Civil Rights Commission votes not to take employment discrimination case to public hearing

The Davenport Civil Rights Commission voted to decline a public hearing for case E0040021-17 after staff said the commission lacked the capacity to proceed.

Director Lacy presented the case as "an employment case alleging age and sex discrimination and retaliation," and said staff had issued a cause finding and attempted conciliation, which "failed." She recommended the commission not take the matter to hearing because of limited resources and a backlog of pending public hearings.

"We just don't have the capacity to take it forward to hearing," Director Lacy said, adding that without an additional investigator she was managing multiple hearings while performing the office's day-to-day work. "It's basically like having a trial where I'm managing multiple different trials and still doing the day-to-day work in the office." The comment framed the staffing constraint cited as the reason for the recommendation.

Commissioner Holly moved that the case not be taken to public hearing; Commissioner Upurch Taylor seconded. There were no recorded objections, and the chair stated that the motion carried on a voice vote.

The commission did not record a timetable for revisiting the matter in the transcript, and no public comment on the case was recorded at the meeting. The vote ends the commission's immediate public-hearing option for E0040021-17; staff may still pursue other administrative or legal paths outside a public hearing depending on resources and legal advice.

The body of the commission meeting continued with other agenda items and adjourned after setting the next meeting date.