The Maine Human Rights Commission used its Nov. 24 meeting to handle a full hearing docket and routine administrative business, adopting investigator recommendations in multiple matters and moving one case into conciliation.

Early in the meeting commissioners approved removing a consent-agenda item (HEDPA 250160) at the complainant’s request and voted to adopt the agenda and consent agenda. The commission approved a conciliation agreement on the consent agenda (E230206 Libby v Archers on the Pier) and adopted the minutes of its prior meeting.

Staff presented case-load and financial reports: 40 new complaints were filed in the previous month; the commission reported 729 pending cases with an average age of 271 days and $242,500 in predetermination settlements to complainants. Finance staff briefed commissioners on first-quarter budget actuals and cautioned that certain federal grant lines (EEOC and HUD funds) were not yet finalized.

The panel heard multiple contested matters. It adopted an investigator’s recommendation of no reasonable grounds in a consolidated complaint against the University of Southern Maine (E230399/E230400). In a second hearing involving a former Madawaska officer, a motion to find reasonable grounds for retaliation produced a tie vote; by practice a tie leaves the investigator’s no-reasonable-grounds recommendation in place. In a separate matter, the commission found reasonable grounds of age discrimination in E230469 (Leffler v Eastern Events) and directed staff to attempt conciliation.

The commission voted to enter executive session under 1 M.R.S.A. §405(6)(E) to consult with counsel about pending litigation and approved two settlement/conciliation agreements and an updated agreement the commission asked staff to sign. The commission adjourned its public hearing agenda and invited commissioners to a brief recess.