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Baltimore County DEI chief to draft bylaws clarifying HRC intake and investigation duties
Summary
Rashawn Bridal, Baltimore County's new chief of DEI and HRC executive director, told commissioners she will draft updated bylaws to clarify that commissioners may handle complaint intake and investigations under Article 29; the draft is due before the commission's next meeting.
Rashawn Bridal, the new chief of diversity, equity and inclusion for Baltimore County and executive director for the Human Relations Commission (HRC), told commissioners at the HRC's rescheduled virtual meeting that the commission's bylaws do not clearly assign intake responsibilities and investigation authority.
"In order for us to completely...flex our authority...we would all need some investigation training," Bridal said, adding that she would prepare a revised bylaw for members to review at the next meeting: "by next meeting, I will have a updated draft of the bylaws." The change Bridal described would extend an existing Article 29 provision that permits commissioner involvement in investigations to explicitly include intake functions.
County counsel advised the commission that Bridal or staff could prepare an initial draft, which would then be reviewed for legal sufficiency by the law office before the commission discussed and voted on any amendment. Counsel also said commissioners could seek legal advice in closed session if the discussion raised legal questions.
The proposal comes amid leadership transitions on the commission following two recent resignations (Commissioners Jackson and Marshall), and Bridal said the bylaw update is part of a broader effort to align the HRC's written rules with its intended role in intake, investigation and community outreach.
The commission did not vote on bylaw changes at the meeting; Bridal's draft is the stated next step.
Next steps: Bridal will circulate the draft by the next meeting for legal review and commission discussion.
