Residents urge delay to Human Rights Commission rewrite as policing and workplace concerns mount

Public comment at the East Lansing City Council's May 26 meeting opened with sustained appeals to postpone changes to the city's Human Rights Commission ordinance and to restore independent oversight resources. Nathan Takaki, speaking for a crisis advocate who could not attend, said the process used for past investigations left survivors feeling disbelieved and exposed and questioned the council's decision to release an internal report without the affected employee's consent. "When employees are being mistreated, how would the conduct of this council lead them to reasonably conclude that they will be believed?" he asked.