Everett, Wash.
Published: Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Snohomish County human rights agency sought

An advocacy group wants the county to create a new commission to protect minority rights.

By Jeff Switzer
Herald Writer

 EVERETT -- Bias and bigotry in hiring and housing continues to be a problem for immigrants, minorities and disabled people in Snohomish County.

About 100 complaints citing their unequal treatment reach the state every year.

"We've had 600 complaints in five years that we didn't even know about," said Luis Moscoso, a minority rights advocate with Snohomish County Citizens for Human Rights. "We need to reach out and educate people on human rights issues."

Moscoso and others from the group on Monday asked the County Council to create a local, independent human rights commission with the power to settle disputes and investigate discrimination complaints everywhere in the county.

A grass-roots group spent 10 months writing a proposed county ordinance to create the commission. They used the state Human Rights Commission as their model.

The County Council plans to review it, County Council chairman Dave Somers said.

State law has protected people from discrimination since 1949. The state Human Rights Commission investigates and tries to resolve employment discrimination complaints and possible violations of fair housing laws.

If a dispute can't be resolved, the investigation can go to the state Attorney General's Office for prosecution.

A Snohomish County human rights commission would operate similarly, but be able to better react to emerging trends and conduct local education against racism, Moscoso said.

"After reviewing the trends and complaints, we suspect a lot more incidents are taking place than are reported to the state," state Human Rights Commissioner Jerry Hebert said. "A right delayed is a right denied."

If a county commission is created, it would be the first of its kind in the state and become a model other counties are already looking to follow, Hebert said.

It would take three more county employees and up to $400,000 to do the work investigating complaints and working to teach the group's vision of respect and dignity to men, women and children throughout the county, Hebert said.

As proposed, a seven- member human rights commission would be appointed to review complaints.

The new commission can help educate and investigate discrimination problems in the county, said Marian Harrison, Democratic Party activist and daughter of a black pioneer family in Everett.

"In light of what's happened in north Snohomish County, I feel its time has come," Harrison said. She said a cross burning on a pastor's lawn in Arlington in 2004 and ongoing racist graffiti shows there's a long way to go.

"It's strange this is happening in 2008," Harrison said. "I thought these battles were behind us."

The Snohomish County chapter of the NAACP is reviewing the proposal and is supportive of the concept, said John Flowers, an executive board member.

There are new fronts in the debate. Hispanic and Russian immigrants with large families have complained to the state that they are discriminated against when trying to find a place to live in Snohomish County. Pregnant immigrant women also have filed complaints that they were discriminated against when trying to find work.

"These are tough issues, real issues, and they're happening throughout the state," said state human rights commission deputy director Idolina Reta.

The complaints are investigated and resolved to varying degrees, Reta said. There were 690 cases in Snohomish County since 1999 -- and three-­quarters of them were employment related.

Of 529 employment cases from Snohomish County residents closed in recent years, the commission found nearly 60 percent to be without reasonable cause, Reta said.

Others are settled through mediation talks, and others go to the state Attorney General's Office for prosecution.

The proposed county commission conceptually would have the power to investigate complaints all over the county. Cities could be included if their councils agree.

"This ordinance is the right ordinance for our county to become a 21st century county and not live back in the days of white privilege in 1800s and 1900s," said Mark Hintz, county Democratic Party chairman. Part of his interest is driven because his daughter has a disability.

Snohomish County sheriff's bureau chief Tom Greene has worked hard on the committee, advocates said. Greene said he has three grandchildren of mixed racial backgrounds and cares deeply about the emotional pain they feel through discrimination.

"It's an issue of dignity and respect," Greene said.



Reporter Jeff Switzer: 425-339-3452 or jswitzer@heraldnet.com.

What's next?

The proposal to create a county human rights commission is expected to be reviewed by the County Council's Law and Justice-Human Services Committee. A letter is expected next week from the state Human Rights Commission outlining recommendations on how to start a local commission.
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA