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Vermont Human Rights Commission says staffing and outreach shortfalls slow investigations
Summary
The executive director of the Vermont Human Rights Commission told the Senate Judiciary Committee that limited staff and outreach resources have lengthened investigations and left many meritorious complaints uninvestigated, and asked for additional resources being considered in the House.
The executive director of the Vermont Human Rights Commission told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Feb. 7 that the commission’s small staff and limited outreach capacity are delaying investigations and leaving many eligible complainants without representation. "Out of the over 100 average inquiries we get in our office each month, a vast majority of them are not ending up a complaint," the director said, adding that most complainants are unrepresented while respondents often have counsel.
The director said the commission has seven total staff, including three investigators and, as of last year, one full-time litigator who is handling about 15 enforcement actions in court. "I currently have over 20 cases that are sitting waiting for an investigator to be assigned to work on them because our staffing is so, limited," the director said. She told senators the commission has closed more cases this year after streamlining investigative reports but remains unable to meet demand.
Testimony described a marked increase in school-related complaints and fair housing filings. The director said most housing complaints involve requests for reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities and that the commission serves a large number of people with limited means and limited alternatives for legal recourse. "Many of the individuals who have complaints with our process are unrepresented," she said, and the commission often provides referrals to Vermont Legal Aid or Disability Rights Vermont when it cannot accept a case.
Committee members asked about intake and outreach. The director said the commission has no dedicated outreach budget and that outreach has been funded in part by limited HUD outreach grants. She also said the office has created a plain-language guide for complainants and respondents to explain the commission's process and that a new case-management system is helping to generate data on intakes and rejections. For fiscal year 2025 to date, she reported rejecting more than 60 people and accepting "over 50" formal complaints; she said many additional callers are referred to other providers and are not counted as rejections.
Ending: The director asked the committee to consider pending House proposals to increase resources; the committee received the testimony and did not take formal action at the hearing.
