From charlie.burr at state.or.us Wed Jan 28 11:06:11 2015 From: charlie.burr at state.or.us (Burr, Charlie) Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2015 19:06:11 +0000 Subject: NEWS RELEASE: State Settles Housing Discrimination Case Involving Disability Accommodations Message-ID: <6376A41CAD6C3E4F8A65385BDA40726131415306@D5DAG1B.D5.USA.NET> [cid:image005.jpg at 01D03AEA.6A828000] [cid:image006.png at 01D03AEA.6A828000] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 28, 2015 Contact: Charlie Burr, Bureau of Labor and Industries, 971-673-0788 Kristina Edmunson, Department of Justice, 503-378-6002 State Settles Housing Discrimination Case Involving Disability Accommodations (Salem, OR) -Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian and Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum today announced a housing discrimination settlement stemming from allegations against Prometheus Real Estate Group, the owner and operator of a 342-unit housing complex in Lake Oswego. Robin Buckley, a resident at the One Jefferson property in Lake Oswego, filed the civil rights complaint with the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) in 2012 alleging disability discrimination after the housing provider failed to provide a reasonable disability accommodation. In late October 2011, James Calogridis, Buckley's husband, had requested a disabled parking spot closer to the couple's unit because of a disabling condition that substantially limited his ability to walk. On January 29, 2012, Mr. Calogridis fell in the housing complex parking lot, sustaining significant injuries. Mr. Calogridis died several days later on Feb. 8, 2012. "Oregonians with disabilities deserve equal access to housing, including reasonable accommodations," said Labor Commissioner Avakian. "Our agency is committed to conducting thorough investigations and working closely with agency partners so that the civil rights of Oregonians are protected." State and federal laws prohibit housing discrimination based on disability, and require landlords to make reasonable accommodations. After a thorough investigation, BOLI found substantial evidence of unlawful discrimination, including failure of Prometheus to make a reasonable accommodation for a tenant with disabilities. "Equal access to housing, especially for our most vulnerable citizens, is a basic component of equality in Oregon," Attorney General Rosenblum said. The Oregon Department of Justice represented BOLI after the case moved to civil court. Under the agreement, Prometheus will pay a total of $475,000 divided between Robin Buckley, the Calogridis estate, and for legal expenses. The agreement stipulates that Prometheus must: * Comply with the Oregon Fair Housing Act and the Federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) * Provide BOLI with a list of all Prometheus-owned or managed properties * Report any property ownership changes or acquisitions to BOLI for three years * Conduct annual FHA trainings for all Prometheus employees * Maintain a "reasonable accommodation" log that documents tenant accommodation requests for BOLI on a semi-annual basis * Provide BOLI with its policies and practices for reasonably accommodating tenant disabilities for the agency's review * Notify all tenants of Prometheus properties in Oregon of their rights to reasonable accommodations Copies of the original BOLI complaint, substantial evidence determination, and settlement agreement are available upon request. ### Charlie Burr Communications Director Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries 800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 1045 Portland, Oregon 97232 Tel: 971-673-0788 Cell: 503-913-5407 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: image006.png Type: image/png Size: 3299 bytes Desc: image006.png URL: From charlie.burr at state.or.us Thu Jan 29 08:30:04 2015 From: charlie.burr at state.or.us (Burr, Charlie) Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2015 16:30:04 +0000 Subject: NEWS RELEASE: Avakian announces $2.4 million settlement in Daimler discrimination cases Message-ID: <6376A41CAD6C3E4F8A65385BDA40726131415BF8@D5DAG1B.D5.USA.NET> [cid:image001.png at 01D03B18.95FD6550] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 29, 2015 CONTACT: Charlie Burr, BOLI, (971) 673-0788 Avakian announces $2.4 million settlement in Daimler discrimination cases Comprehensive compliance agreement will include trainings and monitoring PORTLAND, OR-Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian today announced a comprehensive compliance and $2.4 million settlement agreement between Daimler Trucks North America, six former employees, and the Bureau of Labor and Industries stemming from civil rights complaints filed last year by employees at the Portland Truck Manufacturing Plant. The agreement also settles a Commissioner's Complaint filed against Daimler on behalf of the people of Oregon. The settlement comes after BOLI investigators interviewed more than 60 current and former Daimler employees and supervisors and reviewed hundreds of documents pertaining to the North Portland facility's operations. The agreement will compensate employees for damages and includes strong compliance measures to ensure a harassment and discrimination-free workplace for current and future employees. Non-monetary terms of the settlement include: * Installation of a civil rights complaint hotline for workers * Supervisor logbooks for any future incidents * Mandatory supervisor trainings conducted by BOLI or a BOLI-approved entity * Training for at least two designated managers to conduct internal investigations to address any future incidents All logbooks and hotline recordings will be available to BOLI during the three year monitoring term of the agreement. "Today's settlement sends a strong message that every Oregonian deserves a workplace free from discrimination," said Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian. "It's difficult for any worker to step forward in the face of a hostile work environment - and I'm pleased that our agency was able help the parties achieve a just and fair outcome. Throughout the investigation, Daimler fully cooperated with our investigators and took the issues seriously. This settlement and compliance agreement will put Daimler on stronger footing so that it can continue to contribute to our region's economy while providing equal opportunities for its current and future workforce." The monetary settlement represents the largest in the history of BOLI's Civil Rights Division. The $2.4 million will be divided between complainants Harold Lathan, Terence Edwards, Ron Burley, Sean Tomkin, Leneld Hammond, Kerry Barker, and includes complainant attorney fees and a fund for future complaints. Under the terms of the settlement, each future complaint received that's potentially eligible for the fund will be reviewed and verified by BOLI prior to the payment of any monetary award. Five additional complainants have withdrawn their complaints against Daimler and stated their intention to go to civil court. Oregon law empowers the labor commissioner to file a complaint on behalf of the people of Oregon when the commissioner has reason to believe an unlawful practice, such as employment discrimination based on race or national origin, has occurred. The Daimler complaint is the sixth Commissioner's Complaint filed by Avakian. Copies of the settlement agreement and civil rights complaints are public documents available upon request. Visit www.oregon.gov/BOLI for more information about all of BOLI's work to protect employment rights, advance employment opportunities, and protect access to housing and public accommodations free from discrimination. ### Charlie Burr Communications Director Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries 800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 1045 Portland, Oregon 97232 Tel: 971-673-0788 Cell: 503-913-5407 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 7699 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: