[Archived] New Human Rights Commission Chair Sets Goals


News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date:	Thursday, October 15, 1998
Contact:	Robert M. Steindler, Human Rights Administrator Alexandria Office of Human Rights; Richard Reno, Chair ; Alexandria Human Rights Commission, 703-838-6390

New Human Rights Commission Chair Sets Goals

Alexandria, Virginia - The Alexandria Human Rights Commission has elected Richard Reno as Chair for the 1999 fiscal year. Mr. Reno, who succeeds Raymond Johnson whose term expired in June 1998, has been a member of the Commission since 1993. He most recently served as Vice Chair of the Commission and has served on several Commission committees. Mr. Reno, who is a software engineer for UNISYS Corporation, has served as President of the Alexandria Gay and Lesbian Community Association from 1994 to 1996.

"One of the main objectives for the Commission in the coming year", said Reno, "is to promote the services available through the Office of Human Rights to individuals who live, work or visit the City of Alexandria." Alexandria's Human Rights Code prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, commercial real estate, city contracts, health and social services, credit, public accommodations, and education on the bases of race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, marital status, familial status, religion, age, sexual orientation, and disability. Reno said that Commissioners and staff to the Commission will provide programs tailored to the needs of individual employers and housing providers by educating them on their responsibilities.

"While our first goal is to educate employers and the general public on their rights and responsibilities under the City's Human Rights Code," stated Reno, "I believe we have shown that the price of engaging in discriminatory conduct in this City is going to be very costly." Human Rights Administrator Robert Steindler and newly-elected Chair Reno reported that in the past three years, the office has negotiated almost one million dollars in monetary relief on behalf of individuals who filed discrimination complaints with the office. These figures include a record $180,000 obtained on behalf of an individual after the Office found probable cause to believe that the employer had discharged the complainant in retaliation for having participated in an Equal Employment Opportunity investigation. During the same time period, 382 new complaints of discrimination were filed with the Office, and 380 complaints were closed.

The Office of Human Rights, which enforces the City's Human Rights Ordinance and carries out the directives of the Human Rights Commission, has a staff of four: the Administrator, two investigators, and one secretary. The office also uses two contract investigators. The office has been under contract with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) as a designated Fair Employment Practices Agency for 19 years. The Human Rights Office is part of the Department of Human Relations, which also includes the City's Office on Women and the Affirmative Action Office.