Ohio Civil Rights Commission to hold public hearing at Wright State

For the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, coming to Wright State University to spread a message about the importance of civil rights, justice and equality is a bit like preaching to the choir. But updating students about current civil rights concerns is the goal.

The commission will hold a public hearing on campus May 19. The commissioners will present several cases involving civil rights complaints, explain their decisions and hear arguments from the affected parties.

It will be a rare opportunity to see the commission in action. Wright State is the only school in the area where the commission holds public hearings. The hearing starts at 9:30 a.m. and is open to the public.

“We are proud of the strong partnership that we have formed with such a prestigious university widely known for their accessible campus for disabled students and whose commitment to civil rights and diversity is continuously demonstrated,” said Eddie Harrell, Jr., commission chairman. “We hope to provide the students, faculty and members of the Dayton community with an opportunity to learn about the current issues in civil rights today and how they can be prevented in the future.”

The commission, established in 1959 as the Fair Employment Practices Commission, enforces Ohio’s laws against discrimination due to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, ancestry and age.

As a quasi-judicial, administrative state agency, the commission investigates complaints of unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, credit and institutions of higher education. It also develops educational programs for students and other residents designed to help eliminate prejudice, its harmful effects and its incompatibility with American principles of equality and fair play.

The agency has five commissioners appointed for five-year, staggered terms. The commission currently includes Harrell, president and CEO of the Columbus Urban League; Rashmi Yajnik, founder of the Asian Indian American Business Group; Leonard Hubert, chairman of the Governor’s Minority Business Council and chairman of the Ohio Commission on African American Males; Tom Roberts, former state senator; and Stephanie Mercado, executive director of the Northeast Ohio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

The commission meets every three weeks to discuss civil rights policy and rule on discrimination complaints based on the recommendations of its six regional offices.

When the commissioners arrive at Wright State, they will convene in the Student Union Atrium, which will be set up like a courtroom.

There will have been a complaint filed with the commission by a person alleging he or she was discriminated against under Ohio law. An investigation will have been done by the staff, and the commission by majority vote had decided either there were grounds to move forward and make a finding or determined there was no evidence of discrimination and dismiss it.

The attending parties may ask to be heard if they don’t agree with the commission’s announced decision. They then orally present their case and can be questioned by the commissioners. After that, the commissioners decide whether to uphold or reverse their decision. The commission then makes a recommendation that must be followed, unless it is appealed to a court.

Last year, about 300 students—many of them majoring in political science or business–attended the hearing.

“The key is it exposes the students to the real world and gives them an opportunity to see how things really work in the legal system,” said J. Michael Bernstein, J.D., assistant dean of the Raj Soin College of Business.