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Commission votes the County should have offered more accommodation in corrections employment complaint
Summary
The Commission recorded a 3-2 vote in favor of a former jail employee in a Maine Human Rights Commission complaint, allowing mediation or civil action; county counsel argued corrections duties limit light-duty accommodation.
Administrator Tim Curtis updated the Commission on a discrimination complaint filed by a former Somerset County Jail employee with the Maine Human Rights Commission. County attorney Peter Marchesi represented the County and argued that the nature of corrections work does not allow for light-duty assignments; despite that, the full Commission voted 3-2 in favor of the former employee, concluding the County should have done more to offer accommodations.
The 3-2 finding allows the former employee to enter mediation or, if they decline a settlement, pursue civil litigation. Commissioners discussed the operational constraints of corrections work and split in their view of whether accommodations were feasible; the record shows a majority concluded the County fell short in offering options.
