I really want our human rights commission to not just be window dressing. I think the people of Sullivan County deserve a place to go when they are facing human rights issues.”

Legislator Cat Scott (D-District 5)

MONTICELLO, NY — Last year, the New York State Division of Human Rights awarded nearly $7 million to more than 1,000 victims of discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodation — the highest total compensation in six years, according to the governor. Recipients included a salesperson discriminated against because of her age, a landscaper fired because of her sex and disability, and a manager harassed at his shipping company because he is Black and an Army Reservist.

All New Yorkers have access to the state human rights division. Ten New York counties have commissions that investigate the human rights complaints of their residents. Sullivan County might be the eleventh: Some legislators want to revive the Human Rights Commission of Sullivan County (HRC), with a full-time director and the power to investigate complaints.

The commission has not had a director since last March, when the former director, Adrienne Jensen, left the part-time post. And it’s been 10 to 15 years since the commission has been able to investigate any human rights claim, said Thomas Cawley, the county parliamentarian. Sullivan County has furthermore not had an independent commission separate from the state for five to 10 years, he said.

The power to investigate

Legislators discussed next steps at the March 13 meeting of the legislature’s Human Resources Committee. 

Amanda Ward (R-District 8), the committee chair, supports an independent human rights commission with a full-time director, as do legislature chair Nadia Rajsz (D-District 2) and legislators Luis Alvarez (D-District 6) and Cat Scott (D-District 5).

Ward said the commission’s responsibility is to educate the public, which is why, “given the current political climate,” it’s important the director be full-time.

Scott said, “I really want our human rights commission to not just be window dressing. I think the people of Sullivan County deserve a place to go when they are facing human rights issues.”

Alvarez agreed. “The commission can’t be under another commission,” he said, adding that Sullivan shouldn’t be “answering to anyone else, like it used to be.”

“We have a lot of problems in this county,” Alvarez continued. “This is not because some employee told me, but because I lived it when I was a county employee. There was nowhere to go, and there is nowhere to go. It should be full-time and answer to the legislature, no one else.”

However, other legislators hesitated to hire a full-time director without first evaluating the cost. “The budget is getting out of somewhat manageable control, with all the yeses and ideas,” said Brian McPhillips (D-District 3). “How to best serve the public and taxpayers?”

Minority Leader Nicholas Salomone Jr. (R-District 4) said he would “prefer to start the position part-time and then re-evaluate.” State agencies, like consumer protection and the district attorney’s office, provide human rights resources, he said.

Investigating and, if warranted, prosecuting cases brought by the public is critical to the mission of the state human rights division, along with educating the public about its rights and responsibilities and proposing policy and legislation.

If the legislature decides to revive its commission, said Cawley, the parliamentarian, it must first change county law to give the commission the ability to investigate cases.

A subcommittee with legislators Ward, McPhillips, Scott, and Alvarez will determine the commission’s direction, with input from other legislators. The full committee will direct Cawley to write a new county law and set up hearings so that the public may comment on it.

‘People just need to be heard’

Julie Diescher became the county’s commissioner of human resources in 2019. She’s currently responsible for fielding human rights complaints, including two that were reported in the committee meeting.

One of the complaints was housing-related. Diescher said the person “just happened to be in the government center and reached out and was redirected.”

Although the complaint was recorded, Diescher said, she hasn’t been able to get back to the person who filed it.

“I think it’s important the complaints are coming, but there are contact issues,” she said. “I’m hoping that the public knows how and who to contact because things have changed, with not having someone in that role. So I’m hoping the community knows exactly who to contact. So I want to highlight that and let folks know.”

Diescher said the commission provides a vital service.

“Sometimes people just need to be heard and given a different perspective and given guidance on where to go,” she said. “They don’t know where to go.”

Diescher told the River Reporter she tries to help when she can.

“Anyone who comes in to make a complaint, they’re coming in to connect with me, and I try to assist them if it’s a mediation that I can do,” Diescher said. “And then if it’s something that rises to the level that they need to be referred to the Division of Human Rights, I provide them with that number....sometimes it’s the EEOC (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission), or sometimes it’s the Division of Human Rights. It just depends on what the issue is.”

Last November, Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation extending the statute of limitations for filing discrimination complaints to three years for causes of action occurring on or after February 15, 2024.

The mission of the NYS Division of Human Rights is “eliminating discrimination, remedying injustice, and promoting equal opportunity, access, and dignity through enforcement of the Human Rights Law,” according to its website.