Equal Employment Opportunity

Manhattan Municipal Building Civic Fame, Photo Credit: John Castellaneta

DCAS and CCHR Host Training on Immigration-Related Employment Discrimination

The panel of guest speakers: (from left to right) Deputy Commissioner Diane Crothers, Commissioners Guillermo Linares and Patricia L. Gatling, Special Litigation Counsel Robin M. Stutman, Commissioner Martha K. Hirst and Deputy Director Peter Lobo

On June 5, 2008, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) along with the New York City Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) co-sponsored a special training on the growth of the immigrant population in New York City, discriminatory hiring practices, and the legal responsibilities of employers. The training was attended by 83 representatives from 40 City agencies. Commissioner Martha K. Hirst (DCAS), Commissioner Patricia L. Gatling (CCHR) and Commissioner Guillermo Linares, Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, welcomed the participants.

Peter Lobo, Deputy Director of the Population Division of the Department of City Planning, gave a presentation on “The Contemporary Role of Immigration in Shaping New York City’s Population.” The Population Division serves as the City’s in-house demographic consultant, providing expertise for a whole host of applications involving assessments of need, program planning and targeting, and policy formulation. This includes the development of population estimates and projections for infrastructure and capital planning, including projections for PLANYC 2030, the long-term sustainability plan for New York City.

Robin M. Stutman Esq., Special Litigation Counsel in the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) for Immigration Related Unfair Employment Practices in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, gave a presentation on “Avoiding Immigration-Related Employment Discrimination.” She provided information on compliance with the federal laws protecting immigrants from illegal employment discrimination and how to avoid immigration-related employment discrimination claims. OSC enforces the anti-discrimination provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act.