Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Department Report topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Civil Rights Department reports nearly 26,000 intakes in 2022 and highlights multimillion‑dollar settlements
Summary
Deputy Director Adam Romero told the Civil Rights Council that in 2022 the California Civil Rights Department recorded nearly 26,000 intakes, conducted 4,813 investigations, and obtained 656 settlements totaling more than $12.4 million; Romero also highlighted recent settlements including $14.1 million with Microsoft and $15 million with SNAP and described the first year of the department’s 'California Versus Hate' resource line.
Adam Romero, deputy director of executive programs at the California Civil Rights Department, gave the council a department update on July 18, 2024 and highlighted enforcement and outreach activity for 2022 and recent months.
Romero said the department received "nearly 26,000 intakes" in 2022, about half of which were requests for an immediate right‑to‑sue to proceed to court on employment discrimination claims. He said staff conducted 4,813 investigations in 2022 and achieved 656 settlements that "equated to more than $12,400,000" in relief to complainants and other remedies including policy changes.
He noted the department’s outreach and education team conducted 9,196 presentations and trainings that reached nearly 650,000 Californians in 2022, and that the department published six new guides and fact sheets. Romero also highlighted several recent, publicly announced settlements: a $14.1 million settlement with Microsoft regarding family and medical leave and disability protections; a $15 million settlement with SNAP related to allegations of discrimination and retaliation; and a housing settlement with a landlord in Oxnard in which the landlord was alleged to have discriminated against tenants based on perceived immigration status (transcript did not provide a case name or further details).
Romero described the department’s "California Versus Hate" resource line, which marked its first year with "more than 2,000 contacts," including reports of acts of hate; he said about two‑thirds of callers accepted care‑coordination services to connect them with assistance and legal support. Romero summarized that validated reports included allegations where roughly 35% cited race or ethnicity, 15% cited gender identity, and 10% cited sexual orientation as the motivating characteristic.
Romero’s update was taken under consideration by the council; no formal council action on the department’s enforcement figures was recorded during the meeting.
