2015 Testimony

The Commissioner and other members of the New York City Commission on Human Rights senior staff periodically testify before the City Council on issues involving the Commission and the NYC Human Rights Law.

December 9, 2015 testimony
Commissioner Carmelyn P. Malalis before the City Council Committee on Civil Rights
“Before I turn to the four bills that are the subject of today’s hearing, I want to provide you with a brief update of the Commission’s ongoing agency restructuring and expansion. Thanks to the support of the Council and the Administration, we have continued to build our ranks with new staff members experienced in working with New York City’s diverse communities in different languages and/or using the City’s anti-discrimination protections to assist vulnerable communities.”  Read Full Testimony

October 19, 2015 testimony
Commissioner Carmelyn P. Malalis before the City Council Committee on Civil Rights
"My testimony reflects the Commission’s desire to safeguard the integrity of the City Human Rights Law in accomplishing its “uniquely broad and remedial purposes,” over and above what’s provided under federal or New York State civil and human rights laws, a promise codified in the law’s construction provision as well as the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 2005."  Read Full Testimony

September 21, 2015 testimony
Special Counsel Dana Sussman before the City Council Committee on Civil Rights
"Commissioner Malalis assumed her role a little more than six months ago. Since then, she and our team have been hard at work developing the agency’s infrastructure, onboarding talented, experienced staff, providing enhanced training and development opportunities for staff agency-wide, and evaluating and developing the agency’s internal and public-facing policies and procedures."  Read Full Testimony

March 16, 2015 testimony
Commissioner Carmelyn P. Malalis before the City Council Committees on Civil Rights and Finance
"Almost four weeks ago, I was vested with the great privilege and responsibility to head this important agency with the dual mandates of (1) enforcing the City Human Rights Law – one of the most expansive of its kind in the nation – through the agency’s Law Enforcement Bureau, and (2) through its Community Relations Bureau, providing education, outreach, training, and other initiatives for the public to foster mutual understanding and respect among all New Yorkers."  Read Full Testimony

March 3, 2015 testimony
Commissioner Carmelyn P. Malalis before the City Council Committee on Civil Rights
"As the newly appointed Chair and Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights, I can say without reservation that the Commission strongly supports what it understands to be the goals of these three bills – robust enforcement of the City Human Rights Law, supporting the existing testing work of the Commission, and providing the public with greater transparency of the Commission’s work, particularly with regards to the investigations initiated by our agency, so that the public can better assist us in identifying the areas and industries in which serious violations of the Human Rights Law occur and the identities of the repeat violators of the law."  Read Full Testimony