Discrimination commission established but not frequently utilized

Although a commission to hear sexual orientation discrimination cases has been established in Athens, a lack of cases has given city officials no need to appoint members. 

The City of Athens Community Relations Commission, a nine-member board, was established to ensure the equality of all persons under the Athens City Code. The section, entitled unlawful discriminatory practices, classifies discrimination based on sexual orientation - in employment, public accommodation and housing - as unlawful.

But the commission has no appointed members because there has never been a discrimination case in Athens, said Mayor Ric Abel.

"(The commission) hasn't had a meeting in a couple years," he said. "We have put (the commission) together a couple times, but they don't have any cases filed with them, so they sort of stopped meeting."

City Councilman Ed Baum, R-at large, said it is difficult to get people to sit on a commission that never has any cases.

If a problem about discrimination does arise, council always has the option of re-forming the commission at any time, Able said.

"It's just like the housing board of appeals," he said. "I don't think they've had a meeting in a year or two, but we had to reconstitute it because a case came up."

The likelihood of commission members being biased because they are appointed after a case has been submitted is no higher than that of any other board on council, Abel said.

"It's a concern with all the boards and commissions we have because most everybody doesn't exist in a vacuum," he said. "Sometimes you can get in a case and realize you know the people. They all have potential conflict. Everyone has the ability to say they have other knowledge and don't want to hear the case."  

Appointing members to the commission could take one to two weeks, Abel said.

Casey Clapper