HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-04-12-LHRC-min
TOWN OF LEXINGTON HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, April 12, 2023
Conducted by Remote Participation
LHRC MEMBERS PRESENT
Tanya Gisolfi, Chairperson (TG), Mona D. Roy, Vice-Chair (MDR), Christina Lin, Clerk (CL), Stephanie Hsu
(SH), Amber Iqbal (AI), Salvador Jaramillo (SJ), Lexington Public School District - Larry Freeman (LF),
Town of Lexington, Police - Collen Dunbar (CD), Town of Lexington, Human Services - Melissa Interess
(MI)
Guests: Eileen Jay, Liaison School Committee
The minutes were taken by Christina Lin, LHRC Clerk
• Meeting Called to order at, Quorum was present at 8:45
• Meeting Minutes - None
• Autism Acceptance and Awareness Month and purpose of proclamations- MR shared
a personal story as a parent of a child with autism who found the process of opening up
about their life frightening. As a result of living in an ableist society, their son is unable
to receive adequate day services because there is insufficient funding for training and
limited pay for employees who do this type of supportive work.
Additionally, she emphasized the importance behind the act of passing proclamations by
the LHRC. "The point is at a minimum; the majority of this committee is committed to
uplifting that marginalized group and seeing them as real human beings. Not pretend
human beings - not a check box. This is not performative...It is to raise awareness to the
rest of Lexington that this is a population that's hurting, strugglin g, and that needs our
support because they are marginalized."
MR explains there are no day programs to provide programming for her son, so he is
relegated to sitting alone in a room all day. There isn't adequate staffing to provide more
support so occasionally, a staff member might provide a puzzle or worksheets for some
kind of activity. The people working in the system are not to blame. They are often
oppressed by systemic racism since many of the staff are Black and not provided
adequate pay nor training. The system is the problem, and the system is made up of all
of us in the communities. MR posted on Facebook about a question regarding the 'do
not resuscitate' option on the form. Given that her son is only 22, it was a terrible
feeling that society questioned whether or not his life was worth saving at such a young
age.
MR encouraged committee members and those attending the meeting to bring back this
information to their own communities to help raise awareness and continue factoring the
needs of persons with disabilities into policy making.
TG added that the pandemic has been used as a scapegoat for the ills of society for too
long and that it is time to move beyond the pandemic as the source of the ongoing
and/or continuing problems we need to work towards solutions for people and families
who are struggling.
LF appreciated MR for being willing to be vulnerable in sharing her story and educating
the community on these issues.
• The Chair noted that it is National Fair Housing Month, National Arab American
Heritage month and National Public Health Week was April 3-9.
• Co-Sponsorship CALex My American Story - MR motioned to support CaLex's 3rd
annual My American Story which will take place in person for the first time in 2023.
Committee approved by unanimous vote.
• Review Questions from Systemic Barriers Meeting - Not addressed.
• Race Amity Day – Given the tight timeline and helpful feedback, this event will be
scaled back from its original goal for this year. Student artwork that contributed
significantly to past Race Amity events will likely not be complete in time this year to
incorporate into the programming by June. Instead, they will plan to showcase the
student artwork and launch Race Amity in the Fall. Additionally, plans for next June in
2024 can also start to ensure artists have ample time to create work for Race Amity Day.
o TG asked for coordination of Race Amity Day, Alzheimer’s awareness, and Pride
Day Celebrations. SH had already reached out to discuss ways to share space
and celebrate Race Amity and Lex Pride together/alongside one another.
o Banner discussion around the text for Rac e Amity Day. The group settled on
"Unity through friendship" SH is going to look into banner idea for this year.
o AI shared an idea of creating life-size murals with face cutouts to encourage
people to take pictures and create a wall of friendship. Everyone liked the idea and
SH noted more volunteers are needed to help bring these creative ideas to life.
• Future meeting formats: Zoom vs In-person - The committee mostly felt retaining
hybrid format would work best to meet all needs. However, there was acknowledgement
that in-person meetings allow for interpersonal connections in ways that technology has
yet to overcome and often are more efficient than by zoom. Therefore, the committee
decided to aim to run an in person 'retreat' much like school committee does. The
retreat could focus on planning for the committee's aims and goals. Additionally, the
committee expressed interest in running the first and last meeting of an LHRC season in
person.
• Draft Recommendation to the Select Board and Draft Recommendations to School
Committee- This is an annual exercise. The chair suggested forming two groups. One
would develop recommendations to the Select Board while the other would create
recommendations to School Committee. Clarification was made that every committee
member can weigh in on both sets of recommendations, but the groups could get the list
started. The committee agreed;
o CL, TG and SJ would address Select Board recommendations and
o MR, AI and SH would address School Committee recommendations.
o LF, CD and MI were not put in either group because of their affiliation with the
Town and/or School Committee
• TMMA Articles – At Town Meeting, CL read the committee's letter to the Select Board on
its position on Article 33 and 34. Town Meeting voted in support of Article 33 and 34.
However, a motion for reconsideration of the original amendment to Article 34 was voiced
to the moderator so it is possible that another amendment to Article 34 could be brought
back to the table at Town Meeting. A committee member who is also a Town Meeting
member questioned the thoroughness of the amendment given that it was written with
less transparency, in a shorter time frame and by unelected Town Meeting members
unlike the process the Planning Board took. Additionally, they voiced strong concern
that the amendment's proposal relegated multi-family housing to the edges of town
rather than distributing those zones more evenly across town and this felt exclusionary
of multi-family housing in the town center. CL motions to vote to oppose the amendment
to Article 34 as it stands. SH seconds the motion. Vote count is 7 -0-0
• Next Meeting is Wednesday, May 10, 2023 , at 8:45AM
• Meeting adjourned at 10:15AM
1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE • LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02420
minutes for comment. Members of the Committee will neither