The Maine Human Rights Commission on Thursday reviewed its recent casework and administrative activity, reporting increases in new charges and a small total in recent settlements.

Commission staff told commissioners the agency received 50 new charges in the reporting period involving 73 respondents. Staff reported 9 administrative dismissals, one right-to-sue letter issued, three withdrawals without benefits and four settlements recorded. Two of those settlements were reached during investigation and two through the commission’s mediation program, with a combined settlement total of $16,750, according to the director’s report presented at the meeting.

Director’s materials also noted two active conciliations — one of which the respondent had declined — and two unsuccessful conciliations for which no agreement was reached. Staff said they are waiting the statutory 90-day conciliation window in at least one matter before sending a formal “conciliation failed” notice; a commissioner clarified that both parties must accept conciliation for an agreement to be recorded.

Commission staff said internal case-inventory reporting remains limited by the commission’s database and that a revised July 2025 case inventory will be circulated once technical fixes are completed. The director’s memo also listed training and education activity, with staff participating in about 18 events during the fiscal year.

Commissioners asked questions about how conciliations are recorded, what the 90-day conciliation window means in practice and how the commission counts settlements that occur during investigation versus private negotiations after an investigation. The director’s office said it will provide a fuller case inventory as soon as internal reporting is restored.

The commission recessed to begin hearing contested cases later in the morning.