East Lansing City Council puts brakes on Human Rights Commission

East Lansing City Council unanimously made changes to the city’s Human Rights Ordinance on Tuesday, June 16.

The change will reduce the Human Rights Commission’s current ability to receive, review and investigate complaints and accusations of discrimination within the city. Many complaints will instead be directed to the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or to courts.

The city’s commission has been around for about 60 years.

Karen Hoene, chair of the Human Rights Commission, asked for more time before the changes were made.

“We also request that any council member that has received funds and has or have had any business relationships with companies or individuals the HRC has investigated recuse themselves from the vote of the committee,” she said. “The commission’s request is based upon the following concerns and unresolved questions: Process and transparency.”

The proposal to change the commission’s powers was introduced by the City Council in late May. The changes followed an HRC investigation that found East Lansing police officers had violated the civil rights of two Black men who were pepper-sprayed by an officer last year. 

The East Lansing police department identified the two men by name in a press release, in what the commission called a violation of city policies. The commission said the city should pay $50,000 to each of the men to cover reputational harm amid other issues and psychological expenses. They also concluded that there was reputational damage and racial discrimination.

These modifications to the commission are intended to help shield East Lansing city officials, as well as all its departments and employees, from any complaints filed against them by the HRC.  Complaints against city officials and employees will now be referred to the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or courts.

Last week, the commission had asked the council to postpone the final vote and instead create a committee to discuss possible changes; the council refused. Some council members applauded the move and argued that the commission should never have had those rights.

Additionally, city attorneys said that the proposed changes were necessary to ensure the ordinance complies with state law, saying the current ordinance erroneously granted judicial powers to the commission, which the city did not have the authority to give.

Hoene, the commission’s chair, said the amendments were being considered while most students are out of town, effectively excluding them from the process.

“The amendments have also been afforded limited time for public review despite significantly altering East Lansing’s human rights framework, and coming at a time when the majority of students are not here to give their input,” Hoene said. “And these ordinance changes could drastically impact students.”