Davenport Civil Rights Commission votes to send several housing cases to public hearing; Deere attorney urges transfer of long‑running employment case

The Davenport City Civil Rights Commission voted May 12 to send multiple housing complaints to public hearing and to decline a separate employment case after staff recommended deferral while a transfer process is underway.

Commission action: Commissioner Upchurch Taylor moved to take housing case H01230043‑23 (alleging race discrimination and discriminatory termination of tenancy) to public hearing; Commissioner Boyd seconded and the motion passed with no recorded opposition.

The commission also voted to combine two companion housing cases — H01170060‑22 (a lease claim) and H0083‑000117‑22 (a related retaliation claim) — and send them to a single joint public hearing to avoid separate hearings on closely related allegations.

Employment case and statutory transfer claim: The commission voted not to take employment case E00730038‑17 to public hearing after staff said hearing capacity was limited and recommended transfer/closure options. During public comment Judith (Judy) Herman, an attorney for Deere & Company, urged the panel to follow a state transfer statute and to send the employment case to the Iowa Office of Civil Rights. Herman told the commission the case was originally filed July 13, 2017, and that under the new state law enacted, as she cited it, on 03/10/2026 an unresolved case over 12 months should be transferred to the Iowa Office of Civil Rights.

“I respectfully do not think that you had jurisdiction to vote on whether to take this case to public hearing because I think the case was already out of your hands,” Herman said, pressing for a transfer.

Director Brenda Lacy responded that the commission had initiated the transfer process and is following internal procedures developed with state guidance; she said staff would continue normal processing steps while the transfer request proceeds.

What it means: The votes set these housing matters for hearings; the employment matter’s next steps include the transfer process and any further administrative or legal steps by counsel. The commission noted the transfer process had been initiated but did not perform the transfer during the meeting.

Procedural note: The commission directed that parties who wish to speak on cases follow the public‑comment processes and explained the commission’s internal procedures for handling transfers and cross‑filing as required by state guidance.

Sources: Director Brenda Lacy’s case status report and public comment from Judy Herman, Lane & Waterman, counsel for Deere & Company.