Civil Rights Department launches statewide 'California vs Hate' resource line; announces Fair Chance Act settlement

Kevin Kish, executive director of the California Civil Rights Department, told the Civil Rights Council that the department has launched a statewide education and outreach campaign and a multilingual California vs Hate Resource Line for reporting hate incidents and bias‑related conduct.

"The biggest news from the past month is that we have launched our statewide education and outreach campaign in multiple languages to reach communities about California versus Hate Resource Line and Network," Kish said, describing the line as a way to report incidents, get information and — if callers choose — be connected to care coordinators and local resources.

Kish said the line is intended to connect callers to legal assistance, medical care and state programs such as the Victims Compensation Board, and to provide referrals to mental‑health and community services. He stressed that callers do not need to be lawyers or know whether an incident is unlawful to report it.

Kish also announced recent enforcement outcomes, including "a nearly $100,000 settlement" under the Fair Chance Act involving the Moraga‑Orinda Fire Protection District. He said the settlement reflects the department's commitment to enforcing the law that protects Californians with criminal histories from employment discrimination.

The department encouraged Californians to sign up for its newsletter for regular updates on settlements, prosecutions, outreach events and enforcement tools. Kish said the campaign will include radio and online advertising in multiple languages.

The department indicated the hotline is intended to be both a data source about bias incidents and a gateway to services; no further operational details or launch date were specified during the report.