New York City Commission on Human Rights

2004 Annual Report Commissoner Gatling's Messag	Contents \| <<Back \| Next>>
Over the past year, the Commission has assisted many individuals with issues that were very important in that person’s life. It’s rare that the Commission is able to work on a case with a wide-reaching effect that impacts an entire community. 2004 provided us with just such an opportunity. Last year, in a landmark case, a Sikh traffic enforcement agent was told that the turban he wore for religious purposes conflicted with the NYC Police Department's uniform code. Facing the loss of his career, he filed a complaint with us. The Commission ordered the NYPD to grant the Sikh employee a religious accommodation. It was the first such order in the nation issued to a law enforcement agency. And, with the resolution of this groundbreaking case, the NYPD settled a similar case that had been filed in federal court. Our Law Enforcement Bureau continued to focus on pre-complaint interventions – resolving issues before a complaint is filed – thus avoiding the cost and delay of lengthy litigation.
Additionally, we issued guidelines regarding gender identity discrimination to both educate the public that an individual's gender identity is now an area of protection under a 2002 amendment to the Human Rights Law and to assist employers, housing providers, organizations and service providers in understanding their responsibilities under the Law. With a special focus on youth, our Community Relations Bureau increased the number of schools in our Peer Mediation Training Program. In this program, Commission staff members train students to mediate their peers' problems before they escalate. And we published a guide for the young mediators called Talk It Over. Our other highlights this year have been many. The 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education gave us a wonderful opportunity to teach a diverse group of high school students about the historic 1954 Supreme Court case. With our partner the Brooklyn Children's Museum, the students created a huge mural and performance piece reflecting how the Brown decision still impacts their lives today. We coordinated five forums for the Muslim community to familiarize them with the Human Rights Law, reporting bias, employment discrimination protections and government services. And to address the growing diversity on Staten Island, we co-sponsored a picnic and soccer game between Mexican and Liberian young people to help them learn more about one another and build friendships. We are well underway with an investigation into the hiring practices of New York City's larger advertising agencies. An early assessment revealed a disappointing number of minorities typically holding lower level positions. We expect to complete our investigation in 2005. In another area of employment discrimination, we are assisting Princeton University with their audit study measuring the impact of race and criminal records on securing entry-level positions. When completed, the study will identify various discriminatory practices that employers use, measure to what extent discrimination exists, and point to employment areas most receptive to the previously incarcerated. As an additional response to the discrimination often faced by the previously incarcerated, we published 100,000 copies of Making It Happen & Staying Home, our bilingual services guide for prisoners and the formerly incarcerated. We distributed the pocket-booklet throughout the state to correctional facilities and organizations serving this population. Because a more informed public is often a less discriminatory one, we also increased our visibility through the media. Throughout 2004, many of our cases, events, and programs were featured in the City's daily papers and weekly periodicals, television, and radio, including community and ethnic press. My own personal highlight was meeting South African civil rights leader Archbishop Desmond Tutu. It was humbling and inspiring to speak with a man who played such a prominent role in freeing South Africa from apartheid. He is an ordinary man who acted in an extraordinary manner. In 2005, the Commission will mark its 50th anniversary. We have come a long way since our precursor, the Commission on Intergroup Relations, was established by law in 1955. Today, our Law is much stronger as is the Commission charged with its enforcement. With the fortitude and compassion of Mayor Bloomberg, the Commission continues to promote and protect the civil rights of all New Yorkers
Patricia L. Gatling