Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-03-01-LHRC-min Town of Lexington, Human Rights Committee Meeting Friday, March 1, 2019 Lexington Community Center 8:00-9:21 Present Committee Members: Sean Osborne (Chair), Tanya Gisolfi (Vice Chair), Mona Roy (Clerk), James Barry (Police Department), Bonnie Brodner, Barbara Hamilton (LPS), Koren Stembridge (Town) Jeffrey Toronto, Fuang Ying Huang Liaisons and Guests: Mabel Amar (guest), Mark Corr (Police Department), Aidan Evelyn (Police Department), Jodi Finnegan (ABCL), Jill Hai (BOS), Brent Maracle (LICA), Valerie Overton (LexPride), Tony Serio (Human Services), Deb Zucker (LexPride); Public Comments • Mabel Amar (resident) spoke on appreciation of LHRC's work on investigation of reported incidents. 1. Review February Meeting Minutes • Discussion on what needs to be in public comments section • Motion to approve February 2019 minutes, Ms. Gisolfi, Motion to Second Det. Barry, All in favor, none opposed • Motion to approve March 2019 minutes: Motion Det. Barry, Second Ms. Stembridge, All in favor, none opposed 2. Chair Report a) LHS Response to Targeted Racism • Noted that LHS principal responded to basketball incident(racial epithets used at an away game and no on-site response at the time) • Ms. Hamilton noted that people are supporting students impacted in an appropriate way • Mr. Osborne notes that issues of racial epithets and graffiti are still an ongoing concern b) Community Events April 11th is the screening of Intelligent Lives. LHRC is a cosponsor of this event. 1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE•LEXINGTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02420 Lex Pride March events handout were provided to the committee. 3. Workgroup Updates a) Fair and Affordable Housing(April) (Ms. Brodner and Ms. Huang) — • Ms. Huang tried to contact the three organizations in town: Lexington Housing Assistance Board (LexHAB), Housing Partnership Board, and Lexington Housing Authority. She has not heard from Fair Housing Center of Greater Boston contact • Mr. Osborne noted that MCAD fair housing laws training was done with police department and asks how many people in the community have taken this course • Ms. Brodner asked if there is any data on housing discrimination • Mr. Osborne does not recall the exact numbers but notes that any incidents would be concerning • Ms. Stembridge will follow up to get data as Ms. Brodner and Ms. Huang feel it would be helpful to guide their work • Mr. Osborne notes ads are discriminatory in nature, that there are complaints to MCAD but they have limited staff, sometimes there are complaints to police • Mr. Osborne notes that Fair Housing Center of Greater Boston used to do the testing • Mr. Osborne notes April is Fair Housing month b) Community Presentations with ADL on Hate Symbols (May) Officer Barry and Ms. Gisolfi— Lt. Barry had a meeting with Metro Boston Advisory ADL and reached out to Arlington LHRC, Ms. Gisolfi found a hate symbols program that may work better and will update the committee in due course c) Race Amity Day (2"d Sunday in June) (Mr. Osborne, Ms. Stembridge, and Ms. Roy). Mr. Osborne noted that the state mandated date fell on the same weekend as Pride Weekend. d) Social Media (Ms. Huang, Mr. Osborne and Ms. Roy) —no update e) Not In Our Schools (NIOS) Joint Workgroup— LHRC (Ms. Gisolfi and Ms. Roy+ LPS) Hastings will be pilot. Several other pilots of other things are already going on, charge of how to institute NIOS at Hastings, will continue to beyond this school year. Dr. Hackett will send intro email next week connecting all parties. f) Anonymous Reporting Application and Policies Workgroup (May) (Barry, Hamilton and Stembridge) Discussion on how this would be the beginning of potentially long conversation that included the request to look at SPOT. Mr. Osborne noted that before it comes to LHRC, the School, Town, Police look first. Ms. Stembridge asks if there is a written policy on how LHRC handles complaints and does the public know what happens next. Ms. Stembridge noted she can help to develop a document on reporting procedures. Mr. Osborne asks if we need a town wide universal button that does that? Discussion on why scope of group is limited to the software. Ms. Roy asks about timeline. Ms. Stembridge can advise on process, budget, public records re: software purchase. Mr. Osborne suggests this the group be tabled, because better to form another workgroup to document what happens right now when someone wants to report something. A new workgroup Reporting Incidents Procedures and Documentation Standards. Ms. Stembridge, Ms. Brodner, and Ms. Huang will form as a workgroup to document for the public what happens (the mechanics) when an incident is reported all the way through to the investigation to debrief processes. The group will send a draft to the LHRC for comment and the document will be discussed at next month's meeting and future meetings until done. Mr. Osborne noted that this process may reveal gaps in the process so the specific charge might change but that the goal should be to clarify for all parties, the procedures that are in place or that should be put into place so that the public knows what happens once an incident is reported. Mr. Osborne noted that ease of reporting with different interfaces (e.g. mobile device, laptop, telephone, etc.) should be considered as well. g) Discovery Day (Ms. Brodner) Ms. Brodner checked with Eric Michaelson who confirmed that we don't need to pay for table/booth. Ms. Brodner wanted to work with Human Services to share space. Tony Serio (Human Services) was not sure of space. Also noted that this year, it will be just be up and down Mass Ave. Ms. Brodner noted need for a pamphlet with the website. Ms. Brodner suggested a tiny url might be easier. Discussion on checking in with Sean Dugan, PIO (public info officer). Ms. Brodner will present edited pamphlet on next month's meeting. Mr. Osborne will ask PIO re: a possible LHRC FB page. h) Not walking in Patriots Day 4) Reports and Updates on Human Rights Related Incidents and Programs from Committee Members • Ms. Stembridge noted that the Town Senior Management Team took LexPride's training on Recruiting for Diversity • Ms. Hamilton reported that a human rights related incident occurred during the February break and was reported by students. She noted that some students feel more comfortable reporting incidents. • Officer Barry noted no new incidents, continuing ongoing investigations Public comments on Meeting • Valerie Overton spoke on Ms. Hamilton's comments and expressed concern that LGBTQ students do not feel safe reporting and also noted that two LGBTQ students made anonymous reports this week to the LHRC and concerned that not heard anything about those reports. • Pastor Brent spoke on the need to monitor the Planning Board and expressed concern on removal of exemptions for religious organization which could leads to micro bias and requires public hearing • Jodi Finnegan notes that there is no diversity director for the town and expressed concern that the Town is not making diversity, equity and inclusion a priority unlike LPS Ms. Osborne notes that the public may not hear anything about ongoing investigations or reports Next Meeting April 5, 2019, 8:00 am Motion to Adjourn—Ms. Gisolfi, second Officer Barry 9:21 LIST OF DOCUMENTS Chair Report Intelligent Lives Flyer Lex Pride March Flyer Respectfully submitted, Monami D. Roy Clerk, LHRC