By Kevin Elliot, Topeka Capitol Journal, June 17, 2010
Two members of Topeka's nine-member Human Relations Commission on Thursday resigned from their positions as a symbolic protest of the city's decision to eliminate staff at the department.
Members Susan Zuber Chall and Maria Revilla announced their resignations during Thursday's commission meeting.
"I'm disappointed in the process and what happened," Revilla said.
The resignations followed more than an hour of comments from other commissioners and members of the public. About 10 people, excluding commissioners, attended the meeting.
The town hall meeting, which was slated as a question-and-answer event, turned quickly into an open complaint session about the Topeka City Council's decision to abolish the three-person staff under the city's general fund. The nine-member commission that met on Thursday is comprised of volunteer commissioners who are appointed by city council members.
Al Martin, former HRC director, called on commissioners to resign from their volunteer positions as a sign of protest. In turn, he said he would fund the cost to file the forms to create an independent version of the commission.
"I think a strong message must be sent from the HRC to Topeka's governing body, and I think it should be resignation en masse for the despicable action they made on Tuesday," Martin said. "Who needs the city anyway."
He said an independent council may be able continue the city's HRC mission as an investigative body that makes recommendations to state or federal regulators. Martin also suggested bringing on people with experience in the field.
"Are you offering me a job?" questioned HRC director Rio Cervantes-Reed, who served as the commission's guest speaker Thursday.
"You know what — I am," Martin said.
Cervantes-Reed said while city council's action takes effect Monday, she said she doesn't know if that will be her last day working for the city. She also said she couldn't say exactly what would happen to the some 23 open cases HRC staff was working as of Thursday.
"As we get through this process, we will be closer to knowing," she said.
Cervantes-Reed said staff members are working with the Kansas Human Relations Commission to see if they will assist or take over open and future cases taken by the city's department. She said she believed the city manager's office will be following through on open cases and referring people to the appropriate offices.
The Topeka HRC, formed in 1961, is tasked with ensuring fair and equal rights for all Topekans in the area of housing, employment and public accommodation.
While the meeting was to serve as a primer for determining the HRC's future without the assistance of a dedicated city department, Thursday's actions and comment's gave no clear direction.
"I hope the city is fair, equitable and timely in the process they are going to use to resolve these cases," said HRC member Anthony Fadale.
Others in attendance said they had little hope that the city or state would be of much assistance to people in need of help with civil rights or similar problems.
"There is no place else to go," said HRC member Lorean Williams.
Commission chairman Bill Beachy said while the statement isn't totally accurate, he said the state's own HRC department is also dealing with budget restraints. Further, he said many Topekans would rather deal with the local HRC than a larger state office.
"It's an exaggeration that there is no place to go," Beachy said. "But it is uncomfortable for people to go to a place that they don't know. Even then, it's hard to talk about things you may be embarrassed about."
Kevin Elliott can be reached at (785) 295-1192 or kevin.elliott@cjonline.com.