Township Passes Second Reading Of Anti-Discrimination Ordinance

In a vote of 5 to 4 and a roar of approval from supporters, the Haverford Township Board of Commissioners passed the anti-discrimination ordinance on Monday night.

The board passed the second reading of the ordinance, which makes it illegal to discriminate against a person because of race, color, religious background, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, among other things, when it comes to employment or housing issues.

The fine for breaking the ordinance (NO. 2010- P3-2011) is up to $5,000, which only the new Human Relations Commission (HRC) can issue, according to the ordinance. Originally the fine was up to $10,000.

After the meeting, 6th Ward Commissioner Larry Holmes, who originally proposed the ordinance, said that he will give more detailed information during the March work session for the commissioners on how people can submit their applications and resumes to be considered candidates of the HRC.

The HRC, one of the more controversial parts of the ordinance, will be made up of seven Haverford Township residents and they will hear any complaints brought up by people who alleged to have been discriminated against because of a housing or employment issue.

All discrimination complaints must be sent to the township manager’s office within 180 days of the alleged incident, according to the ordinance, which can be reviewed as the PDF attachment accompanying this article.

Please come back to the Haverford-Havertown Patch later on Tuesday for more about this issue.