Campus hearing by Ohio Civil Rights Commission draws a crowd

The Ohio Civil Rights Commision heard cases during a public hearing in the Student Union Atrium.

A public hearing at Wright State University by the Ohio Civil Rights Commission bloomed into a real-world civics lesson, drawing nearly 100 students and others to the nerve center of campus.

The atrium of the Student Union was transformed into a commission hearing room on May 19, replete with courtroom-like tables laden with microphones. Note-taking students filled the chairs. Passing students did double takes. Others stopped to watch from above on their way to class, draping themselves over the balcony.

“It’s special for us to be here at the campus of Wright State University because we work in the area of higher education as it relates to disabilities. We know that Wright State is one of the most accessible campuses in the country,” said Brandi Klein, the commission’s public affairs director. “We’re pleased to be here and know that we have a partner in the state that embraces diversity and the laws against discrimination.”

Klein told the students the hearing promised to be a good learning experience.

“Our goal, our mission, is to eradicate discrimination in the state of Ohio,” she said, “so I like to say we try to work ourselves out of a job.”

It was 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 sounds of a college campus colored the hearing. Loud-talking tour guides with parents and prospective students in tow drifted by. Beeping utility vehicles plied the perimeter. At times, some of the commission officials seemed as interested in their unusual surroundings as the audience was in the proceedings.

The commission receives about 5,000 cases of discrimination complaints a year, primarily in the job and housing areas. Recently, military status has been added as a protected class.

Lori Anthony, chief of the Ohio Attorney General Office’s civil rights section, said discrimination can pop up in jobs or housing, where employers or landlords are reluctant to hire or lease to members of the military for fear they will be deployed.

The audience heard the commission discuss and rule on two cases: one a complaint by a schoolteacher who alleged she was forced to resign because of age discrimination and then suffered racial discrimination when the labor union representing her chose not to arbitrate her grievance; and a complaint by a city employee who alleged she was denied training for a fill-in cashier’s position because of race, sex, disability and religious discrimination. In both cases, the school district, union and city denied the allegations.

About 50 students majoring in social work attended the hearing.

Carl Brun, Ph.D., professor and chair of social work at Wright State, said the hearing serves as a good educational tool and promotes lively class discussion.

“As social workers, we also learn the process to be able to help somebody file a complaint if they feel their rights have been discriminated against,” Brun said.

Lee Rollins, a senior social work student from the Dayton suburb of Kettering, said he wasn’t sure what to expect.

“I’ve never seen anything quite like this,” Rollins said.

He said the formality of the hearing gave it a nice, official feel.

“I like that the commission is neutral, or as neutral as they possibly can be, so that both parties have equal footing to make their voices heard,” he added. “As a social work student, it’s good because it keeps you mindful of the impact that every little thing an employer or an organization does affects their employees.”

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

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.