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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt"><img width="185" height="60" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.gif@01CF3792.3BEE2750"></span></b><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Press Release<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For Immediate Release<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>March 4, 2014<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">CONTACT: Charlie Burr, (971) 673-0788 <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="color:black">BOLI finds substantial evidence of discrimination against same-sex couple in Portland taxi complaint
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="color:black">Complaint will now move into conciliation to determine whether settlement can be reached<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Portland, OR—A Portland taxi cab driver violated the civil rights of a same-sex couple when the driver discontinued the ride, leaving the passengers on the shoulder of I-84, a Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI)
investigation has found. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">The substantial evidence determination finds that the driver Ahmed Egal operated the taxi cab as an unincorporated sole proprietorship when he stopped service based on the couple’s sexual orientation.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">The couple filed the complaint under the Oregon Equality Act of 2007, a law that protects the rights of gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender Oregonians in employment, housing and public places.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Under Oregon law, Oregonians may not be denied service based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The law provides an exemption for religious organizations and schools, but does not allow private business
owners to discriminate based on sexual orientation, just as they cannot legally deny service based on race, sex, age, disability or religion.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">With the substantial evidence determination, the complaint now moves to BOLI’s
</span><span style="color:black">Administrative Prosecution Unit, responsible for processing the contested civil rights division cases. The bureau will now decide whether to bring formal charges pursuant to the Administrative Procedures Act (APA) and BOLI contested
case hearing rules. Parties have been unable to reach a settlement at this stage of the process.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Oregon businesses seeking guidance on the Equality Act or other civil rights laws can contact BOLI’s technical assistance for employers program at (971) 673-0824.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Public accommodations complaints under the equality act are rare. In every year since the law’s passage, public accommodations complaints based on sexual orientation and gender identity have represented less than
one percent of all discrimination complaints received by the agency.<span style="background:yellow;mso-highlight:yellow"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">BOLI protects all Oregonians from unlawful discrimination, investigating allegations of civil rights violations in workplaces, career schools, housing and public accommodations.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Copies of the complaints are available upon request. For more information about BOLI’s efforts to protect workplaces and support Oregon employers, visit
</span><a href="http://www.oregon.gov/BOLI">http://www.oregon.gov/BOLI</a><span style="color:black">.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="color:black">###<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Charlie Burr<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Communications Director<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Bureau of Labor and Industries<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">800 NE Oregon St., Ste. 1045<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Portland, OR 97232-2180<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(971) 673-0788 wk.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(503) 913-5407 cell.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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