A REPORT RELEASED FROM THE TENNESSEE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION NOVEMBER 2014 Table of Contents Page # I. Welcome Letter, Chair Stacey A. Garrett & Executive Director Beverly L. Watts 2 II. About the Tennessee Human Rights Commission 4 III. Overview of Hearing Process & Report 5 IV. The Status of Human Rights: Enforcement Agencies A. Status of Employment Discrimination Statistics 7 1. Tennessee Human Rights Commission Charge Statistics 2. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Charge Statistics B. Status of Housing Discrimination Statistics 13 1. Tennessee Human Rights Commission Charge Statistics 2. U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development Charge Statistics V. Testimony on the Status of Human Rights in Tennessee A. Purpose & Scope 1. Human Rights Initiatives across the United States, JoAnn Kamuf Ward & Caroline Stover, Human Rights Institute, Columbia Law School 19 B. Human Rights Issue: Employment 25 1. Impact of Criminal Background Checks on Hiring, Katherine Kores, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Memphis District Office 28 2. Employment Discrimination Facing Ex-Offenders, Kenneth Bonner, REACH Empowerment Institute 30 3. Employment Discrimination facing Tennesseans, Gloria Sweet Love, Tennessee Conference of the NAACP 35 4. Violations in Employment, Valerie Radu, Grove Street Settlement House 36 5. Equal Employment in the City of Knoxville, Mayor Madeline Rogero, City of Knoxville 37 6. Work-Family Issues and Discrimination Facing Care Givers & Mothers in Tennessee, Elizabeth Gedmark & Dina Bakst, A Better Balance 38 C. Human Rights Issue: Housing 41 1. Lack of Affordable & Accessible Housing in Memphis, Bobbie Fields, Memphis Center for Independent Living 43 2. Housing Disparities in Chattanooga, Perrin Lance, Chattanooga Organized for Action 45 3. Low-Income Resident Housing Concerns, Dr. Elenora Woods, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Branch of the NAACP 48 4. Violations in Housing, Valerie Radu, Grove Street Settlement House 50 5. Fair Housing the City of Knoxville, Mayor Madeline Rogero, City of Knoxville 51 D. Human Rights Issue: Access to Programs & Services 53 1. Access to Government Programs for Rural & Low-Income Populations, Monroe Woods, Bolivar- Hardeman County Branch of the NAACP 54 2. Access to the Internet, Former Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate 56 E. Human Rights Issue: Justice & Law Enforcement 59 1. Access to Justice, David Yoder, Legal Aid of East Tennessee 61 2. Disparities within the Death Penalty, Stacy Rector, Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty 63 3. Law Enforcement Issues in the City of Knoxville, Mayor Madeline Rogero, City of Knoxville 66 4. Criminal Justice Issues, June Zeitlin, Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights 68 F. Human Rights Issue: New Americans & Immigrants 71 1. Immigration Integration Methods: a Municipal Perspective, Mayor AC Wharton, City of Memphis 74 2. Immigrant Issues in the City of Knoxville, Mayor Madeline Rogero, City of Knoxville 77 3. Empowering New Americans, Mayor Karl Dean, Metropolitan Nashville Davidson County Government 78 4. Partnering for an Equitable & Inclusive Nashville, Dan Cornfield & Alistair Newbern 81 5. Challenges Facing Families with Mixed Immigration Status, Alysa Medina, Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition 82 6. Effects of Deportation on Immigrant Families, Veronica Zavaleta, Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition 84 7. Challenges Faced by Undocumented Youth, Iris Mercado, Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition 86 G. Human Rights Issue: LGBT 88 1. Discrimination faced by LGBT Tennesseans, Chris Sanders, Tennessee Equality Project 91 2. Challenges faced by LGBT+ Students in Higher Education, Dr. William Langston & Joshua Rigsby, Middle Tennessee State University 95 3. LGBT Issues in the City of Knoxville, Mayor Madeline Rogero, City of Knoxville 104 4. The State of Transgender Tennesseans, Marisa Richmond, Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition 105 H. Human Rights Issue: Voting Rights 112 1. Voter Disenfranchisement in Tennessee, Hedy Weinberg, American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee 113 2. Voting Rights Issues, June Zeitlin, Leadership Conference of Civil & Human Rights 117 I. Human Rights Issue: Homelessness 120 1. Homelessness Issues in the City of Knoxville, Mayor Madeline Rogero, City of Knoxville 122 2. Civil Rights Abuses Faced by People Experiencing Homelessness, Paul Garner, Mid-South Peace & Justice Center, Marian Bacon, Memphis Center for Independent Living 124 3. Criminalization of the Indigent and Unhoused, Samuel Lester, Nashville Homeless Organizing Coalition 127 J. Human Rights Issue: Disability Rights 137 1. Rights of Individuals with Disabilities: A Global Perspective, Jean-Marie Lawrence, Disability Rights Advocate 140 2. Disability Rights, June Zeitlin, Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights 143 3. Existing Disability Discrimination, Martha Lafferty, Disability Law & Advocacy Center of Tennessee 148 4. Disability Access Issues in the City of Knoxville, Mayor Madeline Rogero, City of Knoxville 152 5. Discrimination Against Students with Intellectual Disabilities, Deborah Hyde, Parent Advocate 154 K. Human Rights Issue: Education 158 1. Education Disparities, June Zeitlin, Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights 161 2. Disparities in School Discipline Policies & Practices, Tomeka Hart, Memphis Talent Dividend 165 3. Racial Disparities in School Discipline, Amy Sosinski, UT College of Law Education Practicum 170 4. Cradle to Prison Pipeline, Shakya Cherry-Donaldson, Children’s Defense Fund 176 5. Disparities in Education, James Mapp, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Branch of the NAACP 183 L. Human Rights Issue: Violence Against Women & Other Crimes 185 1. Human Trafficking & Residential Recovery Needs, Jerry Redmon, Second Life Chattanooga 189 2. Violence Against Women, Deborah Clubb, Memphis Area Women’s Council 193 3. Violence Against Women, Commissioner Amy Broyles, Knox County Commission 201 4. Violence Against Women Epidemic, Patricia Shea, YWCA of Middle Tennessee 206 5. Economic Impact of Violence Against Women, Phyllis Qualls-Brooks, Tennessee Economic Council on Women 211 M. Human Rights Issue: National & Local Perspectives on Other Human and Civil Rights Issues 217 1. The State of Black America, Brack Henderson, Memphis Urban League 220 2. Civil Rights Violations & Access to Healthcare, Valerie Radu, Grove Street Settlement House 222 3. Poverty & Health Concerns in Chattanooga, Perrin Lance, Chattanooga Organized for Action 223 4. Discrimination faced Muslim Tennesseans, Remziya Suleyman, American Center for Outreach 226 5. Issues facing Nashvillians, Tom Negri, Metro Human Relations Commission 229 VI. Summary & Recommendations 232 TENNESSEE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION WILLIAM R. SNODGRASS TENNESSEE TOWER 312 ROSA L PARKS AVENUE, 23RD FLOOR NASHVILLE, TN 37243-11102 (615) 741-5825 FAX (615) 253-1886 Toll-Free: 1-800-251-3589 Toll-Free Spanish: 1-866-856-1252 www.tn.gov/humanrights Message From The Chair The Tennessee Humans Rights Commission (THRC) completed a series of Hearing in the spring of 2014 regarding human rights issues facing Tennessee communities. Hearings were held in Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga, and Knoxville, Tennessee. Testimony, statistical information, and data from a variety of sources are in the Status of Human Rights Report to formally document the standing of existing and emerging human and civil rights issue in communities across the state. The report includes testimony under our jurisdiction, primarilly complaints of discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodation. The report covers broad based human issues such as new Americans annd Immigrants, LGBT, Voting Rights, Homelessness, Disability Rights,, Education, and Violence against woomen. Furthermore, civil and human rights issues captured as well are civil rights violation & access to heealthcare and poverty & health concerns. Recently, TBI is addressing the human right issue of human trafficking addressed in the Status of Human Rights in Tennessee report. To read more about the initiative, view http://www.theleafchronicle.com/story/news/crime/2014/08/19/tbi-launches-human-trafficking- initiative/14281731/. The Status of Human Rights Report informs elected and appointed government officiials, civic/ community organizations and the public of the issues in Tennessee on human rights isssues that are both, under THRC jurisdiction andn those issues which are non-jurisdictional. Additionally, testimony participants provided possible solutions, which consist of practices and programs that can serve as models. Sincerely, Stacey A. Garrett Chair, Board of Commissioners 2 TENNESSEE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION WILLIAM R. SNODGRASS TENNESSEE TOWER 312 ROSA L PARKS AVENUE, 23RD FLOOR NASHVILLE, TN 37243-1102 (615) 741-5825 FAX (615) 253-1886 Toll-Free: 1-800-251-3589 Toll-Free Spanish: 1-866-856-1252 www.tn.gov/humanrights Message from the Executive Director September 1, 2014 Following is the final Status of Human Rights Report. Let me thank the many leaders and officials from community organizations, government, advocacy groups and researchers who presented testimony related to human rights across Tennessee based on their own areas of expertise. These written and oral testimonies are in this report and available on You Tube. This report includes information from hearings in addition to statistics, trends and information about the Commission's work, safeguarding individuals from discrimination through enforcement and education. Let me thank the Commissioners and