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Attorney General representatives explain handling of Human Rights Commission complaints; members press for transparency
Summary
Committee heard from the Attorney General's civil rights enforcement division about duties transferred from the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, complaint handling and potential disclosure of conciliation agreements; AG deputy Steven Griffin said the office receives over 100 complaints per month and that conciliations could be public records.
Chairman Faison introduced HB 2077, which addresses administrative rules and confidentiality for complaints after the Tennessee Human Rights Commission's duties were transferred to the Attorney General's office. The committee brought forward Steven Griffin, who identified himself as "the deputy attorney general and director for the civil rights enforcement division at the Tennessee Attorney General's office," to explain how the new structure handles complaints.
Griffin said the commission's duties were transferred pursuant to last year's legislation and are now housed in the AG's civil rights enforcement division. He said the office receives "over 100 complaints per month" since July 1 and that every complaint is reviewed by an attorney. When asked whether conciliations will remain confidential, Griffin said the bill removes the requirement that conciliations be kept confidential and that there would be "the opportunity to make conciliation agreements public," noting the Attorney General must approve conciliations.
Members pressed about staffing and capacity; Griffin said the division currently has four attorneys and had inherited three staff from the former commission, and that the office uses internal procedures rather than formal administrative rules to process complaints. The committee took the matter under consideration and took votes on related bills later in the session.
