chance&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is providing a toolkit on the requirements of the new the Ban the Box law, which was signed by Gov. Mark Dayton yesterday. The law goes into effect beginning Jan. 1, 2014.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This is a significant piece of legislation, said Commissioner of Human Rights Kevin Lindsey. Ninety-two million Americans currently have either an arrest or a criminal conviction in their past. This law offers the vast majority of individuals with a non-violent criminal record a second chance at an opportunity for employment to better their lives.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The new law requires private employers to wait until a job applicant has been selected for an interview, or a conditional offer of employment has been extended, before asking a job applicant about criminal records or conducting a criminal background check. This requirement has applied to public employers since 2009.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Existing laws will continue to protect vulnerable adults and children from people with violent or sexual criminal histories. Additionally, employers may exclude applicants if a crime is relevant to the position&apos;s job duties.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;While the law includes potential penalties for employers found to be in violation, the department is hoping to educate employers about the laws&apos; requirements to make invoking penalties unnecessary.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;You can find detailed information on &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-213194&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;000 BtB Overview Private Employers Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 BtB Overview Private Employers Page Intro&quot;&gt;criminal background checks&lt;/a&gt; in employment on the MDHR&apos;s website including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-214430&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;000 BtB FAQ Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 BtB FAQ Page Intro&quot;&gt;Frequently Asked Questions&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-214452&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;000 Ban the Box video Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Ban the Box video Page Intro&quot;&gt;A video message from Commissioner Lindsey providing an overview of the new law&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-215443&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;000 History CBC Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 History CBC Page Intro&quot;&gt;History and Background&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Department encourages employers to call MDHR at 651.539.1100 or 1.800.657.3704 if they have questions regarding the new law, or if they wish to have a representative from MDHR provide a presentation to an employer or a trade association group.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more information contact: Jeff Holman at 651.539.1090 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242751</id><pubdate>2017-06-12T20:22:55Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Cases</Title><Id>249134</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MDHR Investigation Results in a $50,000 Settlement in a Marital Discrimination Case</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Employment</Title><Id>244471</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Marital Status</Title><Id>244474</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MDHR Investigation Results in a $50,000 Settlement in a Marital Discrimination Case</Title><title>-MDHR Investigation Results in a  50,000 Settlement in a Marital Discrimination Case</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242748&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-05-09T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>A Minnesota Human Rights investigation involving the marital discrimination of a St. Cloud-based auto parts chain employee, who was fired after her husband quit the company and took a job with a competitor, resulted in a $50,000 settlement.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A MDHR investigation involving the marital discrimination of a St. Cloud-based auto parts chain employee resulted in a $50,000 settlement.</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN - A Minnesota Human Rights investigation involving the marital discrimination of a St. Cloud-based auto parts chain employee, who was fired after her husband quit the company and took a job with a competitor, resulted in a $50,000 settlement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;It is rare for the Department of Human Rights to receive charges of discrimination based on marital status, said Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. It&apos;s important for employers and employees to be aware that employment discrimination based on a person&apos;s marital status is illegal in Minnesota. This serves as a reminder to everyone that charges of discrimination based on marital status can be filed, and will be thoroughly investigated, by the Department.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Before she lost her job in 2010, JoDee Goblirsch of Pennock, Minn. worked as a bookkeeper, delivery person and performed a variety of other duties at the Auto Value Parts Store in Willmar. Her husband worked as the manager of an Auto Value store in Bird Island. There are approximately 102 Auto Value Parts Stores located throughout Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Michigan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In April 2010, Mr. Goblirsch submitted his two-week notice to his employer, having accepted a job with Napa Autoparts in Olivia. In a charge filed with the Department of Human Rights in July 2010, JoDee Goblirsch stated that she and her husband were told that the company disapproved of family members working for competitors, and that she could be terminated if Mr. Goblirsch accepted a job with Napa.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;On her husband&apos;s last day of work, she was fired. She was told that the reason for her termination was his new job, she stated in her charge to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. In the response, Auto Value Parts Stores representatives stated that it had not discriminated against JoDee Goblirsch. Additionally, her husband&apos;s move to a competitor violated the company&apos;s conflict of interest policy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A Department of Human Rights&apos; investigation found the company&apos;s conflict of interest policy was overly broad and could apply to almost all employees who worked at Ms. Goblirsch&apos;s location. It is not reasonable to claim that a policy with such a broad, punitive scope is necessary to preserve market competitiveness, the Department concluded.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Department found probable cause to believe that the company had engaged in discrimination in employment on the basis of marital status, in violation of the Human Rights Act.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In a Department of Human Rights&apos; negotiated settlement, the Automotive Parts Headquarters, Inc., which operates the Auto Value Parts Stores, agreed to pay $50,000 to JoDee Goblirsch and her attorneys. In addition, it would pay a civil penalty of $5,000 to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. The company also agreed to review its policies and procedures and provide training on the fair employment provisions of the Human Rights Act to the management staff at all its Minnesota stores.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The settlement of this case does not constitute an admission of any liability of violating the Minnesota Human Rights Act or any other law, or of any wrongdoing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Read the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/assets/Case_Summaries_Report_tcm1061-229708.pdf&quot;&gt;full case summary here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more information about this case or your rights under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, visit mn.gov/mdhr or follow the conversation on &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot; class=&quot;external&quot;&gt;Twitter at @mnhumanrights.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: Jeff Holman at 651.539.1090 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155 mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242748</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:39:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>&apos;Borrowing Trouble&apos; featured on Conversations with                      Al McFarlane Tuesday for Financial Literacy Month</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>&apos;Borrowing Trouble&apos; featured on Conversations with Al McFarlane Tuesday for Financial Literacy Month</Title><title>-Borrowing Trouble  featured on Conversations with                      Al McFarlane Tuesday for Financial Literacy Month</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242709&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-04-25T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>An hour television program to highlight Financial Literacy Month in Minnesota examines how predatory home lending, payday loans, credit discrimination and other practices take unfair advantage of people who are financially struggling.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      ST. PAUL, MN - An hour television program to highlight Financial Literacy Month in Minnesota examines how predatory home lending, payday loans, credit discrimination and other practices take unfair advantage of people who are financially struggling.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Host Al McFarlane, editor-in-chief of Insight News, explores these issues with a panel of experts as part of his ongoing Conversations with Al McFarlane public policy television series. Panelists for the Borrowing Trouble program include:
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;ul&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
                  &lt;strong&gt;Kevin Lindsey&lt;/strong&gt;, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Human Rights
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
                  &lt;strong&gt;Mike Rothman&lt;/strong&gt;, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Commerce
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
                  &lt;strong&gt;Ron Elwood&lt;/strong&gt;, Supervising Attorney, Legal Services Advocacy Project, Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
                  &lt;strong&gt;Scott Gray&lt;/strong&gt;, President, Minneapolis Urban League
      &lt;/li&gt;
              &lt;/ul&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Panelists will examine the consequences of predatory financial practices for individuals and communities and the consequences of the predatory loans and the housing crisis on communities of color. Panelists will discuss current efforts and opportunities to address financial practices that target those who are financially vulnerable.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The public is invited to attend the Borrowing Trouble taping from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 30 at the Minneapolis Urban League, 2100 Plymouth, Minneapolis, MN 55411.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Check your local listings for air times on Saint Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN) and Minneapolis Telecommunication Network (MTN). Also, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights will feature the program on its web site.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
       For more information about airdates and program availability, visit mn.gov/mdhr or follow the conversation on &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnhumanrights&quot; class=&quot;external&quot;&gt;Twitter at @mnhumanrights.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
       Contact: Jeff Holman at 651.539.1090 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155 mn.gov/mdhr
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242709</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:17:37Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>&quot;On the Margins&quot; MDHR&apos;s Television Program to Air Tonight on CTV15 In Ten North Suburban Cities</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>&quot;On the Margins&quot; MDHR&apos;s Television Program to Air Tonight on CTV15 In Ten North Suburban Cities</Title><title>-On the Margins MDHR s Television Program to Air Tonight on CTV15 In Ten North Suburban Cities</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242770&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-04-18T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Tonight, tune in to watch &quot;On the Margins,&quot; two 30-minute programs on predatory lending, produced by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and CTV15 at 6 p.m. in ten Twin Cities suburban communities.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Tonight, tune in to watch On the Margins, two 30-minute programs on predatory lending, produced by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and CTV15 at 6 p.m. in ten Twin Cities suburban communities.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      On the Margins: People and Communities Locked Out of the American Dream was produced as part of Financial Literacy Month in Minnesota and includes two separate half-hour episodes.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The first program examines predatory home lending, payday loans, credit discrimination and other practices that unfairly take advantage of people who are financially struggling. These issues are explored by a panel of experts, which includes:
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;ul&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
                  &lt;strong&gt;Mike Rothman&lt;/strong&gt;, Minnesota Commerce Commissioner
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
                  &lt;strong&gt;Kevin Lindsey,&lt;/strong&gt; Minnesota Human Rights Commissioner
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
                  &lt;strong&gt;Mary Tingerthal&lt;/strong&gt;, Minnesota Housing Commissioner,
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
                  &lt;strong&gt;Ron Elwood&lt;/strong&gt;, Supervising Attorney for Legal Services Advocacy Project of Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid.
      &lt;/li&gt;
              &lt;/ul&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The second program looks at the challenges facing individuals who are struggling with these and other practical financial issues associated with home ownership, financing an education, planning for retirement and dealing with debt. A panel of experts discusses practical information about what to do, and what not to do when facing these issues.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In addition to Commissioners Lindsey and Rothman, two non-profit community leaders joined the panel in the second program:
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;ul&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
                  &lt;strong&gt;Ruby Lee,&lt;/strong&gt; President of CLUES, Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio.
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
                  &lt;strong&gt;Maritza Mariani&lt;/strong&gt;, Associate Director of the Neighborhood Development Alliance (NeDA)
      &lt;/li&gt;
              &lt;/ul&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
       Both panel discussions are moderated by well-known Twin Cities broadcast journalist &lt;strong&gt;Vineeta Sawkar&lt;/strong&gt;.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Tonight and tomorrow&apos;s broadcasts of On the Margins are available on CTV Channel 15 to any cable subscriber in the ten cities of Arden Hills, Falcon Heights, Lauderdale, Little Canada, Mounds View, New Brighton, North Oaks, Roseville, St. Anthony and Shoreview. The On the Margins programs should also be available on the MDHR&apos;s YouTube site by tomorrow evening, with additional broadcasts possible in other communities soon.
      &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
        The air times include:
      &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;On the Margins, show 1: &lt;/strong&gt;
                &lt;br /&gt;
        Today (4-18) at 5:59 p.m.,
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Friday (4-19) at 1:59 a.m., 9:59 a.m. and 5:59 p.m.
      &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;On the Margins, show 2: &lt;/strong&gt;
                &lt;br /&gt;
        Today (4-18) at 6:29 p.m.
        &lt;br /&gt;
          Friday (4-19) at 2:29 a.m., 10:20 a.m. and 6:29 p.m.
        &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
           These and additional CTV 15 air times are available on &lt;a href=&quot;http://trms.ctv15.org/Cablecast/Public/Schedule.aspx?ChannelID=4&quot; class=&quot;external&quot;&gt;CTV&apos;s web site&lt;/a&gt;.
        &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
          For information on additional broadcasts in other cities, keep checking MDHR&apos;s Facebook page and Twitter feed.
        &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
          ###
        &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
          Contact: Jeff Holman 651.539.1090 or Jeff.holman@state.mn.us
        &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
          Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155
          &lt;br /&gt;
          mn.gov/mdhr
        &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242770</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:18:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Commissioners to discuss smart investments, job creation with St. Paul&apos;s underserved communities</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Minnesota Commissioners to discuss smart investments, job creation with St. Paul&apos;s underserved communities</Title><title>-Minnesota Commissioners to discuss smart investments  job creation with St  Paul s underserved communities</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242762&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-03-12T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>ST. PAUL, MN – St. Paul communities are invited to a Town Hall Meeting to discuss Governor Mark Dayton&apos;s proposed budget, jobs, education and health care from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on March 21 at CLUES.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN - St. Paul communities are invited to a Town Hall Meeting to discuss Governor Mark Dayton&apos;s proposed budget, jobs, education and health care from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on March 21 at &lt;a href=&quot;http://clues.org&quot; class=&quot;external&quot;&gt;CLUES&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Revenue Commissioner Myron Frans and Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will meet with St. Paul residents and community leaders to discuss the smart investments Governor Mark Dayton&apos;s budget will make to support better outcomes for underserved Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota has an unprecedented opportunity to make smart investments in education, health care and job creation, said Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. These investments will help ensure that all Minnesotans have the opportunity share in building a 21st Century economy with sustainable, world-class cities that are prepared for Minnesota&apos;s changing demographics.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Human Rights Commissioner Lindsey will engage on issues important to the state&apos;s future including economic disparities, workforce development and business inclusion. In addition, the Commissioner will seek input from the unemployed and minority business owners on potential new jobs and contracting opportunities through the State&apos;s most current construction projects, including the People&apos;s Stadium and other transportation projects.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Revenue Commissioner Myron Frans will discuss the smart investments Governor Mark Dayton&apos;s proposed budget makes in health care, education and job creation. Topics may include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Getting Kids Off to a Strong Start.&lt;/strong&gt; Arriving in Kindergarten prepared to learn is critical to a child&apos;s success. But right now, children of color are less likely to be ready for school. Studies show low-income children who attended accredited child care centers performed as well as their higher income peers in measures of school readiness.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Governor Dayton&apos;s budget makes investments in education.&lt;/strong&gt; The Governor&apos;s budget follows through on his promise to increase support for education every year he is Governor: no excuses, no exceptions by investing in Early Education and K-12 programs and Higher education Grants to make college more affordable to more Minnesotans.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Minnesotans need a strong economy we can depend on for good jobs&lt;/strong&gt;, living wages, and a strong middle class. That is why Governor Dayton&apos;s budget invests in measures to create jobs, strengthen our infrastructure and make Minnesota a more competitive place to do business. These investments will yield new jobs, vibrant communities, and additional state and local tax revenues which will far exceed these initial investments.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul Town Hall Meeting
&lt;br /&gt;
Time:&lt;/strong&gt; 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Date:&lt;/strong&gt; Thursday, March 21
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Location:&lt;/strong&gt; 797 East 7th Street, St. Paul, MN 55106
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more information about Governor Dayton&apos;s budget, visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/budget/current-budget/previous-budget-recommendations/&quot;&gt;MMB&apos;s Website&lt;/a&gt; or follow the conversation on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/search/realtime?q=#bettermnandsrc=hash&quot; class=&quot;external&quot;&gt;#BetterMN&lt;/a&gt;. You can find additional detailed information about the governor&apos;s budget proposal on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/&quot; class=&quot;external&quot;&gt;MMB website&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact: Jeff Holman 651.539.1090 or Jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155 mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242762</id><pubdate>2018-12-26T20:29:48Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Commissioners to discuss smart investments, job creation with Minneapolis&apos; underserved communities</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Minnesota Commissioners to discuss smart investments, job creation with Minneapolis&apos; underserved communities</Title><title>-Minnesota Commissioners to discuss smart investments  job creation with Minneapolis  underserved communities</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242761&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-03-08T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>ST. PAUL, MN – Minneapolis communities are invited to a Town Hall Meeting to discuss Governor Mark Dayton&apos;s proposed budget, jobs, education and health care from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on March 20 at the Minneapolis Urban League.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN - Minneapolis communities are invited to a Town Hall Meeting to discuss Governor Mark Dayton&apos;s proposed budget, jobs, education and health care from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on March 20 at the &lt;a href=&quot;http://mul.org/&quot; class=&quot;external&quot;&gt;Minneapolis Urban League&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Revenue Commissioner Myron Frans and Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will meet with Minneapolis residents and community leaders to discuss the smart investments Governor Mark Dayton&apos;s budget will make to support better outcomes for underserved Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota has an unprecedented opportunity to make smart investments in education, health care and job creation, said Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. These investments will help ensure that all Minnesotans have the opportunity share in building a 21st Century economy with sustainable, world-class cities that are prepared for Minnesota&apos;s changing demographics.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Human Rights Commissioner Lindsey will engage on issues important to the state&apos;s future including economic disparities, workforce development and business inclusion. In addition, the commissioner will seek input from the unemployed and minority business owners on potential new jobs and contracting opportunities through the state&apos;s most current construction projects, including the People&apos;s Stadium and other transportation projects. Revenue Commissioner Myron Frans will discuss the smart investments Governor Mark Dayton&apos;s proposed budget makes in health care, education and job creation. Topics may include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Getting kids off to a strong start.&lt;/strong&gt; Arriving in Kindergarten prepared to learn is critical to a child&apos;s success. But right now, children of color are less likely to be ready for school. Studies show low-income children who attended accredited child care centers performed as well as their higher income peers in measures of school readiness.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Governor Dayton&apos;s budget makes investments in education.&lt;/strong&gt; The Governor&apos;s budget follows through on his promise to increase support for education every year he is Governor: no excuses, no exceptions by investing in Early Education and K-12 programs and Higher education grants to make college more affordable to more Minnesotans.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Minnesotans need a strong economy we can depend on for good jobs&lt;/strong&gt;, living wages, and a strong middle class. That is why Governor Dayton&apos;s budget invests in measures to create jobs, strengthen our infrastructure and make Minnesota a more competitive place to do business. These investments will yield new jobs, vibrant communities, and additional state and local tax revenues which will far exceed these initial investments.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;addressinfo&quot;&gt;Minneapolis Town Hall Meeting
&lt;br /&gt;
Time: 6 to 7:30 p.m.
&lt;br /&gt;
Date: Wednesday, March 20
&lt;br /&gt;
Location: 2100 Plymouth Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55411
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more information about Governor Dayton&apos;s budget, visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/budget/current-budget/previous-budget-recommendations/&quot;&gt;MMB&apos;s Website&lt;/a&gt; or follow the conversation on Twitter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/search/realtime?q=#bettermnandsrc=hash&quot; class=&quot;external&quot;&gt;#BetterMN&lt;/a&gt;. You can find additional detailed information about the governor&apos;s budget proposal on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/&quot; class=&quot;external&quot;&gt;MMB website&lt;/a&gt; at mn.gov/mmb.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more information please contact Jeff Holman, jeff.holman@state.mn.us or 651.539.1090&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242761</id><pubdate>2018-12-26T20:29:53Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MDHR Conducted More Investigations, Reduced Backlog</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MDHR Conducted More Investigations, Reduced Backlog</Title><title>-MDHR Conducted More Investigations  Reduced Backlog</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242745&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-02-07T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Human Rights conducted more investigations, reduced the timeframe for investigating charges and reduced the backlog of its older cases in accordance with Governor Mark Dayton&apos;s common sense reforms to give Minnesotans a Better Value for their tax dollars.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
              &lt;h3&gt;
      Minnesota Department of Human Rights Releases Semi-Annual Report to the State Legislature
    &lt;/h3&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Minnesota Department of Human Rights conducted more investigations, reduced the timeframe for investigating charges and reduced the backlog of its older cases in accordance with Governor Mark Dayton&apos;s common sense reforms to give Minnesotans a Better Value for their tax dollars.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In the Minnesota Department of Human Rights semi-annual report to the state legislature issued today, Commissioner Kevin Lindsey outlines the streamlined efforts of the Department&apos;s staff to increase the number of investigations, reduce the time frame for investigating charges and to reduce the backlog of its older cases.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Our goal is provide excellent service to all citizens every day in every aspect of our operations, said Commissioner Lindsey. One way we accomplish our goal is by streamlining the Department&apos;s operations to conduct more investigations in a timely manner, examining how we can more effectively use mediation and, when appropriate, seek to conciliate disputes before initiating an investigation. We are achieving success in all three areas and I&apos;m excited by the work of the Investigations Unit.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Consistent with this commitment, the Department has seen an increase in the number of investigation memoranda issued and a decrease in the length of the time to reach a determination.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;ul&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        In the past six months, MDHR issued 347 investigation memoranda. MDHR achieved a 39 percent increase over the first six months of 2012, in which 249 investigation memoranda were issued. Comparatively, there were 170 investigation memoranda in the last six months of 2011. Thus, there was a 104 percent increase in the memoranda issued in the past six months as compared to the last six months of 2011.
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        The average case load per investigator is currently 76 cases. The average age of the probable cause determinations issued during the past six months was 357 days, down from 404 in the last 6 month period.
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        The average age of the no probable cause determinations issued during the past six months was 293 days, down from 317 in the last 6 month period. The decrease in length of time is attributed to the commitment of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and its staff to address the backlog of its older cases.
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        As of the end of December 2012, the MDHR had 842 cases pending determination. Of these cases, 196 cases were less than 90 days old; 211 cases were between 91-180 days old; 139 cases were between 181-270 days old; 133 cases were between 271-365 days old; and 169 cases were older than 366 days. This is a decrease from the 228 cases that were older than 366 in the previous six months. At the end of December, 87 percent of the charges filed in the past six months remained open.
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        In the past six months, MDHR closed 417 cases. Specifically, 325 of the cases were closed after a no probable cause determination, 23 cases were closed after a probable cause determination, 39 were closed due to withdrawal, 8 were dismissed by the agency and in 22 cases a settlement was reached by the parties. The average time to close a case was 325 days.
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        The Department continues to attempt to resolve cases through mediation. In the past six months, MDHR referred 15 cases to mediation. During this time, the MDHR scheduled 44 mediations of which 22 settled. The average length of time for cases in the mediation process that ultimately settled during the past six months was 162 days. The Department of Human Rights biennial report to the Legislature is available on the Department&apos;s web site at mn.gov/mdhr.
      &lt;/li&gt;
              &lt;/ul&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information please contact Jeff Holman, jeff.holman@state.mn.us or 651.539.1090
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242745</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:18:01Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Gov. Mark Dayton Proclaims Human Trafficking Prevention Week</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Gov. Mark Dayton Proclaims Human Trafficking Prevention Week</Title><title>-Gov  Mark Dayton Proclaims Human Trafficking Prevention Week</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242724&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-01-24T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Gov. Mark Dayton has proclaimed the week of January 24-31, 2013 as Human Trafficking Prevention Week in Minnesota.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Week of January 24-31, 2013 as Human Trafficking Prevention Week in Minnesota.</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;maincolumn&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Gov. Mark Dayton has proclaimed the week of January 24-31, 2013 as Human Trafficking Prevention Week in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As many as 8,000 to 12,000 people are estimated to be involved in prostitution/sex trafficking in Minnesota every day. The Governor&apos;s proclamation recognizes that Minnesota is the forefront of efforts to prevent human trafficking, but that more can and must be done to address what has become the second largest and fastest growing criminal industry in the world.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Human trafficking is a crime that exploits people for profit and deprives them of their basic human rights, said Commissioner of Human Rights Kevin Lindsey. It is not just a Twin Cities phenomenon, but affects communities throughout the state. Those who are trafficked are often as young as 12 or 14, and come from all races and ethnicities. Fortunately, Minnesota has taken steps to recognize that sexually exploited children are not criminals, but victims in need of help.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Gov. Dayton signed the Safe Harbors Law in 2011, which treats sexually exploited youth and sex trafficking victims under age 16 as children in need of protection or services. The Department of Health, the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Human Rights are among the state agencies working with other municipal, county, and state agency leaders to address the needs of sexually exploited youth and find new methods of preventing human trafficking. Human Trafficking is a serious public health problem affecting all Minnesota communities, said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Ed Ehlinger.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Minnesota Department of Health&apos;s Sexual Violence Prevention program is working with more than 200 statewide partners to address this issue and develop comprehensive prevention strategies to end human trafficking in our state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Governor&apos;s proclamation of Human Rights week coincides with President Obama&apos;s declaration of January 2012 as Human Trafficking Prevention month nationally.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/governor/assets/Human_Trafficking_Prevention_Week_2013_tcm1055-92897.pdf&quot;&gt;Governor Dayton&apos;s Proclamation on Human Trafficking Prevention Week&lt;/a&gt; (PDF 617kb)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For additional information please contact Jeff Holman, jeff.holman@state.mn.us or 651.539.1090&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242724</id><pubdate>2017-08-15T20:55:33Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Cases</Title><Id>249134</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Two African American Customers Allege Racial Discrimination by Marshalls and Walgreens</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Race</Title><Id>244481</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Public Places</Title><Id>244480</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Two African American Customers Allege Racial Discrimination by Marshalls and Walgreens</Title><title>-Two African American Customers Allege Racial Discrimination by Marshalls and Walgreens</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242784&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-11-29T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>An African American woman detained at a Marshalls store in Crystal, and an African American man accused of shoplifting at a Walgreens store in St. Paul, were both subjected to discrimination because of their race, the department has found.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;h3&gt;
      Human Rights Commissioner Cautions Retailers to Avoid Racial Profiling
    &lt;/h3&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Minnesota Department of Human Rights has found probable cause that retailers engaged in illegal discrimination by detaining customers they accused of shoplifting in two separate cases.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      An African American woman detained at a Marshalls store in Crystal, and an African American man accused of shoplifting at a Walgreens store in St. Paul, were both subjected to discrimination because of their race, the department has found.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In separate settlement agreements, Marshalls has agreed to pay the customer it accused and detained $20,000, and Walgreens has agreed to a $5,000 settlement.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      It&apos;s important for retail stores to take appropriate measures to prevent shoplifting, which tends to be a particular problem during the holiday season, said Commissioner of Human Rights Kevin Lindsey. But loss prevention efforts must not be based on racial stereotypes, and stores must not engage in racial profiling. Those who do so violate the state Human Rights Act by denying some customers the full and equal enjoyment of their goods, services, and facilities, based on race.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;h3&gt;
      Customer Detained at Marshalls
    &lt;/h3&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In the case involving Marshalls, customer Crystal Adams was stopped by a loss prevention officer as she was leaving the store with her son. The officer allegedly pushed her back into the store, and accused her of shoplifting an outfit she had placed in her purse.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      She was taken to a back room in the store, detained there and questioned by two security officers, according to the charge she filed with the Department of Human Rights. I was kept in the room for 30 to 60 minutes, Adams stated.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      She told the security officers that she had a receipt for the outfit, which she had purchased during a previous shopping trip, in her purse. The loss prevention officers allegedly told her the receipt didn&apos;t matter, and that they had observed her place an outfit in her purse on camera. As she continued to protest her innocence, He (a loss prevention officer) told me if I did not stop talking, he would lock me up, according to Adams.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      After a manager viewed a video recording of the behavior that had led the officers to detain her, Adams was allowed to leave Marshalls, given a trespass notice, and told not to return to the store, according to her charge.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In answering the charge, Marshalls acknowledge that it had mistakenly believed Adams was a shoplifter, but denied that race was a factor in apprehending and detaining her.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      However, the Department of Human Rights concluded that race probably was a factor in Adams&apos; detention. The loss prevention supervisor&apos;s apprehension included at least one dismissive reference to the charging part as &apos;you people&apos; and was more brutal than the respondent has admitted, the department noted.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In addition to paying Crystal Adams $20,000, Marshalls has agreed to provide its loss prevention and security staff with training on the public accommodations provisions of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, and to review and revise its loss prevention policies to ensure compliance with the act. Marshalls denies that it discriminated against Adams or violated the Human Rights Act.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;h3&gt;
      Bias Alleged at Walgreens
    &lt;/h3&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In the case involving a Walgreens store on Grand Avenue in St. Paul, customer Johnny Aldridge picked up and paid for a prescription, then continued to shop for stocking stuffers in the store. He was soon approached by two Walgreen&apos;s employees, who told him that the store&apos;s surveillance system had recorded him putting something in his pocket.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      I proceeded to remove my jacket and lift up my shirt, so they could see I had not taken anything, Aldridge explained, in a charge filed with the Department of Human Rights.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      I requested that the respondent&apos;s employees show me the tape and call the police. The employees refused. They also refused to allow him to purchase the items he had gathered in his cart, and instead ordered him to leave the store, according to Aldridge.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      I believe that the Respondents&apos; employees conducted racial profiling without any evidence that I had shoplifted, Aldridge told the Department of Human Rights. I do not believe a white customer would have been treated in this manner.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Walgreens denied that it had engaged in racial profiling, and argued that the customer had been detained because his shopping pattern was highly unusual.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In its investigation, the Department of Human Rights determined that the evidence supports the conclusion that Walgreens&apos; actions were wrongfully motivated by racial bias.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Department noted that Walgreens failed to provide information that was requested in the course of its investigation, including policy manuals and personnel files. The store had replaced its surveillance system since the date of the alleged incident, and surveillance video of the night in question was no longer available, Walgreens said.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Department has failed to receive information from the respondent that was ordered to be submitted by subpoena to the respondent, the Department noted. With these facts present, it is reasonable to find a lack of credibility in the respondent&apos;s argument against the charge of discrimination.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In a settlement negotiated by the Department of Human Rights, Walgreen&apos;s agreed to pay Johnny Aldridge $5,000, to provide its loss prevention and security staff with training on the public accommodations provisions of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, and to review and revise its loss prevention policies to ensure compliance with the act. Walgreens denies that it discriminated against Aldridge or violated the Human Rights Act.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information please contact: Jeff Holman, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242784</id><pubdate>2025-07-16T15:40:23Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Human Rights Symposium Set for Dec. 3 in St. Paul</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Human Rights Symposium Set for Dec. 3 in St. Paul</Title><title>-Human Rights Symposium Set for Dec  3 in St  Paul</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242735&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-11-29T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>&quot;Education is a vital component to fulfilling our mission to end discrimination in Minnesota,&quot; said Kevin Lindsey, Commissioner of the Department of Human Rights. &quot;We are pleased to be able to assemble some of the most knowledgeable experts on topics ranging from sexual harassment to criminal background checks.&quot;</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Registration Still Open for Minnesota Department of Human Rights All-Day Event&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Department of Human Rights kicks off Human Rights Week in Minnesota with an all-day symposium providing must-have information on key issues for everyone concerned with human rights. Covering the latest trends and legal developments in employment, criminal justice and public policy, the Human Rights Symposium will be from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 3 at the University of Minnesota&apos;s Continuing Education and Conference Center in St. Paul.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Education is a vital component to fulfilling our mission to end discrimination in Minnesota, said Kevin Lindsey, Commissioner of the Department of Human Rights. We are pleased to be able to assemble some of the most knowledgeable experts on topics ranging from sexual harassment to criminal background checks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We encourage attorneys, employers, educators, and everyone concerned with human rights and social justice to take this opportunity to get most up-to-date information on these critical human rights issues, Lindsey said.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The symposium offers three separate tracks of workshops on employment, criminal justice and public policy issues, including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sexual harassment&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reprisal&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Employers&apos; use of criminal background checks&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Barriers to people with disabilities in the courtroom&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;School bullying&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Voting rights&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Social media and hiring&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reducing disparities in employment and contracting&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Department of Homeland Security&apos;s Secure Communities program&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Commissioner Lindsey&apos;s Top 10 Dos and Don&apos;ts for charging parties and respondents.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Commissioner Lindsey will also deliver a plenary address discussing changes within the Department of Human Rights concerning discrimination investigations, contract compliance, public policy initiatives, and recent Minnesota Court opinions interpreting the Minnesota Human Rights Act.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The symposium is one of the most affordable all-day events the department has ever offered, with a registration cost of $70 per individual. Attendance is limited and registration is on a first-come, first served basis. Individuals may register through the department&apos;s web site, or by calling the department at 651.539.1126 (TTY 651.296.1283) or 1.800.657.3704.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Attendees will receive 4.25 continuing legal education (CLE) credit (MN) from the Minnesota Board of Continuing Legal Education (MBCLE) for attending the entire day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What:&lt;/strong&gt; The Human Rights Symposium&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When:&lt;/strong&gt; Monday, December 3, 2012 from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where:&lt;/strong&gt; University of Minnesota Continuing Education and Conference Center, 1890 Buford Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55108.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For more information:&lt;/strong&gt; More information about the symposium, including an online registration form,  please contact: Jeff Holman, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more information please contact: Jeff Holman, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242735</id><pubdate>2017-06-02T16:10:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Governor Mark Dayton Proclaims December 2-8 as Human Rights Week in Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Governor Mark Dayton Proclaims December 2-8 as Human Rights Week in Minnesota</Title><title>-Governor Mark Dayton Proclaims December 2 8 as Human Rights Week in Minnesota</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242726&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-11-29T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Governor&apos;s proclamation reminds Minnesotans of our state&apos;s rich diversity of races, cultures, beliefs and ways of life, and of the need to secure freedom from discrimination for all people. A series of events throughout the week recognizes work being done, and challenges remaining, in addressing disparities, removing barriers of discrimination, and ensuring equal opportunity.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Week of Events Celebrates Human Rights Achievements, Explores Issues of Equality, Social Justice&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As Governor Mark Dayton proclaims the week of December 2-8 as Human Rights Week in Minnesota, Minnesotans are being offered a week-long smorgasbord of human rights events, beginning with a symposium on Monday, Dec. 3, sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/governor/assets/Human_Rights_Week_tcm1055-94978.pdf&quot;&gt;Governor&apos;s proclamation&lt;/a&gt; reminds Minnesotans of our state&apos;s rich diversity of races, cultures, beliefs and ways of life, and of the need to secure freedom from discrimination for all people. A series of events throughout the week recognizes work being done, and challenges remaining, in addressing disparities, removing barriers of discrimination, and ensuring equal opportunity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We&apos;re honored that Governor Dayton, through this proclamation, has recognized the role of the Department of Human Rights, as well as that of community-based partners and all Minnesotans concerned with human rights and social justice, said Kevin Lindsey, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We have worked with partners to ensure that Human Rights Week provides opportunities for Minnesotans to learn about the latest human rights developments, and participate in ongoing conversations about critical issues, Lindsey said.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Human Rights Week Events&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;The Human Rights Symposium&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Department of Human Rights kicks off Human Rights Week in Minnesota with an all-day symposium providing must-have information on key issues for everyone concerned with human rights. Three tracks of workshops on employment, criminal justice, and public policy issues explore topics like sexual harassment, school bullying, criminal background checks, voting rights, and social media, among others. Cost is $70 per individual. Registration deadline is Friday, Nov. 30, 4 PM.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Date:&lt;/strong&gt; Monday, December 3
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Time:&lt;/strong&gt; 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Location:&lt;/strong&gt; University of Minnesota Continuing Education and Conference Center, 1890 Buford Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55108.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;The Criminal Justice System in Minnesota: Youth and Employment&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey and the University of St. Thomas Law School Professor Nekima Levy-Pounds will discuss efforts to reduce the barriers to employment for those with prior conviction records. Professor Levy-Pounds will also discuss a recent report from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, On The Level, which found that Minnesota&apos;s juvenile justice system is rife with racial inequalities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Date:&lt;/strong&gt; Tuesday, December 4
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Time:&lt;/strong&gt; 12:30-2 pm
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Location:&lt;/strong&gt; University of St. Thomas Law School&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;An Event to Honor Dr. Josie Johnson&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will honor Dr. Josie Johnson with the Humanitarian Service Award. Dr. Johnson has shown outstanding character, commitment to equity, social justice, and human dignity. The public is invited to join us in honoring her with this award.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Date:&lt;/strong&gt; Wednesday, December 5
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Time:&lt;/strong&gt; 8:30-10 am
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Location:&lt;/strong&gt; Minneapolis Urban League&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;Business Inclusion: Ensuring Opportunities for Minority Enterprises&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A panel discussion focuses on business inclusion and strategies to expand opportunities for minority and women-owned businesses to participate in our economy. Panelists include Kevin Lindsey, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights; Craig Taylor, Director for the Office of Business and Community Economic Development at the University of Minnesota; and Dr. Sam Myers, Professor at the University of Minnesota&apos;s Humphrey School of Public Affairs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Date:&lt;/strong&gt; Wednesday, December 5
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Time:&lt;/strong&gt; 5:15 PM - 6:30 PM
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Location:&lt;/strong&gt; Humphrey Forum at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;OTHER HUMAN RIGHTS EVENTS&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the public events, several organizations are sponsoring events during Human Rights Week:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;On Tuesday, Dec. 4, Carlson Chairman Marilyn Carlson Nelson will host Commissioner Kevin Lindsey at an invitation only event at Carlson world headquarters in Minnetonka.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;On Thursday, Dec. 6, Commissioner Lindsey will speak at the Hennepin County Bar Association (HBCA) in Minneapolis on current trends in bullying, intimidation and harassment in Minnesota schools, and review existing Minnesota law. Commissioner Lindsey served as a member of the Prevention of Bullying Task Force, which was formed by Governor Dayton earlier this year to ensure that all students have a safe learning environment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more information please contact: Jeff Holman, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242726</id><pubdate>2017-05-30T21:11:59Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Fills Top Communications and Legislative Liaison Positions</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Fills Top Communications and Legislative Liaison Positions</Title><title>-Minnesota Department of Human Rights Fills Top Communications and Legislative Liaison Positions</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242763&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-11-12T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Dufour comes to  MDHR with more than 15 years of experience in public relations, marketing and journalism. She previously served as Deputy Communications Director for the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), where she managed the department&apos;s media relations in coordination with the Communications Director.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) has announced the hiring of Christine Dufour as Director of Communications and Community Relations, and Mario Santos Vargas as Legislative and Public Affairs Liaison.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Dufour comes to MDHR with more than 15 years of experience in public relations, marketing and journalism. She previously served as Deputy Communications Director for the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), where she managed the department&apos;s media relations in coordination with the Communications Director.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      I am excited to work with an amazing team of public affairs and communications professionals to make Minnesota discrimination free, and empower every person to participate fully in our society, Dufour said.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Her role at MDE included developing and managing the agency&apos;s social media presence on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, including a nationally recognized social media campaign. Her work was recognized with a Minnesota Association of Government Communicators Use of Social Media Award of Merit in 2009.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Before joining MDE, Dufour developed communications and marketing strategies for the Bloomington Public School District. Her experience also includes four years with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) as public affairs coordinator. Most recently, Dufour served as President of her own St. Paul-based public relations firm, Ivy Public Relations and Associates.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Dufour has also worked as a reporter for the Brainerd Daily Dispatch. She has a Bachelor&apos;s degree in Mass Communications from St. Cloud State University.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Legislative and Public Affairs Liaison Mario Santos Vargas comes to MDHR from Socios Consulting Inc. a private consulting firm that provides leadership, public relations and strategic planning consulting services. He brings to MDHR more than 15 years of experience in advocating for traditionally underserved minority and immigrant communities, helping to reduce disparities in the areas of education, economic and community development and public health.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      I am delighted to have the opportunity to join MDHR and look forward to supporting Commissioner Lindsey and Deputy Commissioner Santiago in their efforts to ensure MDHR&apos;s legislative priorities, Vargas said.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Vargas has also served in volunteer advisory capacities on Hispanic civic affairs to the offices of current and past Minneapolis Mayors R.T. Rybak and Sharon Sayles Belton. More recently, he completed a four-year gubernatorial volunteer appointment on the Chicano Latino Affairs Council, where he served as Chairperson.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For his public service, Vargas was recently awarded the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Minnesota&apos;s 25 on The Rise Latino Leadership Award.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Vargas was born in Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. He immigrated to the United States in 1980 and moved to Minnesota in 1992. He holds a Bachelor&apos;s Degree in Sociology from University of Minnesota - Morris.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information please contact: Jeff Holman, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242763</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:18:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>State Human Rights Commissioner to speak at public forum on Changing Demographics, Voter ID and Marriage Amendments October 25 at Central Lakes College in Brainerd</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>State Human Rights Commissioner to speak at public forum on Changing Demographics, Voter ID and Marriage Amendments October 25 at Central Lakes College in Brainerd</Title><title>-State Human Rights Commissioner to speak at public forum on Changing Demographics  Voter ID and Marriage Amendments October 25 at Central Lakes College in Brainerd</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242780&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-10-19T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>In addition, Commissioner Lindsey will discuss the impact of the proposed Voter ID and Marriage Amendments to Minnesota&apos;s Constitution, and provide an overview of the Department of Human Rights&apos; role in ending discrimination in Minnesota.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will explore our state&apos;s changing demographics and what these trends mean for jobs, education, and our economic future at a public forum at Central Lakes College in Brainerd, MN on Thursday, Oct. 25.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In addition, Commissioner Lindsey will discuss the impact of the proposed Voter ID and Marriage Amendments to Minnesota&apos;s Constitution, and provide an overview of the Department of Human Rights&apos; role in ending discrimination in Minnesota.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Commissioner Lindsey will give a presentation from 10AM to 11 AM, to be followed by a community dialog from 11 AM to Noon.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Commissioner will discuss how Minnesota&apos;s demographics have shifted dramatically over the past decade, a trend that will accelerate and change the makeup of our workforce. As predominantly white workers of the baby boom generation retire in increasing numbers, the share of people of color in the workforce is expected to more than double.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Minnesota will not have the highly skilled workers it will need in 2020 and beyond unless we find ways to include more minorities in the workforce today, and provide training and education for the workforce of tomorrow, Commissioner Lindsey said.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Commissioner will explain why the Governor&apos;s initiatives in education are important, and discuss the efforts of the Department of Human Rights, working in collaboration with other organizations, to ensure that all Minnesotans have a chance to compete for job opportunities as our economy regains strength.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In addressing the Voter ID and Marriage Amendments, Commissioner Lindsey will analyze the arguments pro and con, and explain why the Department of Human Rights opposes the Amendments.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The forum is sponsored by the Central Lakes College Office of Diversity, Equity and Tribal Relations, and the Center for Life Long Learning and Student Life.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;What:&lt;/strong&gt; Brainerd Public Forum with Commissioner Kevin Lindsey
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;When: &lt;/strong&gt; Thursday, Oct. 25. Commissioner presentation, 10-11 AM; Public dialog, 11 AM to Noon.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Where:&lt;/strong&gt; Chalberg Theater, Central Lakes College, 501 West Campus Drive, Brainerd, MN 56401
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information please contact: Jeff Holman, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242780</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:18:20Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Public Forum on Voter ID Amendment Set for Thursday, Oct. 18 at Rochester City Hall</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Public Forum on Voter ID Amendment Set for Thursday, Oct. 18 at Rochester City Hall</Title><title>-Public Forum on Voter ID Amendment Set for Thursday  Oct  18 at Rochester City Hall</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242771&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-10-16T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The program will include a panel discussion featuring representatives on all sides of the debate over Voter ID and the integrity of Minnesota&apos;s election process. Minnesota Commissioner of Human Rights Kevin Lindsey will be among the panelists, and  will also provide a brief overview the department&apos;s activities at the start of the program.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Olmsted County Human Rights Commission will host a public forum on Minnesota&apos;s Voter ID Amendment on Thursday, Oct. 18 from 6:45 - 8:30 PM at Rochester City Hall.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The program will include a panel discussion featuring representatives on all sides of the debate over Voter ID and the integrity of Minnesota&apos;s election process. Minnesota Commissioner of Human Rights Kevin Lindsey will be among the panelists, and will also provide a brief overview the department&apos;s activities at the start of the program.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Other panelists will include Senator Sean R. Nienow, (R) District 17; Rev. Don Barlow, Pastor of Rochester Community Baptist Church; and Allan Witz, President of the Minnesota Bar Association, Third District.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      A public comment and question-and-answer session will follow the panel discussion.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;What:&lt;/strong&gt; Rochester Public Forum on Voter ID Amendment
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;When: &lt;/strong&gt;Thursday, Oct. 18, 6:45 - 8:30 PM
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Where: &lt;/strong&gt;Rochester City Hall, Council Chambers 201 4th Street SE, Rochester, MN 55904
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Panelists: &lt;/strong&gt;Commissioner Kevin Lindsey, Minnesota Department of Human Rights Sen. Sean R. Nienow, (R) District 17 Rev. Don Barlow, Pastor of Rochester Community Baptist Church Allan Witz, President of the Minnesota Bar Association, Third District
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information please contact: Jeff Holman, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242771</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:18:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Department of Human Rights Adds Additional Bilingual Attorney to Investigations Unit</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Department of Human Rights Adds Additional Bilingual Attorney to Investigations Unit</Title><title>-Department of Human Rights Adds Additional Bilingual Attorney to Investigations Unit</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242719&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-10-10T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Maria is bilingual in Spanish and her duties will include cases requiring translation. Commissioner of Human Rights Kevin Lindsey said, &quot;At a time when charges of discrimination filed with our department have increased significantly, we are pleased to find a candidate with Minvielle&apos;s exceptional qualifications.&quot; The department recently reported that the number of charges filed in the first six months of 2012 increased 50 percent over the number of charges filed in the previous six months.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) today announced the hiring of an experienced bilingual attorney, Maria Minvielle, who will serve as an enforcement officer in the department&apos;s investigations unit.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Maria is bilingual in Spanish and her duties will include cases requiring translation. Commissioner of Human Rights Kevin Lindsey said, At a time when charges of discrimination filed with our department have increased significantly, we are pleased to find a candidate with Minvielle&apos;s exceptional qualifications. The department recently reported that the number of charges filed in the first six months of 2012 increased 50 percent over the number of charges filed in the previous six months.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Minvielle comes to her new position at MDHR with more than 16 years of experience working in law firms and corporations. She is experienced in bilingual marketing, advertising, intellectual property, immigration law, corporate law, and online legal research.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Previously she worked as a bilingual marketing analyst, copywriter and editor for Thomson Reuters in Eagan, MN and also for Fingerhurt.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Minvielle has a law degree from the Universidad Anaacute;huac del Norte, Meacute;xico City, Meacute;xico and a Masters in Law degree from Hamline University.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information please contact: Jeff Holman, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242719</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:17:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>State Human Rights Commissioner to Speak at Public Forum on Changing Demographics, Voter ID and Marriage Amendments October 25 at Ridgewater College in Willmar</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>State Human Rights Commissioner to Speak at Public Forum on Changing Demographics, Voter ID and Marriage Amendments October 25 at Ridgewater College in Willmar</Title><title>-State Human Rights Commissioner to Speak at Public Forum on Changing Demographics  Voter ID and Marriage Amendments October 25 at Ridgewater College in Willmar</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242781&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-10-09T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>In addition, Commissioner Lindsey will discuss the impact of the proposed Voter ID and Marriage Amendments to Minnesota&apos;s Constitution, and provide an overview of the Department of Human Rights&apos; role in ending discrimination in Minnesota.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will explore our state&apos;s changing demographics and what these trends mean for jobs, education, and our economic future in a public forum in the Large Community Outreach Room at Ridgewater College in Willmar, MN from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Thursday, Oct. 25.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In addition, Commissioner Lindsey will discuss the impact of the proposed Voter ID and Marriage Amendments to Minnesota&apos;s Constitution, and provide an overview of the Department of Human Rights&apos; role in ending discrimination in Minnesota.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Commissioner will discuss how Minnesota&apos;s demographics have shifted dramatically over the past decade, a trend that will accelerate and change the makeup of our workforce. As predominantly white workers of the baby boom generation retire in increasing numbers, the share of people of color in the workforce is expected to more than double.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Minnesota will not have the highly skilled workers it will need in 2020 and beyond unless we find ways to include more minorities in the workforce today, and provide training and education for the workforce of tomorrow, Commissioner Lindsey said.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Commissioner will explain why the Governor&apos;s initiatives in education are important, and discuss the efforts of the Department of Human Rights, working in collaboration with other organizations, to ensure that all Minnesotans have a chance to compete for job opportunities as our economy regains strength.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In addressing the Voter ID and Marriage Amendments, Commissioner Lindsey will analyze the arguments pro and con, and explain why the Department of Human Rights opposes the Amendments.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      A public comment and question-and-answer session will follow the Commissioner&apos;s presentation.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The forum is hosted by the Department of Multicultural Affairs, Ridgewater College.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;What: &lt;/strong&gt;Willmar Public Forum with Commissioner Kevin Lindsey
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;When: &lt;/strong&gt;Thursday, October 25, 6 PM - 8 PM
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Where:&lt;/strong&gt; Large Community Outreach Room , Ridgewater College, 2101 15th Avenue NW, Willmar, MN 56201
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information please contact: Jeff Holman, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242781</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:18:21Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Voter ID and Marriage Amendment among topics for Oct. 22 Public Forum in New Ulm with Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Voter ID and Marriage Amendment among topics for Oct. 22 Public Forum in New Ulm with Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey</Title><title>-Voter ID and Marriage Amendment among topics for Oct  22 Public Forum in New Ulm with Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242786&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-10-05T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will explore both Amendments at a public forum on Monday, Oct. 22 from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM at the New Ulm Public Library. Commissioner Lindsey will analyze the arguments pro and con, and discuss why the debate over both Amendments matters for our democracy. The event is sponsored by the New Ulm League of Women Voters.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In the November 2012 election, Minnesota voters will be asked to decide on two major Constitutional amendments: one would require that all voters produce a photo ID at the polls; the other would limit the status of marriage to opposite sex couples by defining marriage as solely between one man and one woman.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will explore both Amendments at a public forum on Monday, Oct. 22 from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM at the New Ulm Public Library. Commissioner Lindsey will analyze the arguments pro and con, and discuss why the debate over both Amendments matters for our democracy. The event is sponsored by the New Ulm League of Women Voters.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Commissioner Lindsey will also provide an overview of the Department of Human Rights wide-ranging activities to end discrimination in Minnesota, from investigating charges of discrimination to collaborating with other organizations to address disparities in employment, education, health care and other areas.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In addition, Commissioner Lindsey will discuss how our state&apos;s demographics have changed dramatically over the past decade. This trend will accelerate in the years ahead, and as the predominantly white workers of the baby boom generation retire, the share of people of color in the workforce will more than double. Commissioner Lindsey will discuss the implications for jobs, education, and our state&apos;s economic future.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The event is free, open to the public, and registration is not required. A public comment and question-and-answer session will follow the Commissioner&apos;s presentation.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;What: &lt;/strong&gt;New Ulm Public Forum with Commissioner Kevin Lindsey
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;When:&lt;/strong&gt; Monday, October 22, 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Where: &lt;/strong&gt;New Ulm Public Library, 17 North Broadway Street, New Ulm, MN 56073.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information please contact: Jeff Holman, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242786</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:18:23Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Human Rights Commissioner Lindsey to Visit Duluth for Two Public Forums on Oct. 10</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Human Rights Commissioner Lindsey to Visit Duluth for Two Public Forums on Oct. 10</Title><title>-Human Rights Commissioner Lindsey to Visit Duluth for Two Public Forums on Oct  10</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242734&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-10-05T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>In his presentation at UMD, Commissioner Lindsey will analyze the arguments for and against both proposed Amendments, explain the Department of Human Rights&apos; position, and discuss why the debate over both Amendments matters for our democracy.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will explore the impact of the proposed Voter ID and Marriage Amendments in a public forum on Oct. 10 from 3 PM to 4 PM at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD). Later the same day, Commissioner Lindsey will discuss Minnesota&apos;s changing demographics, racial disparities and workforce hiring goals in a public forum from 6 PM to 8 PM at Duluth City Hall.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In his presentation at UMD, Commissioner Lindsey will analyze the arguments for and against both proposed Amendments, explain the Department of Human Rights&apos; position, and discuss why the debate over both Amendments matters for our democracy.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In the forum at City Hall, Commissioner Lindsey will discuss how our state&apos;s demographics have changed dramatically over the past decade, and why, as the Baby Boom generation retires, the share of people of color in the workforce will more than double. A panel discussion will follow the Commissioner&apos;s presentation, featuring Duluth residents, business people, and individuals seeking to enter the workforce.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      We want the Commissioner&apos;s visit to open a dialog about the Duluth community, and how we can get it right to ensure full participation in the workforce, said Bob Grytdahl, City of Duluth Human Rights officer. The panel discussion will focus on how we can achieve hiring goals for minorities and women in some major projects that are coming in this area, and how we can work together for mutual benefit, Grytdahl explained.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Both the UMD presentation and the forum at City Hall are open to the public, and registration is not required. Both events will include a public comment and question-and-answer session.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Public forum on the Voter ID and Marriage Amendments&lt;/strong&gt;
              &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;When:&lt;/strong&gt; Wednesday, Oct. 10, 3 PM to 4 PM
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Where: &lt;/strong&gt;University of Minnesota-Duluth, Kirby Rafters room, Kirby Student Center, 1049 University Drive, Duluth, MN 55812
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The UMD forum is sponsored by the City of Duluth&apos;s Human Rights Commission and Minnesota Public Interest Research Group (MPIRG) at UMD with sponsorship from the University of Minnesota Duluth Chancellor&apos;s Office, Division of Student Life, Diversity Commission, GLBT Services, GLBTQA Commission, Masters in Advocacy and Political Leadership Program, Office of Civic Engagement, and United Campus Ministry.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Public forum on Changing Demographics, Racial Disparities and Workforce Hiring.&lt;/strong&gt;
              &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;When: &lt;/strong&gt;Wednesday, Oct. 10, 6 PM to 8 PM
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Where:&lt;/strong&gt; Duluth City Hall, 411 West 1st Street, Duluth, Minnesota 55802-1199
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The public forum at Duluth City Hall is sponsored by the Duluth Human Rights Commission.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information please contact: Jeff Holman, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242734</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:17:54Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MEDIA ADVISORY: Voter ID and Marriage Amendments among Topics for Oct. 16 Public Forum in Winona with Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MEDIA ADVISORY: Voter ID and Marriage Amendments among Topics for Oct. 16 Public Forum in Winona with Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey</Title><title>-MEDIA ADVISORY  Voter ID and Marriage Amendments among Topics for Oct  16 Public Forum in Winona with Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242758&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-10-01T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will explore both Amendments at a public meeting hosted by the Winona Human Rights Commission to be held at Winona State University (WSU) on Oct. 16. Commissioner Lindsey will join in an informal conversation with community members and Winona Human Rights Commission members at 6 PM, to be followed the Commissioner&apos;s presentation at 7 PM.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In the November 2012 election, Minnesota voters will be asked to decide on two major Constitutional Amendments: one would require that all voters produce a photo ID at the polls; the other would limit the status of marriage to opposite sex couples by defining marriage as solely between one man and one woman.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will explore both Amendments at a public meeting hosted by the Winona Human Rights Commission to be held at Winona State University (WSU) on Oct. 16. Commissioner Lindsey will join in an informal conversation with community members and Winona Human Rights Commission members at 6 PM, to be followed the Commissioner&apos;s presentation at 7 PM.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Commissioner Lindsey will analyze the arguments for and against the Voter ID and Marriage Amendments, and discuss why the Department of Human Rights opposes both Amendments.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In addition, Commissioner Lindsey will discuss how our state&apos;s demographics have changed dramatically over the past decade. This trend will accelerate in the years ahead, and as the predominantly white workers of the baby boom generation retire, the share of people of color in the workforce will more than double. Commissioner Lindsey will discuss the implications for jobs, education, and our state&apos;s economic future.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Commissioner Lindsey will also provide an overview the Department of Human Rights wide-ranging activities to end discrimination in Minnesota and the department&apos;s goals and new initiatives for the year. A public comment and question-and-answer session will follow the presentations. Audience members will be encouraged to offer their viewpoints on the topics discussed, or raise other human rights concerns.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;What:&lt;/strong&gt; Winona Human Rights Commission Public Forum with Commissioner Kevin Lindsey
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;When:&lt;/strong&gt; Tuesday, Oct. 16, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM (reception at 6 PM, presentation at 7 PM)
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Where:&lt;/strong&gt; Winona State University, 175 West Mark Street, Winona, MN 55987.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      6:00 PM Reception in Kryzsko Hall, Dining rooms C and D; 7:00 PM Presentation in Stark Hall, Room 103
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information, please contact: Jeff Holman, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242758</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:18:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Human Rights Commissioner Lindsey to speak on Voter ID and Marriage Amendments Oct. 17 in Roseville</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Human Rights Commissioner Lindsey to speak on Voter ID and Marriage Amendments Oct. 17 in Roseville</Title><title>-Human Rights Commissioner Lindsey to speak on Voter ID and Marriage Amendments Oct  17 in Roseville</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242733&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-10-01T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The public meeting begins at 6:00 PM at Roseville&apos;s City Hall. Commissioner Lindsey will speak at 7:00 PM.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will explore the impact of the proposed Voter ID and Marriage Amendments to Minnesota&apos;s Constitution, and explain why the Department of Human Rights opposes both Amendments, at a meeting of the Roseville Human Rights Commission on Oct 17.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The public meeting begins at 6:00 PM at Roseville&apos;s City Hall. Commissioner Lindsey will speak at 7:00 PM.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In addition to discussing the Amendments, Commissioner Lindsey will provide an overview the Department of Human Rights&apos; activities to end discrimination in Minnesota, and the Department&apos;s goals and new initiatives for the year.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      A public comment and question-and-answer session will follow the Commissioner&apos;s presentation.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;What:&lt;/strong&gt; Roseville Human Rights Commission Meeting with guest speaker Minnesota Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;When:&lt;/strong&gt; Wednesday, Oct. 17, 6 PM (Commissioner to speak at 7 PM)
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Where:&lt;/strong&gt; Roseville City Hall, 2660 Civic Center Drive, Roseville, MN 55113
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The meeting will also be streamed live on the web at www.cityofroseville.com/webstreaming and available on Roseville Cable Channel 16.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information please contact: Jeff Holman, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242733</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:17:53Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Human Rights Commissioner Lindsey to speak at Mountain Iron Public Forum in NE Minnesota on Oct. 2</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Human Rights Commissioner Lindsey to speak at Mountain Iron Public Forum in NE Minnesota on Oct. 2</Title><title>-Human Rights Commissioner Lindsey to speak at Mountain Iron Public Forum in NE Minnesota on Oct  2</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242732&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-10-01T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Commissioner Lindsey will speak at a public forum at the Mountain Iron Community Center in Mountain Iron, MN from 5:30 to 7:30 PM on Oct. 2.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will explore our state&apos;s changing demographics and what these trends mean for jobs, education, and our economic future during a visit to North Eastern Minnesota on Tuesday Oct. 2.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Commissioner Lindsey will speak at a public forum at the Mountain Iron Community Center in Mountain Iron, MN from 5:30 to 7:30 PM on Oct. 2.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Commissioner will discuss how Minnesota&apos;s demographics have shifted dramatically over the past decade, a trend that will accelerate and change the makeup of our workforce. As predominantly white workers of the baby boom generation retire in increasing numbers, the share of people of color in the workforce is expected to more than double. Minnesota will not have the highly skilled workers it will need in 2020 and beyond unless we find ways to include more minorities in the workforce today, and provide training and education for the workforce of tomorrow, Commissioner Lindsey has noted.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Lindsey will explain why the Governor&apos;s initiatives in education are important, and discuss the efforts of the Department of Human Rights, working in collaboration with other partners, to ensure that all Minnesotans have a chance to compete for job opportunities as our economy regains strength.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In addition, Lindsey will discuss the impact of the proposed Voter ID and Marriage Amendments to Minnesota&apos;s Constitution, and provide an overview of the Department of Human Rights&apos; role in ending discrimination and its initiatives for the coming year.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      There is no charge to attend the Mountain Iron public forum, and advance registration is not required.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Earlier in the day, at 3 PM at the Mountain Iron Community Center, Commission Lindsey will meet with representatives of the region&apos;s labor and trade unions.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The following day, Wednesday Oct. 3 at 9 AM, Commissioner Lindsey will join Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) Commissioner Tony Sertich for a tour of Hibbing Taconite in Hibbing, MN.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;What:&lt;/strong&gt; Public Forum with Minnesota Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;When:&lt;/strong&gt; Tuesday, Oct. 2, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Where:&lt;/strong&gt; Mountain Iron Community Center, 8586 Enterprise Drive South Mt. Iron, MN 55768
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information please contact: Jeff Holman, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242732</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:17:53Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MEDIA ADVISORY:  Public Forum on Marriage Amendment set for Tuesday, Oct. 2 at Itasca Community College</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MEDIA ADVISORY: Public Forum on Marriage Amendment set for Tuesday, Oct. 2 at Itasca Community College</Title><title>-MEDIA ADVISORY   Public Forum on Marriage Amendment set for Tuesday  Oct  2 at Itasca Community College</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242755&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-09-27T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The program will include a panel discussion featuring representatives on all sides of the Marriage Amendment debate. Commissioner of Human Rights Kevin Lindsey will be among five featured speakers who will offer various points of view from the fields of human rights, law, religion and American Indian culture. The public will be invited to ask questions of the speakers following the presentations.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The public is invited to join Itasca students and faculty for a free workshop on the Minnesota Marriage Amendment on Tuesday, Oct. 2, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Itasca Community College.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The program will include a panel discussion featuring representatives on all sides of the Marriage Amendment debate. Commissioner of Human Rights Kevin Lindsey will be among five featured speakers who will offer various points of view from the fields of human rights, law, religion and American Indian culture. The public will be invited to ask questions of the speakers following the presentations.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Amendment reads, Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to provide that only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Minnesota?
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;What: &lt;/strong&gt; Viewpoints: Marriage Amendment workshop
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;When: &lt;/strong&gt;Tuesday, October 2, 2012 11 AM-1 PM
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Where: &lt;/strong&gt;Davies Hall Theater Itasca Community College, 1851 East Highway 169 Grand Rapids, MN 55744-3397
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Panelists:&lt;/strong&gt; Rev. Dr. David A. Bard, pastor of First United Methodist Church, Duluth and a speaker for Minnesotans United for All Families; Rev. Joe Franzone, Pastor of West Cohasset Chapel in Cohasset, MN; Commissioner Kevin Lindsey, Minnesota Department of Human Rights; District Court Judge Jon Maturi; Elaine Fleming, Chair of the Arts and Humanities Department and instructor at Leech Lake Tribal College, Cass Lake, MN.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Sponsors: &lt;/strong&gt;Itasca Community College and the following student organizations: Gay Straight Alliance, Nursing Club, O-Gitch-I-Dah Club, Philosophy Club, Psychology Club, Student Government Association, Secular Student Alliance; and the Grand Rapids Human Rights Commission and the Blandin Foundation.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information, please contact: Jeff Holman, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242755</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:18:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Voter ID and Marriage Amendments among topics for Sept. 27 Public Forum in Albert Lea with Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Voter ID and Marriage Amendments among topics for Sept. 27 Public Forum in Albert Lea with Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey</Title><title>-Voter ID and Marriage Amendments among topics for Sept  27 Public Forum in Albert Lea with Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242787&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-09-21T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will explore both amendments at a public meeting of Albert Lea Human Rights Commission on Sept. 27 from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM. Commissioner Lindsey will analyze the arguments pro and con, and discuss why the debate over both amendments matters for our democracy.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In the November 2012 election, Minnesota voters will be asked to decide on two major Constitutional amendments: one would require that all voters produce a photo ID at the polls; the other would limit the status of marriage to opposite sex couples by defining marriage as solely between one man and one woman.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will explore both amendments at a public meeting of Albert Lea Human Rights Commission on Sept. 27 from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM. Commissioner Lindsey will analyze the arguments pro and con, and discuss why the debate over both amendments matters for our democracy.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In addition, Commissioner Lindsey will discuss how our state&apos;s demographics have changed dramatically over the past decade. This trend will accelerate in the years ahead, and as the predominantly white workers of the baby boom generation retire, the share of people of color in the workforce will more than double. Commissioner Lindsey will discuss the implications for jobs, education, and our state&apos;s economic future.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Commissioner Lindsey will also provide an overview the Department of Human Rights wide-ranging activities to end discrimination in Minnesota and the Department&apos;s goals and new initiatives for the year.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      A public comment and question-and-answer session will follow the presentations. Audience members will be encouraged to offer their viewpoints on the topics discussed, or raise other human rights concerns.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;What:&lt;/strong&gt; Albert Lea Human Rights Commission Public Forum with Commissioner Kevin Lindsey
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;When:&lt;/strong&gt; Thursday, September 27, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Where:&lt;/strong&gt; Albert Lea City Hall, 221 East Clark Street Albert Lea, MN 56007
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information please contact: Jeff Holman, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242787</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:18:24Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Public Forum with MDHR Commissioner Lindsey set for Friday, Sept. 28 at Minneapolis Urban League</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Public Forum with MDHR Commissioner Lindsey set for Friday, Sept. 28 at Minneapolis Urban League</Title><title>-Public Forum with MDHR Commissioner Lindsey set for Friday  Sept  28 at Minneapolis Urban League</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242773&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-09-21T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The public forum with MDHR Commissioner Lindsey is free and registration is not required.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will discuss the Department of Human Rights wide-ranging activities to end discrimination Minnesota and the Department&apos;s goals and new initiatives for the year ahead at a public forum to be held Friday, Sept. 28 from 5:00 - 6:30 PM at Minneapolis Urban League.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      This event is free and registration is not required.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Guests will have an opportunity to speak with Commissioner Lindsey and discuss their human rights concerns at a question-and-answer session following the Commissioner&apos;s update on MDHR activities.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;What:&lt;/strong&gt; Public Forum with Commissioner Kevin Lindsey
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;When:&lt;/strong&gt; Friday, September 28, 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Where:&lt;/strong&gt; Minneapolis Urban League, 2100 Plymouth Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55411
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Additional information:&lt;/strong&gt; The Commissioner&apos;s discussion of department activities and initiatives will include:
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;ul&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Changes to the charge process at the Department of Human Rights, aimed at reducing the time needed to investigate cases and makes determination, and ensuring that all legitimate cases receive an investigation.
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Challenges facing the department in responding to an increasing caseload - charges filed in the first half of 2012 increased 50 percent over the previous six months, with increases in virtually every category.
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Revised goals for the hiring of women and minorities on state-funded construction projects, such as the Vikings Stadium and the St. Croix Lift Bridge, based on new census data to more accurately reflect Minnesota&apos;s increasing diversity.
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        The Department&apos;s role in conducting an evaluation of diversity across state agencies and assessing best practices to recruit and retain a diverse state workforce, per the request of Gov. Mark Dayton.
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        MDHR&apos;s efforts, in collaboration with other partners, to engage the community in a dialog on equity-related issues such as eliminating employment disparities, improving access to voting, and eliminating school bullying.
      &lt;/li&gt;
              &lt;/ul&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information please contact: Jeff Holman, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242773</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:18:16Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Public Forum on Voter ID and Marriage Amendments set for Monday, Oct. 1 in Plymouth, MN</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Public Forum on Voter ID and Marriage Amendments set for Monday, Oct. 1 in Plymouth, MN</Title><title>-Public Forum on Voter ID and Marriage Amendments set for Monday  Oct  1 in Plymouth  MN</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242772&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-09-21T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The evening will include feature a panel discussion and a question-and-answer period on the two constitutional amendments on the Minnesota general election ballot: Amendment 1) RECOGNITION OF MARRIAGE SOLELY BETWEEN ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN; Amendment 2) PHOTO IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED FOR VOTING.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Plymouth Human Rights Committee will present a public forum on the 2012 Minnesota Constitutional Amendments on Monday, Oct. 1, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Black Box Theater, Plymouth Creek Center, 14800 34th Ave. N.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The evening will include feature a panel discussion and a question-and-answer period on the two constitutional amendments on the Minnesota general election ballot: Amendment 1) RECOGNITION OF MARRIAGE SOLELY BETWEEN ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN; Amendment 2) PHOTO IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED FOR VOTING.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Panelists will include Kevin Lindsey, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Human Rights; Kathy Bonnifield, Executive Director, Citizens for Election Integrity Minnesota; and Leah Solo, Political Director, Minnesotans United for All Families. Also invited, but not confirmed, are panelists from the Protect My Vote and Minnesota For Marriage.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In addition to participating in the panel discussion, Commissioner Lindsey will provide a brief overview the Department of Human Rights&apos; role in eliminating discrimination in Minnesota, from investigating discrimination charges to addressing racial disparities in employment, income, education, and other areas.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;When:&lt;/strong&gt; Monday, October 1, 2012, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Where:&lt;/strong&gt; Black Box Theater Plymouth Creek Center, 14800 34th Ave. N., Plymouth, MN
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Panelists:&lt;/strong&gt; Kathy Bonnifield, Executive Director, Citizens for Election Integrity Minnesota (CEIMN) Kevin Lindsey, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Human Rights Leah Solo, Political Director, Minnesotans United for All Families.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information please contact: Jeff Holman, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242772</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:18:16Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Join Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey for a Forum on the Voter ID Amendment and Voting Rights, Sept. 25 at St. Cloud State University</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Join Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey for a Forum on the Voter ID Amendment and Voting Rights, Sept. 25 at St. Cloud State University</Title><title>-Join Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey for a Forum on the Voter ID Amendment and Voting Rights  Sept  25 at St  Cloud State University</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242740&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-09-21T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>What: Forum on Voter ID Amendment and Voting Rights</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will give a presentation on the Minnesota Voter ID Amendment, analyze the arguments pro and con, and discuss why debate matters for our democracy.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;What: &lt;/strong&gt;Forum on Voter ID Amendment and Voting Rights
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;When:&lt;/strong&gt; Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Where:&lt;/strong&gt; St. Cloud State University Atwood Theater Lounge in Atwater Memorial Center, 720 4th Ave South, St Cloud, MN 56301
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Details:&lt;/strong&gt; Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will discuss Minnesota&apos;s Voter Photo ID Amendment and the following related issues:
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;ul&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Who gets to vote - historic barriers to voting
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Understanding the amendment language
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        What is the risk of disenfranchisement
      &lt;/li&gt;
              &lt;/ul&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The forum is open to the public and registration is not required.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Sponsors: Racial Issues Faculty Colloquium, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Multicultural Resource Center, Department of Ethnic and Women&apos;s Studies, Research Group on Immigrant Workers in Minnesota.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information please contact: Jeff Holman, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242740</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:17:58Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Citizenship Status and National Origin Discrimination Presentation to Feature U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Attorney, Sept. 26 in St. Paul</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Citizenship Status and National Origin Discrimination Presentation to Feature U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Attorney, Sept. 26 in St. Paul</Title><title>-Citizenship Status and National Origin Discrimination Presentation to Feature U S  Department of Justice Civil Rights Attorney  Sept  26 in St  Paul</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242716&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-09-21T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Citizenship Status and National Origin Discrimination Presentation to Feature U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Attorney, Sept. 26 in St. Paul</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;What:&lt;/strong&gt; A presentation on employment, immigration and discrimination by Alfred Baltazar Baca, Senior Trial Attorney for the Office of Special Counsel, Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Date: &lt;/strong&gt;Wednesday, Sept 26. Time: 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Place:&lt;/strong&gt; Chicano Latino Affairs Council, 60 Empire Drive, Ste 203 Saint Paul MN 55103
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;More information: &lt;/strong&gt;Mr. Baca will discuss the anti-discrimination provisions of the federal Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. section 1324b.), and explore both national origin discrimination and citizenship status discrimination.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will introduce Mr. Baca, and discuss how the Minnesota Human Rights Act protects against national origin discrimination, and differences in state and federal law.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Special Counsel enforces the anti-discrimination provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Mr. Baca will discuss how this federal law prohibits:
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;ol&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Citizenship status discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral;
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        National origin discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral;
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Document abuse (unfair documentary practices during the employment eligibility verification); and
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Retaliation or intimidation.
      &lt;/li&gt;
              &lt;/ol&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The laws enforced by Baca&apos;s office, the Office Of Special Counsel (OSC), protect all U.S. Citizens, Recent Lawful Permanent Residents, Asylees, and Refugees.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The event is open to the public, there is no fee to attend, and registration is not required.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The event is sponsored by the Chicano Latino Affairs Council, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and the Minneapolis office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information please contact: Jeff Holman, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242716</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:17:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Releases Biennial Report to State Legislature</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Releases Biennial Report to State Legislature</Title><title>-Minnesota Department of Human Rights Releases Biennial Report to State Legislature</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242764&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-08-03T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Despite this increase in charges filed, MDHR is responding more quickly to claims, completing 71 percent more investigations during the same six-month time period.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Streamlined enforcement efforts better serve Minnesotans&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) has submitted its biennial report on discrimination charges to the state legislature. The report, issued last week, details a 50 percent increase in the number of discrimination charges filed with the department in the last six months. The increases in claims come from virtually all types of discrimination that the department investigates, with race and sexual orientation seeing the largest increases.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Despite this increase in charges filed, MDHR is responding more quickly to claims, completing 71 percent more investigations during the same six-month time period.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This year MDHR combined its intake and enforcement units and added two additional investigators. This new streamlined enforcement effort has eliminated unnecessary paperwork, allowing charges to be drafted and investigations to begin sooner. The department also now designates some charges - those that can be investigated and resolved quickly - for a fast track process it calls rocket docket.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;By midyear in 2012, the Department of Human Rights has already completed more investigations than in all of 2011, Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey noted. We have also significantly reduced that number of days it takes for us to reach a determination in a charge of discrimination, which better serves both charging parties and respondents. We are committed to reducing that number further, even as the number of charges we investigate continues to increase.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The report submitted by the Department of Human Rights to the legislature shows that the number of charges filed with department in the first half of 2012 increased across the board, in virtually every category, over the previous six months.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;During the past six months, the department obtained $125,928 on behalf of charging parties through settlement negotiations, an increase over the $89,500 obtained in the previous six months. MDHR is committed to resolving charges through mediation, and referred about one-quarter charges filed to its mediation process during the first six months of 2012. Of those 67 cases referred to mediation, 17 were resolved successfully.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Department of Human Rights biennial report to the Legislature is available on the department&apos;s web site at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mdhr&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more information please contact Jeff Holman, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Addendum to Press Release&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;BY THE NUMBERS - DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS JULY 2012 LEGISLATIVE REPORT&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Charges filed with Department in the first half of 2012 increased 50 percent&lt;/strong&gt; over the previous six months, with increases in virtually every category. In the past six months, 451 charges were filed with MDHR as compared to 301 charges file the previous six months.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Charges based on race increased by more than 71 percent&lt;/strong&gt;, from 96 in the last six months of 2011 to 165 in the first six months of 2012. These charges represented 26 percent of all charges filed in the last six months of 2012, up from 21.6 percent in the previous six months.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Charges based on sexual orientation almost tripled&lt;/strong&gt;, from 9 in last six months of 2011 to 26 in the first six months of 2012. Charges based on sexual orientation represented 4 percent of the charges filed during the first six months of 2012, compared to 2 percent in the previous six months.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Charges in the area of public accommodations almost tripled&lt;/strong&gt; in the first six months of 2012 over the last six months of 2011. There were 44 such charges, compared to 15 in the previous six months. A place of public accommodation is a business, entertainment, recreation, or transportation facility of any kind that is available to the public. The majority the public accommodations charges filed in the first six months of 2012 were based on race. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/assets/MDHRBienniumReport2011-2012_tcm1061-229714.pdf&quot; class=&quot;pdflink&quot;&gt;complete report is available here&lt;/a&gt; on the department&apos;s web site (PDF 126kb).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242764</id><pubdate>2017-06-06T20:02:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MEDIA ADVISORY: MDHR to Hold St. Cloud Training Session May 16</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MEDIA ADVISORY: MDHR to Hold St. Cloud Training Session May 16</Title><title>-MEDIA ADVISORY  MDHR to Hold St  Cloud Training Session May 16</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242757&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-05-08T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Richard Cousin, an MDHR Enforcement Officer assigned to the St. Cloud office, will discuss the complaint process and analyze previous department cases. Attorney Pamela M. Harris will discuss the role of managers and supervisors, and CAIR-MN Civil Rights Coordinator Munazza Humayun will discuss religious accommodation.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) will hold a training showcase from 8 AM to Noon on May 16. Topics will include the role of managers and supervisors in causing or preventing workplace discrimination; an employer&apos;s legal obligations to accommodate employee&apos;s religious beliefs; and how the Department of Human Rights&apos; complaint process works.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Richard Cousin, an MDHR Enforcement Officer assigned to the St. Cloud office, will discuss the complaint process and analyze previous department cases. Attorney Pamela M. Harris will discuss the role of managers and supervisors, and CAIR-MN Civil Rights Coordinator Munazza Humayun will discuss religious accommodation.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;What: &lt;/strong&gt;Human Rights Training Showcase
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;When: &lt;/strong&gt;Wednesday, May 16, 8 AM to Noon
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Where:&lt;/strong&gt; City Council Chambers, St. Cloud City Hall, 400 2nd Street South, St. Cloud, MN 56301
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;h3&gt;
      Additional information
    &lt;/h3&gt;
              &lt;ul&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Check#8208;in registration starts at 8:00 am; Training session begins promptly at 8:20 AM
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Cost is $20.00 per attendee. Make checks payable to: Minnesota Department of Human Rights and send to: Mario Hernandez, MN Department of Human Rights, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155. Please make payment by May 14, 2012.
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        RSVP no later than May 11, 2012. Email your RSVP to mario.hernandez@state.mn.us or call 651.539.1093/TTY 651.296.1283. To make requests for accommodations, please do so as soon as possible.
      &lt;/li&gt;
              &lt;/ul&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information contact: Jeff Holman, 651-539-1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242757</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:18:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Bullying Prevention Task Force to Hold Listening Sessions in Saint Cloud</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Bullying Prevention Task Force to Hold Listening Sessions in Saint Cloud</Title><title>-Bullying Prevention Task Force to Hold Listening Sessions in Saint Cloud</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242713&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-04-27T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Saint Cloud listening sessions will be convened by Task Force Co-Chair Walter Roberts and members Vangie Castro, Phil Duran and Curt Carpenter. The first listening session will take place at Apollo High School and will focus on student input. The second listening session will also be held at Apollo High School and will offer parents, educators and community members an opportunity to weigh in.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;div class=&quot;content_split&quot;&gt;
                &lt;div class=&quot;column_left&quot; /&gt;
                &lt;div class=&quot;column_right&quot; /&gt;
              &lt;/div&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Members of the Governor&apos;s Task Force for the Prevention of Bullying are convening listening sessions across the state to hear from Minnesota students, educators and community members on the issue of bullying and school climate. On Tuesday, May 1, listening sessions will be held in Saint Cloud.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Saint Cloud listening sessions will be convened by Task Force Co-Chair Walter Roberts and members Vangie Castro, Phil Duran and Curt Carpenter. The first listening session will take place at Apollo High School and will focus on student input. The second listening session will also be held at Apollo High School and will offer parents, educators and community members an opportunity to weigh in.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Created through executive order by Governor Dayton, the task force is comprised of 15 members charged with examining best practices and policies that currently exist to prevent bullying. The panel is further tasked with providing future recommendations to the Governor and the legislature on this subject. The listening sessions will provide the opportunity for stakeholders to provide information and insight to task force members that will inform the group&apos;s final recommendations to Governor Dayton and the legislature.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Members of the taskforce include the Commissioners of the Department of Education, the Department of Human Rights and members of the legislature. Governor Dayton also appointed additional members with experience or expertise in psychology, education, pediatrics and anti-bullying advocacy.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;What:&lt;/strong&gt; Governor&apos;s Task Force for the Prevention of Bullying Listening Sessions
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Who: &lt;/strong&gt;Task Force Co-Chair Walter Roberts, Vangie Castro, Lyn Mitchell and Curt Carpenter
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;When:&lt;/strong&gt; Tuesday, May 1, 2012 at 3:30 p.m. (Student listening session) and 5:30 p.m. (Parent, educator and community listening session)
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Where:&lt;/strong&gt; Apollo High School, Board Rooms A/B, 1000 44th Avenue North, Saint Cloud, MN 56303
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Department of Education Contact: Keith Hovis, MDE 651.582.8275 keith.hovis@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Department of Human Rights Contact: Jeff Holman, 651-539-1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242713</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:17:40Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Bullying Prevention Task Force to Hold Listening Sessions in Rochester</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Bullying Prevention Task Force to Hold Listening Sessions in Rochester</Title><title>-Bullying Prevention Task Force to Hold Listening Sessions in Rochester</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242712&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-04-24T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Rochester listening sessions will be convened by Task Force members Vangie Castro, Phil Duran and Curt Carpenter. The first listening session will take place at Kellogg Middle School and will focus on student input. The second listening session will also be held at Kellogg Middle School and will offer parents, educators and community members an opportunity to weigh in.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;div class=&quot;content_split&quot;&gt;
                &lt;div class=&quot;column_left&quot; /&gt;
                &lt;div class=&quot;column_right&quot; /&gt;
              &lt;/div&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Members of the Governor&apos;s Task Force for the Prevention of Bullying are convening listening sessions across the state to hear from Minnesota students, educators and community members on the issue of bullying and school climate. On Thursday, April 26 listening sessions will be held in Rochester.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Rochester listening sessions will be convened by Task Force members Vangie Castro, Phil Duran and Curt Carpenter. The first listening session will take place at Kellogg Middle School and will focus on student input. The second listening session will also be held at Kellogg Middle School and will offer parents, educators and community members an opportunity to weigh in.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Created through executive order by Governor Dayton, the task force is comprised of 15 members charged with examining best practices and policies that currently exist to prevent bullying. The panel is further tasked with providing future recommendations to the Governor and the legislature on this subject. The listening sessions will provide the opportunity for stakeholders to provide information and insight to task force members that will inform the group&apos;s final recommendations to Governor Dayton and the legislature. Members of the task force include the Commissioners of the Department of Education, the Department of Human Rights and members of the legislature.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Governor Dayton also appointed additional members with experience or expertise in psychology, education, pediatrics and anti-bullying advocacy.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;What:&lt;/strong&gt; Governor&apos;s Task Force for the Prevention of Bullying Listening Sessions
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Who:&lt;/strong&gt; Task Force members Vangie Castro, Phil Duran and Curt Carpenter
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;When:&lt;/strong&gt; Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 4:00 p.m. (Student listening session) and 6:00 p.m. (Parent, educator and community listening session)
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Where:&lt;/strong&gt; Kellogg Middle School, 503 17th Street North East, Rochester, MN 55906
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Department of Education Contact: Keith Hovis, 651.582.8275 or keith.hovis@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242712</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:17:40Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Tasha Byers Joins Department of Human Rights as Policy and Government Affairs Analyst</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Tasha Byers Joins Department of Human Rights as Policy and Government Affairs Analyst</Title><title>-Tasha Byers Joins Department of Human Rights as Policy and Government Affairs Analyst</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242783&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-04-23T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Byers earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and in Spanish at the University of St. Thomas, and more recently completed a Master of Science degree in Comparative Politics at the London School of Economics and Political Science in the United Kingdom.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Minnesota Department of Human Rights has hired Tasha Byers as the department&apos;s Policy and Government Affairs Analyst. Byers will be working on diversity and inclusion issues as well as other agency initiatives, according to Commissioner Kevin Lindsey.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Byers earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and in Spanish at the University of St. Thomas, and more recently completed a Master of Science degree in Comparative Politics at the London School of Economics and Political Science in the United Kingdom.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      She previously worked as a research analyst at the Minnesota Attorney General&apos;s office, and served in an intern role in Washington, D.C. for then Senator Mark Dayton.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      We&apos;re delighted to welcome a candidate with Byers&apos; background and qualifications to assist the department in navigating a wide range of diversity issues, said Commissioner Lindsey.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Her role will include working with communities of color and state agencies in finding ways to collaborate in meeting the needs of a changing Minnesota. We have a high concentration of communities of color in the Twin Cities, yet it&apos;s important to remember that change is happening everywhere, including greater Minnesota, Byers said, citing a growing Somali population in St. Cloud as one example. There is diversity everywhere, and communities across the state are facing their own unique challenges.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      These thriving communities in the Twin Cities and elsewhere are part of what attracted Byers to her new job, she added. My job isn&apos;t just to work within the government - it&apos;s to work with the people and for people, so we can foster relationships and create better access, to ensure than communities can make their voices heard, she said.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Although she recently returned from London after earning her Masters degree, Byers has lived in the Twin Cities for most of her life. She graduated from North High School in Minneapolis before earning her undergraduate degree from St. Thomas University.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information please contact Jeff Holman, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 651-539-1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242783</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:18:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Bullying Prevention Task Force to Hold Listening Sessions in Bemidji</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Bullying Prevention Task Force to Hold Listening Sessions in Bemidji</Title><title>-Bullying Prevention Task Force to Hold Listening Sessions in Bemidji</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242711&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-04-16T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Bemidji listening sessions will be convened by Task Force Co-Chair Julie Herzog. The first listening session will take place at Bemidji High School and will focus on student input. The second listening session will be held at Bemidji Middle School and will offer parents, educators and community members the opportunity to weigh in.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Members of the Governor&apos;s Task Force for the Prevention of Bullying will convene listening sessions across the state to hear from Minnesota students, educators and community members on the issue of bullying and school climate. The first set of listening sessions will be held in Bemidji next Wednesday, April 18.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Bemidji listening sessions will be convened by Task Force Co-Chair Julie Herzog. The first listening session will take place at Bemidji High School and will focus on student input. The second listening session will be held at Bemidji Middle School and will offer parents, educators and community members the opportunity to weigh in.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Created through executive order by Governor Dayton, the task force is comprised of 15 members charged with examining best practices and policies that currently exist to prevent bullying. The panel is further tasked with providing future recommendations to the Governor and the legislature on this subject. The listening sessions will provide the opportunity for stakeholders to provide information and insight to task force members that will inform the group&apos;s final recommendations to Governor Dayton and the legislature.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Members of the taskforce include the Commissioners of the Department of Education, the Department of Human Rights and members of the legislature. Governor Dayton also appointed additional members with experience or expertise in psychology, education, pediatrics and anti-bullying advocacy.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;What:&lt;/strong&gt; Governor&apos;s Task Force for the Prevention of Bullying Listening Sessions
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Who:&lt;/strong&gt; Task Force Co-Chair Julie Herzog
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;When:&lt;/strong&gt; April 18, 2012 at 3:30 p.m. (Student listening session) and 5:30 p.m. (Parent, educator and community listening session)
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Where:&lt;/strong&gt; Student Listening Session: Bemidji High School, Room 2104, 2900 Division Street West, Bemidji, MN 56601
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Parent, Educator and Community Listening Session: Bemidji Middle School, Cafeteria, 1910 Middle School Drive Northwest, Bemidji, MN 56601
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information please contact Jeff Holman, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 651-539-1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242711</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:17:39Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Commissioner Lindsey, Department of Human Rights to Visit Grand Rapids April 16</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Commissioner Lindsey, Department of Human Rights to Visit Grand Rapids April 16</Title><title>-Commissioner Lindsey  Department of Human Rights to Visit Grand Rapids April 16</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242717&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-04-12T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The department will conduct a free training showcase from 9 AM to 10:45 AM at Itasca Community College, in partnership with the City of Grand Rapids Human Rights Commission and the Council on Crime and Justice.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The use of job applicants&apos; criminal records by employers and the proposal to amend Minnesota&apos;s Constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage will be among the topics addressed as the Department of Human Rights (MDHR) visits Grand Rapids on April 16.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The department will conduct a free training showcase from 9 AM to 10:45 AM at Itasca Community College, in partnership with the City of Grand Rapids Human Rights Commission and the Council on Crime and Justice.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The showcase will provide participants with an overview of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, a summary of the types of charges filed with the department, and common employment issues that can lead to charges of discrimination. The session on the Human Rights Act will be conducted by Mario Hernandez, Legislative and Community Affairs, Minnesota Department of Human Rights.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The showcase will also include a session on Criminal Records and Employment conducted by Emily Baxter, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy for Council on Crime and Justice.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Following the showcase, Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will join in a panel discussion from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM on the proposed amendment to ban same-sex gay marriage. Panelists include Jon Maturi, District Court Judge; Lee Staples, St. Croix Band of Ojibwe tribal elder and spiritual leader; Rev. Joe Franzone, pastor of West Cohasset Chapel; and Rev. Mike Carlson, executive pastor of St. Andrews Lutheran Church, Mahtomedi, in addition to Commissioner Lindsey. Barb Sanderson of the Grand Rapids Human Rights Commission will facilitate the panel discussion.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Later in the afternoon, Commissioner Lindsey, Grand Rapids city officials and representatives from the Grand Rapids Human Rights Commission will meet with Blandin Foundation President Dr. Kathy Annette. The Blandin Foundation has been active in strengthening Greater Minnesota communities and supporting diverse stakeholders in the region.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The showcase will be held at Continued Learning Conference Center, Backes Student Center, Itasca Community College, 1851 East Highway 169. Grand Rapids, MN 55744.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The panel discussion on the marriage amendment, titled Viewpoints: Marriage Amendment Workshop, will take place at Davies Hall Theater at Itasca Community College and is also open to the public. The workshop is sponsored by the Itasca Community College, the ICC Gay Straight Alliance, the Nursing Club, O-Gitch-I-Da, Philosophy Club, Psychology Club, Student Government, Secular Student Alliance and the Grand Rapids Human Rights Commission.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information please contact Jeff Holman, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 651-539-1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242717</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:17:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>New Construction Hiring Goals for Women and Minorities Reflect Minnesota&apos;s Changing Demographics</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>New Construction Hiring Goals for Women and Minorities Reflect Minnesota&apos;s Changing Demographics</Title><title>-New Construction Hiring Goals for Women and Minorities Reflect Minnesota s Changing Demographics</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242766&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-03-21T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>&quot;The Governor has made jobs his number one priority, and laid out a bold vision for getting Minnesota back to work,&quot; said Minnesota Commissioner of Human Rights Kevin Lindsey in announcing the revised goals. &quot;While unemployment remains a reality for 168,000 Minnesotans from all races and backgrounds, the jobless rate for minorities is disproportionately alarming. These updated hiring goals will ensure that all Minnesotans have a chance to compete for job opportunities as our economy continues to regain strength.&quot;</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Contractors on state-funded construction projects will soon be subject to revised goals that more accurately reflect Minnesota&apos;s increasing diversity, and could result in hiring more female and minority employees.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Governor has made jobs his number one priority, and laid out a bold vision for getting Minnesota back to work, said Minnesota Commissioner of Human Rights Kevin Lindsey in announcing the revised goals. While unemployment remains a reality for 168,000 Minnesotans from all races and backgrounds, the jobless rate for minorities is disproportionately alarming. These updated hiring goals will ensure that all Minnesotans have a chance to compete for job opportunities as our economy continues to regain strength.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The goals are based on an analysis of demographic data from the American Community Survey (ACS) for 2006-2010, conducted by State Demographer Susan Brower. The ACS collects data on employment, race, disability status and gender (among other topics), and is now the only source of Equal Employment Opportunity data produced by the U.S. Census Bureau. The Commissioner also took into consideration information provided by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry concerning apprentices in the construction workforce.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The new goals target minority participation in state-funded contracts in the metro area, including Hennepin and Ramsey counties and cities within those counties, at 32 percent. The goal for minority participation in state-funded contracts in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Scott and Washington Counties will be 22 percent. The goal for female participation in the entire seven-county area will be 6 percent. The goals apply to contracts in excess of $100,000 and to employers with more than 40 full time employees.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Since 1985, state law has required the Commissioner of the Department of Human Rights to issue goals and timetables for minority and female utilization in state-funded construction projects. The purpose for these goals is to communicate to employers that when they choose to contract for business with the State of Minnesota there is an expectation that they will employ a diverse work force, explained Melanie Miles, MDHR Contract Compliance Supervisor.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have ordinances that require minority and female goals for construction project in their cities, and there are also federal requirements. But increasingly, many construction projects may involve more than one jurisdiction, and contracts with multiple government entities.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Department of Human Rights worked in collaboration with the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights and the St. Paul Department of Human Rights to ensure that the same goals would be used by each of the agencies. The fact that the goals are metro-wide will ensure that the same standards are used by multiple agencies in the seven-county area, and makes it easier for contractors to know what is required whether they are competing for state, county or municipal contracts, said Miles.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Luz Maria Frias, Director of the Saint Paul Department of Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity, supports Governor Dayton&apos;s newly announced Affirmative Action goals. Our local workforce should reflect our communities. The new hiring goals reflect the changing nature of our cities, and provide an effective tool to combat the disparity gap, Frias said.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      It just makes sense that it&apos;s time to update the workforce goals - we haven&apos;t done so since 2006, said Velma Korbel, Director of the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights. And I think it will be good for minorities and women in the region, because it will require that contractors hire women and minorities at the rate that they are represented in the labor force.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For state-funded contracts in greater Minnesota - counties and cities outside the seven-county area - previous goals for female and minority hiring will remain in effect until additional U.S. Census data is available. Additional data for these regions is expected by December of this year. As new data is released, specific updated goals will be established for Duluth, St. Cloud, Rochester and other major cities, as well as specific counties, in greater Minnesota.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      There are currently no disability goals for state contractors, but that may change in the future, according to Commissioner Lindsey. In the past, it has been difficult to obtain disability data comparable to the census data used to set goals for minorities and females. New data from American Community Survey (ACS) has addressed that shortcoming.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      We now have data that would allow us to set disability goals, said Lindsey. However, the Commissioner of Human Rights does not currently have the legal authority to set goals for disability. We are considering seeking a statute change or a rule change that would allow us to set disability goals for construction projects, Lindsey said. Individuals with disabilities continue to face unnecessary hurdles in the job market, particularly in tough times. They deserve to have a fair and equitable opportunity to participate in our state&apos;s economy.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information contact: Jeff Holman at 651-539-1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242766</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:18:13Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Governor&apos;s Task Force on the Prevention of Bullying to Hold First Meeting</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Governor&apos;s Task Force on the Prevention of Bullying to Hold First Meeting</Title><title>-Governor s Task Force on the Prevention of Bullying to Hold First Meeting</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242727&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-03-16T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>&quot;Students can&apos;t learn if they don&apos;t feel supported and safe. Bullying creates an unsafe learning environment that can have a lasting negative impact on a child. Our schools need to be places that cultivate a positive environment where students can thrive. That&apos;s why the mission of the Governor&apos;s Task Force is so important,&quot; Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius said.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      This Monday will mark the first meeting of the Governor&apos;s Task Force on the Prevention of Bullying. Established by Executive Order on November 29, 2011, the task force will be charged with examining the best practices and policies that currently exist to prevent bullying and providing future recommendations to the Governor and the legislature on this subject.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Students can&apos;t learn if they don&apos;t feel supported and safe. Bullying creates an unsafe learning environment that can have a lasting negative impact on a child. Our schools need to be places that cultivate a positive environment where students can thrive. That&apos;s why the mission of the Governor&apos;s Task Force is so important, Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius said.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey said, Every student deserves to be free of harassment, intimidation and bullying in all its forms. The Governor&apos;s leadership in establishing this task force provides an opportunity for us to come together as a community to find real solutions to this problem, and ensure that all kids have an opportunity to achieve their potential in a safe environment.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Comprised of 15 members, the taskforce includes the Commissioners of the Department of Education, the Department of Human Rights, the Department of Public Safety and members of the legislature. Governor Dayton also appointed additional members with experience or expertise in psychology, education, pediatrics and anti-bullying advocacy.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Members of the task force and their affiliations include:
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;ul&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Brenda Cassellius, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Education
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Kevin Lindsey, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Human Rights
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Willie Bridges, Senior Planning Manager, Hennepin County Attorney&apos;s Office
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Vangie Castro, Youth Education Program Manager, Rochester Public Schools
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Phil Duran, Legal Director, OutFront Minnesota
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Alana Friedman, Teacher
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Julie Hertzog, Director, PACER National Bullying Prevention Center
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Lyn Mitchell, Co-Founder, AMAZE
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Jacob Reitan, Founder, Equality Ride
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Walter Roberts, Professor of Counselor Education, Minnesota State University, Mankato
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Dr. Thomas Scott, Pediatrician
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Senator Scott Dibble
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Senator Ted Daly
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Representative Jim Davnie
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Representative Tim Kelly
      &lt;/li&gt;
              &lt;/ul&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The meeting is scheduled to take place at 1:00 pm in the Minnesota Department of Education Conference Center A; Room 13.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Department of Education Contact: Keith Hovis, MDE 651.582.8275 keith.hovis@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Department of Human Rights Contact: Jeff Holman, 651-539-1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242727</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:17:50Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Gregory Torrence named Assistant Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Gregory Torrence named Assistant Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights</Title><title>-Gregory Torrence named Assistant Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242728&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-01-19T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>In his new role at the Department of Human Rights, Mr. Torrence will supervise the department&apos;s Investigations Unit. He will also work closely with Commissioner Kevin Lindsey  on a wide range of public policy issues, including disparities in education, health care, business development, employment and criminal justice.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Minnesota Department of Human Rights has named St. Paul attorney Gregory Torrence as Assistant Commissioner. Mr. Torrence previously served as Assistant Director of the Minnesota Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility in St. Paul, and as a Public Defender in Hennepin County.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In his new role at the Department of Human Rights, Mr. Torrence will supervise the department&apos;s Investigations Unit. He will also work closely with Commissioner Kevin Lindsey on a wide range of public policy issues, including disparities in education, health care, business development, employment and criminal justice.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In welcoming Mr. Torrence to the Department of Human Rights, Commissioner Lindsey noted that his strong background in complaint investigations made him an ideal candidate to help the department manage its caseload, while completing investigations in a timely manner. His extensive experience in directing complaint investigations, along with his tenure as a public defender in Minnesota and California, and his experience in the California legislature, make him an excellent addition to the Department of Human Rights, Lindsey said.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      As Assistant Director of the Minnesota Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility, Mr. Torrence was in charge of investigating and prosecuting complaints of unprofessional conduct against Minnesota lawyers. Previously, he had defended indigent clients as Assistant Public Defender in Hennepin County from 2004-2006, and before that, as Deputy Public Defender in California&apos;s San Diego County.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      He was also involved with complaint investigations as an analyst for the California Department of Social Services, and worked on proposed legislation as an aid for Sen. Barbara Lee in the California Legislature during the 1990s.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Mr. Torrence received a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Managerial Economics degree at the University of California at Davis, and his Doctor of Jurisprudence at the University of Oregon School of Law. He lives in St. Paul with his partner, Nate Clark.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information contact Jeff Holman, 651-539-1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242728</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:17:50Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Department of Human Rights Hires Additional Enforcement Officers as Caseload Increases</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Department of Human Rights Hires Additional Enforcement Officers as Caseload Increases</Title><title>-Department of Human Rights Hires Additional Enforcement Officers as Caseload Increases</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242721&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2011-11-01T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Commissioner Kevin Lindsey called the addition of two full-time investigators an important step in fulfilling the department&apos;s pledge to investigate all charges of discrimination, and to reduce to time it takes to reach a determination on charges to significantly less than the one year required by statute.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Minnesota Department of Human Rights today announced the hiring of two additional enforcement officers. Christopher Anderson is currently working as an enforcement officer in the department&apos;s Contract Compliance unit, and John Helcl II is currently working as an enforcement officer in the department&apos;s Intake Unit.Both joined the Department of Human Rights in October.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Commissioner Kevin Lindsey called the addition of two full-time investigators an important step in fulfilling the department&apos;s pledge to investigate all charges of discrimination, and to reduce to time it takes to reach a determination on charges to significantly less than the one year required by statute.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Before joining the Department of Human Rights, Helcl pursued a career in law enforcement as a police officer in Morton, MN, and as a federal security officer under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security&apos;s office at Fort Snelling. He also served as assistant to the Maplewood, MN city manager.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Helcl holds a master&apos;s degree in public administration from Minnesota State University, Mankato and earned his bachelor&apos;s degree in law enforcement and ethnic studies. He lives in Hastings, MN.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Anderson previously worked as a veteran&apos;s claims representative in outreach for the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. He had also worked for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and served as an equal opportunity and inspector general superintendent in the U.S. Air Force.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      He holds a degree in business management from the University of Phoenix, and is completing his master&apos;s degree in organizational leadership. Anderson lives in Chisago City, MN.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      In announcing the hiring of two additional staff, Commissioner Lindsey noted that charges filed with the Department of Human Rights increased 20 percent in the first six months of 2011.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      We are pleased that we were able to find two highly qualified candidates to help us meet the challenge of an increasing number of charges, and we&apos;re confident that their skills will help us move even further toward our goal of ending discrimination in Minnesota, Lindsey said.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information contact Jeff Holman, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242721</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:17:44Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Commissioner Lindsey Honors the Legacy of Kwame McDonald</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Commissioner Lindsey Honors the Legacy of Kwame McDonald</Title><title>-Commissioner Lindsey Honors the Legacy of Kwame McDonald</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242718&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2011-10-31T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Although remembered by many for his prominent role as an advocate for minority progress in athletics and as a teacher and youth mentor, McDonald&apos;s many contributions to the community included serving as Executive Director of the Minnesota State Commission Against Discrimination in the 1960s. The Commission was succeeded by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights in 1967.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Former Executive Director of the Minnesota State Commission Against Discrimination</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Commissioner of Human Rights Kevin Lindsey has offered his condolences to the family of Kwame McDonald, a lifelong civil rights activist who passed away last week following a two-year battle with cancer.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Although remembered by many for his prominent role as an advocate for minority progress in athletics and as a teacher and youth mentor, McDonald&apos;s many contributions to the community included serving as Executive Director of the Minnesota State Commission Against Discrimination in the 1960s. The Commission was succeeded by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights in 1967.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Commissioner Lindsey saluted McDonald&apos;s legacy as a champion for human rights, and recalled meeting with McDonald earlier this year, shortly after Lindsey was appointed to head the Department of Human Rights. Kwame sat down with me and shared his experience in leading what would become the Department of Human Rights, and offered me his advice, Lindsey recalled. I appreciated him taking the time to share his wisdom.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      During McDonald&apos;s tenure at the State Commission Against Discrimination, the Commission struggled with the fact that Minnesota Twins&apos; players faced segregated housing during spring training in Florida. McDonald led the effort to ensure that the discriminatory practice ended. Commissioner Lindsey also expressed his appreciation for McDonald&apos;s prominent role in encouraging and mentoring young people through athletics. McDonald put Lindsey to work in a variety of youth activities, including serving as a part-time youth coach in the Give &apos;N Go league.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Kwame asked me to do it, and I had to say yes, Lindsey remembered. McDonald believed that children are our greatest asset, and that we need to understand that every kid is important, Lindsey said.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      During his 80 years, McDonald had also made his mark as a journalist, reporting on sports for Insight News and the Spokesman-Recorder, and serving as a community columnist for the Pioneer Press.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information contact Jeff Holman, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242718</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:17:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Charges of Discrimination up 20% at Department of Human Rights as Department Moves to Investigate Charges More Quickly</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Charges of Discrimination up 20% at Department of Human Rights as Department Moves to Investigate Charges More Quickly</Title><title>-Charges of Discrimination up 20  at Department of Human Rights as Department Moves to Investigate Charges More Quickly</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242715&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2011-10-17T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Despite the increased caseload, the department has been able to reduce the average time it takes to resolve a charge by 25 to 30 days, the department reported.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Despite the increased caseload, the department has been able to reduce the average time it takes to resolve a charge by 25 to 30 days, the department reported.</Subtitle><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Charges of discrimination filed with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights in the first six months of 2011 increased 20 percent over the number of charges filed in the second half of 2010, according a report the department has submitted to the Minnesota Legislature.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Despite the increased caseload, the department has been able to reduce the average time it takes to resolve a charge by 25 to 30 days, the department reported.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Department of Human Rights is required to investigate and reach a determination on charges within one year under the Minnesota Human Rights Act. However, in the second half of 2010 it was taking the department an average of more than 400 days to reach a determination, and some charges were taking significantly longer.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      It had clearly been taking too long to resolve certain cases, and the department has taken affirmative steps to reduce that, Lindsey said. These steps including meeting with department&apos;s enforcement officers to get their ideas on streamlining the process, and implementing their best suggestions.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      One suggestion was to make less use of lengthy questionnaires, previously required in most cases before a charge was drafted. As a result, the department has deemphasized the questionnaires and asked its enforcement officers to obtain enough information when someone first contacts the department, so that a charge can written on the spot when possible.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      We are continually examining our process and committed to improving it, Lindsey said. We intend to reduce the time it takes to resolve a charge even further, to make sure that it takes a lot less than a year.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Lindsey noted that the department&apos;s improved performance in resolving cases more quickly was achieved despite a three-week government shutdown during which the Department of Human Rights was closed, the loss of three full-time positions, and a funding cut of about five percent. The cut was included in the budget compromise that ended the state shutdown; the department had been facing proposed budget cuts of 50 to 65 percent before the shutdown.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The department also increased the number of cases that it was able to investigate and resolve as part of its work-sharing agreement with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). From Oct. 1, 2010 through Sept. 30, 2011, the department investigated 427 EEOC cases, exceeding its goal for that contract period.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      When cases of employment discrimination may violate both the state Human Rights Act and federal law, those cases are cross filed with the Department of Human Rights and EEOC, explained department Investigations Unit supervisor Melanie Miles. To avoid duplicate investigations, the department is paid by the EEOC to resolve many of these charges, with the dollars returned to the state&apos;s general fund.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      We are pleased that we have increased the number exceeded our goal in this area, despite a government shutdown, a budget cut, and an increase caseload overall, said Miles.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      ###
      &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information contact Jeff Holman, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242715</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:17:41Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Department of Human Rights Announces Plan to Investigate All Charges of Discrimination and Resolve Charges More Quickly</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Department of Human Rights Announces Plan to Investigate All Charges of Discrimination and Resolve Charges More Quickly</Title><title>-Department of Human Rights Announces Plan to Investigate All Charges of Discrimination and Resolve Charges More Quickly</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242720&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2011-10-12T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Before Lindsey was appointed the head the Department of Human Rights by Gov. Mark Dayton in February 2011, the department would accept but immediately dismiss some charges to allow those charging parties to pursue their cases through the court system.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey today announced a new strategy to resolve charges of discrimination more quickly, and a new policy under which the department will investigate all charges that are filed. The department had previously dismissed some charges without investigating, due to lack of resources.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Before Lindsey was appointed the head the Department of Human Rights by Gov. Mark Dayton in February 2011, the department would accept but immediately dismiss some charges to allow those charging parties to pursue their cases through the court system.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      If we are going to be committed to ending discrimination in Minnesota, we should be investigating all legitimate complaints, Lindsey said. If someone believes they have been discriminated against and it appears to be a legitimate complaint over conduct that would violate the Minnesota Human Rights Act, we are going to take on that case and investigate it.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      To resolve charges of discrimination more quickly, certain cases will now be given expedited attention in a process the department calls Rocket Docket. These might be cases in which we see that there are very few issues to resolve, and a limited number of witnesses to interview, Lindsey explained. It makes sense to move these cases through quickly, rather than placing them at the back of the line.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Other factors that could make a case a candidate for Rocket Docket treatment at the Department of Human Rights include:
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;ul&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Cases in which the seriousness of the harm that is alleged in the complaint requires prompt resolution to alleviate this harm.
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Cases involving a governmental entity, in which there is a likelihood that the harm alleged in the complaint may be repeated multiple times, causing potentially greater impact on society.
      &lt;/li&gt;
              &lt;/ul&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Lindsey believes that expedited handling of certain cases will benefit those who file charges of discrimination, and as well as businesses, public institutions and others who are accused of discrimination as respondents.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      There is a considerable value to respondents in investigating cases more quickly. There are going to be some charges which do not have any merit, and it&apos;s of benefit to respondents to investigate and dispose of those cases as soon as possible, Lindsey explained. No charging party should have to wait for justice if their claim has merit; however, no respondent should have to wait for vindication when they have done nothing wrong.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The department&apos;s new Rocket Docket strategy is being coordinated by Asuquo Ekpenyong, supervisor of the department&apos;s Intake Unit, and Melanie Miles, who supervises the department&apos;s Investigations Unit. Both were named to their current positions in June 2011.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information contact Jeff Holman, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242720</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:17:44Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Meet and Greet with Commissioner Kevin Lindsey</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Meet and Greet with Commissioner Kevin Lindsey</Title><title>-Meet and Greet with Commissioner Kevin Lindsey</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242759&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2011-10-03T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Guests will have an opportunity to speak with Commissioner Lindsey and other department staff, collect agency information and learn about new agency initiatives.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Minnesota Department of Human Rights cordially invites the public to attend a meet and greet event with Commissioner Kevin Lindsey on Oct. 5 from 3:30 - 5:30 PM at the Rondo Community Library in St. Paul.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Guests will have an opportunity to speak with Commissioner Lindsey and other department staff, collect agency information and learn about new agency initiatives.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      This event is free. Parking is available in the ramp attached to the library. Street parking is available on nearby streets.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;What:&lt;/strong&gt; Meet and Greet with Commissioner Kevin Lindsey
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;When:&lt;/strong&gt; Wednesday, October 5, 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Where:&lt;/strong&gt; Multipurpose Room, Rondo Community Library, 461 N. Dale, St. Paul, MN
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
                &lt;strong&gt;Additional information:&lt;/strong&gt; Commissioner Lindsey will discuss and answer questions on:
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;ul&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        Changes to the charge process at the Department of Human Rights, aimed at reducing the time needed to investigate cases and make a determination.
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        MDHR&apos;s efforts to engage in equity-related issues (e.g. eliminating employment disparities; improving access to voting).
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        MDHR&apos;s progress on initiatives undertaken from the March 2011 Economic Summit.
      &lt;/li&gt;
                &lt;li&gt;
        How MDHR can engage with community efforts to eliminate disparities.
      &lt;/li&gt;
              &lt;/ul&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information contact Jeff Holman, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 651.539.1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242759</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:18:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MEDIA ADVISORY: Department of Human Rights Open and Ready for Business; Most Funding Restored</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MEDIA ADVISORY: Department of Human Rights Open and Ready for Business; Most Funding Restored</Title><title>-MEDIA ADVISORY  Department of Human Rights Open and Ready for Business  Most Funding Restored</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242756&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2011-07-22T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>As of Thursday, all of the department&apos;s services and operating units were once again back in business, including its Contract Compliance unit, which certifies businesses that have an affirmative action plan and are making good faith efforts to comply with their plan.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) is once again open to the public, following the longest state government shutdown in recent U.S. history. On Thursday the department resumed accepting and investigating charges of discrimination. As before the shutdown, individuals may contact the department by telephone (651-539-1100 or 1-800-657-3704), through its web site at www.humanrights.state.mn.us, or in person from 9 AM to 4 PM Monday through Friday at the Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      As of Thursday, all of the department&apos;s services and operating units were once again back in business, including its Contract Compliance unit, which certifies businesses that have an affirmative action plan and are making good faith efforts to comply with their plan.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      We are all excited to get back to work and begin to implement positive changes to improve the department, said Kevin Lindsey, Commissioner of the Department of Human Rights.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Commissioner Lindsey noted that the budget compromise ending the shutdown will result in a 5.1 percent cut to MDHR&apos;s budget. That&apos;s good news compared to the 65 percent cut we were facing prior to the shutdown, he said. In addition, the budget compromise removed policy changes contained in a bill the Governor had vetoed, which would have prohibited MDHR from reaching out to businesses with technical assistance, and eliminated the department&apos;s ability to educate about the evils of discrimination.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Governor understands that discrimination remains a serious problem in Minnesota, and strongly opposed extreme cuts would that would have weakened the Human Rights Act and virtually eviscerated the department, Lindsey noted. As a result of the Governor&apos;s unwavering support and the compromise that resulted, we are confident that we can move ahead, initiate improvements in our process, and make the department even more effective in our goal to make Minnesota discrimination free.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      For more information please contact Jeff Holman, 651-539-1090, jeff.holman@state.mn.us
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242756</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:18:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Governor Dayton Appoints Kevin Lindsey as Commissioner of Human Rights</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>213208</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Governor Dayton Appoints Kevin Lindsey as Commissioner of Human Rights</Title><title>-Governor Dayton Appoints Kevin Lindsey as Commissioner of Human Rights</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1061-242725&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2011-02-08T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>St. Paul, MN — Governor Mark Dayton today announced Kevin Lindsey, a civil litigation attorney in the Office of the Ramsey County Attorney, as his Commissioner of Human Rights. Mr. Lindsey brings over fifteen years experience resolving complex legal and public policy questions to the Dayton Administration. His deep familiarity and passion for issues concerning human services, housing, employment and civil litigation in both the private and public sector make him ideally suited for the position.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1061</publication><BodyText>
          &lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div class=&quot;column_body&quot;&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Governor selects attorney to lead State&apos;s efforts to make Minnesota discrimination-free
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      St. Paul, MN - Governor Mark Dayton today announced Kevin Lindsey, a civil litigation attorney in the Office of the Ramsey County Attorney, as his Commissioner of Human Rights. Mr. Lindsey brings over fifteen years experience resolving complex legal and public policy questions to the Dayton Administration. His deep familiarity and passion for issues concerning human services, housing, employment and civil litigation in both the private and public sector make him ideally suited for the position.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      The Minnesota Department of Human Rights&apos; mission is to make Minnesota discrimination-free. It serves as a neutral state agency dedicated to investigating charges of illegal discrimination and ensuring that businesses seeking state contracts comply with equal opportunity requirements. The Department strives to eliminate discrimination by educating Minnesotans about their rights and responsibilities under the state Human Rights Act.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Kevin is a respected lawyer and advocate with deep experience in the community working on issues of fairness in the workplace and in the community, said Governor Dayton. He will be a strong, professional voice in the Dayton Administration.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      I look forward to working with Governor Dayton in the Department of Human Rights and will strive to make its mission of making Minnesota discrimination-free a reality, said Lindsey. I am humbled and honored to have been selected by the Governor for this position and I&apos;m excited about the opportunity to serve.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p&gt;
      Kevin Lindsey received his JD and BA from the University of Iowa, where as a law student he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Iowa Law Review. He worked for the firm of Oppenheimer Wolff and Donnelly where he practiced civil litigation, primarily representing clients in employment, product liability, contract and health law. He also brings private sector experience as Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of Axis, Inc., where he was responsible for managing human resources operations, ensuring legal and administrative compliance, and risk management. Prior to joining Ramsey County Mr. Lindsey worked for the firm of Halleland, Lewis, Nilan and Johnson in the employment and health law groups.
    &lt;/p&gt;
              &lt;p class=&quot;centered&quot;&gt;
      ###
    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
          &lt;/div&gt;
        </BodyText><Author/><id>242725</id><pubdate>2016-08-04T15:17:49Z</pubdate></list></results>