Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard

Message from the Attorney General

February 20, 2007

terry goddard

Enforcing Civil Rights Laws

This month we celebrate Black History Month and honor the many contributions African Americans have made to Arizona. This is also a time to rededicate ourselves to the mission of the Attorney General’s Civil Rights Division fighting discrimination throughout Arizona.

The Civil Rights Division enforces civil rights laws and increases public awareness of civil rights. The Division enforces state and federal statutes that prohibit discrimination in employment, voting, public accommodations, disability and housing by investigating and litigating civil rights complaints. In addition, the Division provides conflict resolution services and mediation programs statewide, including many court and agency programs.

Sadly, we continue to receive complaints of discrimination every week. During the past year, the Division:

Filed 21 housing, employment and public accommodations lawsuits or actions seeking injunctive relief.
Obtained more than $680,000 for discrimination victims and the State through conciliation, mediation agreements and consent orders.
Investigated approximately 1,243 new and pending discrimination charges and resolved 873 of them during fiscal year 2006 (July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2006).

The following important cases were handled by the Civil Rights Division in 2006:

State v. Mlynarczyk. This case involved allegations that a Sedona property owner refused to sell a parcel of land to an African American couple because of their race. After the Civil Rights Division filed a lawsuit against the property owner, the Division entered into a consent order with the defendant, resulting in $185,000 in damages and additional injunctive relief.
State v. CEMEX Corp. This employment discrimination case involved an employee with a hearing disability. The Division alleged that he was fired after three days on the job because of his disability. The Division reached a settlement with CEMEX, requiring the company to pay monetary damages of $15,000 to the employee and provide training to its employees regarding anti-discrimination laws.
State v. Bannon Springs Ranch et al. This employment discrimination case involved allegations that employees of Bannon Springs Ranch in Vernon, Arizona discriminated against a Native American employee. When she complained about the behavior, her employment was terminated. Per the settlement agreement, one of the defendants agreed to pay monetary damages of $8,000 to the employee. After Bannon Springs Ranch was sold to another company, the settlement required the successor company to update its anti-discrimination policies and procedures and provide anti-discrimination training for all employees.

If you believe you have been a victim of discrimination, please contact the Civil Rights Division of the Arizona Attorney General's Office. If you would like to file a complaint in person, the Attorney General's Office has 26 Satellite Offices throughout Arizona with volunteers available to help.

Terry

Terry Goddard

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