<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoAcetate, li.MsoAcetate, div.MsoAcetate
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text Char";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
span.BalloonTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Balloon Text Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text";
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><img width="229" height="74" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image002.png@01D19567.A655DC70"></b><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For Immediate Release<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">April 13, 2016<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">CONTACT: Charlie Burr, (971) 673-0788<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b>Avakian on Court of Appeals ruling: Veterans deserve fair treatment and opportunity for economic advancement</b><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;text-autospace:none">
<i><span style="color:black">Ruling affirms BOLI Final Order in veterans’ preference case against Multnomah County<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:black">PORTLAND, OR</span></b><span style="color:black">—</span><a href="http://www.publications.ojd.state.or.us/docs/A157146.pdf">The Oregon Court of Appeals today upheld</a><span style="color:black"> a
</span><a href="https://www.oregon.gov/boli/Legal/BOLI%20Final%20Orders%20issued%20after%20January%201,%202014/Multnomah_County_Sheriff's_Office_01-14.pdf">BOLI civil rights decision</a><span style="color:black"> that found that the Multnomah County Sheriff’s
Office failed to properly credit a disabled veteran’s military service under the state’s veterans’ hiring preference law.</span><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"><span style="color:black">Sgt. Rod Edwards filed the civil rights complaint against the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office in 2013 after unsuccessfully applying for a promotion to lieutenant.<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’s veterans’ preference law, public agencies hiring for civil service positions must give special consideration to veterans who meet the minimum qualifications and any special qualifications for a position.<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">An earlier BOLI investigation determined that the county did not have a method of ranking applicants with numeric scoring, nor did it have a written policy describing how it would apply the legal hiring requirements.
BOLI rejected the county’s argument that the veterans’ preference law applies only during the initial screening, not throughout the hiring process. The agency awarded Edwards $50,000 in damages.<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 Court of Appeals affirmed the BOLI Final Order.
</span><span style="color:black">In response to the ruling, Commissioner Avakian issued the following statement:</span><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" style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><b><span style="color:black">We’re committed to ensuring that Oregon veterans have access to economic opportunity and career advancement. Today’s ruling helps provide veterans with a level playing
field so that they can continue to contribute and serve communities around the state.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">BOLI’s Civil Rights Division has opened a separate investigation of the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office to determine whether Lt. Brent Richie faced unlawful retaliation for protected whistleblowing activities.<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">For more information about BOLI’s efforts to protect workplaces and the civil rights of all Oregonians, visit
</span><a href="http://www.oregon.gov/BOLI">http://www.oregon.gov/BOLI</a><span style="color:black">.
</span><span style="color:black">Oregon employers, public agencies and local governments can contact the BOLI’s
</span><a href="http://www.oregon.gov/boli/TA/pages/t_faq_veterans_preference_2012.aspx">Technical Assistance for Employers Program</a><span style="color:black"> at (971) 673-0824.</span><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">Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 1045<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Portland, Oregon 97232<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tel: 971-673-0788<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>