Good morning.

We'll get started.

Just go around.

Happy New Year.

I know the world's not all like these days, and just so much to working alongside.

More than thank you all.

Morning, everyone, Commissioner.

Good to see everybody.

Commissioner Jack Block, Commissioner Richard Taller.

Commissioner Pushker.

Sherman.

Director Jennifer King.

Commissioner CPF Health.

Deputy Director to my right.

I used to wildness associate operations sessions.

Sasha Hutchinson, Outreach Training Coordinator.

Claire Dillon, Data Fellow.

Shravia Sampali.

Claire Dylan Data Filip.

Shravia Samhali Data Fellow.

Alyssa Coffee investigator.

Edwin Ryan Vasquez Associate Investigator.

Shot Sierra What's being associate investigator.

I don't believe we have anyone here for statements from the by the general public.

Oh, we have to do a roll call.

Commissioner Lapinski.

Commissioner Block.

Here.

Commissioner Robert Talliver.

Commissioner Sharma.

Chair Soho.

Chair, you have a quorum.

Any statements by the general public?

Thank you so much.

Chair contains a motion to approve today's agenda.

So those who may have a second, please.

Second.

Thank you.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

All those who oppose, please say nay.

Agenda is approved.

Thank you.

Chair entertained a motion to approve the November 13th, 2025.

Regular meeting open minutes.

Thank you.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

All those in opposed, please say nay.

The November 13th, 2025, regular meeting open minutes are approved.

Any commissioner updates.

Sure, we have uh we just wanted to recognize that our uh commissioner Amber Smock is resigning from the commission, and so we just want to recognize that she served on the commission for 10 years and was really a great contributor, and we appreciate your service that she'll be present.

Thank you, Commissioner Smock.

Any other commission updates.

Thank you.

Um I'll just note that for the I'll of course review the FY 2025 totals, and then the data from the new fiscal year, uh just about half of a quarter from December 1st to January 15th.

Uh so we have 215 cases, active cases currently, or as of January 15th, which are that number has grown based on the new cases that have come in since then.

127 inquiries in the first half of the quarter, so we're trending pretty similarly to probably have around 250 or so, um, which is not too far off from the last quarter.

Uh 36 new cases filed in the first half of the quarter.

Uh, we'll probably get us closer to that to the same number where we've been seeing an average of uh 7580 cases uh not before filed in a quarter.

Uh 24 investigations closed um so far in the quarter.

Uh I'll note that um there is a focus on closing out uh some of our resolving some of the older cases so that those parties get a resolution.

Um they are taking some more time and attention, so that will impact the number of cases that will be closed in the quarter once it concludes, just flagging that for your attention.

Uh and of the cases that were closed, none settled, so then there was no settlement amounts to um court fair.

Um I'll give an update or if our data fellows want to give an update on the Claire Shrabia on our just how the amendment impact assessment report.

Yeah.

So as we've talked about over the past year or so, we are conducting the just housing impact assessment.

So we completed the surveys, which we collected a total of 154 responses, and then we also completed a series of interviews with 20 of the survey responses, and those were with individuals with arrests and conviction records.

Um to kind of tell us a little bit about the barriers of the just housing amendment, like things that still might not be working fully with the law, and then the successes of the law so far.

Um we've worked with Roosevelt University to complete a first draft of the full report, and now the draft is with our design team and being finalized by Roosevelt.

I think that's very important.

Thank you.

Oh, note that we're aiming for a publication date of um March or early April.

And of course, that will be shared with the commission once we have more complete version of the report.

Happy to answer any questions there before I proceed.

We are um starting work on our FY25 annual human rights commission report.

Uh so that will be coming to you all once that draft is complete for review approval.

And uh one thing I'd like to is uh we discussed is we were doing a number of procedural rule amendments, uh having a standard procedure for internally of how that process would work, the time frame in which it would come to you all and would be available for public comment.

So included in the packet, we have a draft, a final draft of our internal procedure, uh, and then also there's a chart uh that includes the time frame, particularly for you all's purposes in terms of uh our target dates or time frame to um provide public notice and comment on our website, and then also when those things will come to you for review and input and final.

We'd love to have any input on what we prepare here, if we should make any changes, uh if you feel like we need maybe more time for your particular review purposes or even more time as we're uh sharing the material with the public for those changes.

I'm just trying to think about um so if we have 14 days before the publication.

Do we need to have a we need to have um a meeting to discuss those proposed changes before like vote on those proposed changes?

I'm just wondering the 14 days, like are you referring to the second the two weeks prior to the scheduled meeting will the review period the public comment period closes on the chart?

It's more about the edits.

So it looks like 14 days before publication.

The proposed edits would be presented to the commissioners for recommended edits.

Do we need to?

I guess my question is do we need to have any meeting to vote on that before they can be published?

Like where does that fall?

So and that's let me go back to because that's really the point.

So I think the intent was that we would provide when we do the initial draft provided for notice and comment, um, so that we can then bring those comments, a summary of them to the commissioners at the next scheduled meeting, and then from there within you know we would come with recommendations for any changes based on those comments.

Um I was reading publication as publication of the evidence, not publication for public comment.

So that clears up thank you.

We can clarify that point.

I think the chart on page three is more reflective of like how hopefully the process should flow.

Um and so 14 days.

I think that the header for that chart uh earlier in the SOE or the standard operating procedure.

Um days before publication, we can change that.

Um, but I think for your purposes, it's really the chart on page three.

Okay.

We just make it known here.

You know, it's a it's an internal procedure, so it's really for input, and we can just include it as a part of our you know internal um resources for our staff, and then also have it available to be shared out with all of the commissioners so that we have a process that we're following.

Just standardizing.

Just the seven weeks prior to the schedule commissioner right to me.

So that's currently seven weeks coming up almost for the next meeting.

Yes, but we don't have any roles currently.

Okay, gotcha.

Thank you.

Just trying to standardize the process so that we're not reinventing a will every time and also so they probably have some uh expectation or can you kind of predict how the process will go.

There's nothing in that we can rework that for clarity that piece that you noted.

Um if there's anything else, please let us know so that we can update it.

Thank you all.

I will turn it to one of our outreach and training coordinators to present the um reportion.

Well, good morning, everyone.

Um sharing a couple of things that we've been up to since the start of the quarter.

Um on December 5th, we hosted a resource table at the Northwest Side Job Fair, and this was hosted in part by Cook County Commissioner Jessica Vasquez.

On December 8th, we provided a KHJ and fair housing training with community investment corporation.

And then on December 10th, we had our um big event, a closer look at the importance of fair housing at the National Public Housing Museum.

Um, you can watch the recording on YouTube.

Um, we included the link, it was a very well-attended event with great discussion.

Um, so we had a lot of fun there.

Um on January 13th, we provided a JHA training to adult probation staff.

On January 27th, we hosted a national origin training in English and Spanish.

So that was this past Tuesday.

We also had a good turnout there, lots of good questions from people in attendance.

Um, so we will be um publicizing the recording of that training um soon too.

Um and then in terms of communications, our um human rights newsletter has grown.

Uh we have 2,507 subscribers, so that is a growth of almost 100 subscribers based off of the last number we reported of 2400.

Um in January, we launched a social media campaign, which was titled Check Your Check.

Um, just reminding people how they're protected under the minimum wage ordinance, not just in terms of the wage itself, but also things like um retaliation or um the required workplace posters.

So that got a lot of good interaction on social media, um, and just sharing verbally because we confirmed another training um on February 26th, we're gonna be doing a worker protections training with um an organization that helps manage the worker centers that are um that are also managed by the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership.

So on February 26th, we'll just be sharing some information with their staff um regarding the minimum wage ordinance, paid leave ordinance, um the human rights ordinance because they often work with people who recently lost their jobs who are there to help find employment and things like that.

So we feel that it's good training for them to have.

So if they need to refer people to us, they know um they can do that.

So we confirmed that yesterday, so it's not in the director's report, but just verbally sharing it today.

Um and that's all the updates from us.

I don't know if there are any questions.

Thank you all so much.

Uh I do want to add that at our December 10th event, uh, Commissioner Isaacs joined us uh and represented for the commissioners.

Uh so we do appreciate that.

Um, we hope to have more events and opportunities for um commissioner engagement, and that concludes my dork's report.

Oh yes, um, the uh press conference with women employed uh regarding the rescission of portions of the EEOC's guidance on harassment, um particularly as it relates to uh harassment based on uh gender.

So just uh reminder that the commission has protections for uh against discrimination harassment based on multiple uh bases of discrimination over 40 bases of discrimination of 40 protected classes, um, and that we are here uh to investigate complaints and allegations of classical discrimination.

So uh and that we're not impacted, of course, by the changes in the EEOC's guidance.

on uh gender so uh reminder that the commission has protections uh for uh against discrimination harassment based on multiple uh bases of discrimination over 40 faces of discrimination of of 40 protected classes um and that we are here uh to investigate complaints and allegations of classic discrimination so uh and that we're not impacted of course by the changes in the EEOC's guidance so they um they're not getting coverage there that they can come to you so often we will send them to another so they'll have we have concurrent jurisdiction so in the event that someone files at EEOC um and then they file a complaint with us uh we would defer to the EEOC's investigation like we would do with any other peer agency um we expect that because of the change of guidance that fewer people will file complaints based on those um bases uh and then they might come to us so long as they're within our thank you so we'll kind of keep an eye out for that especially as we look at the numbers we already see that the caseload is wrong um so we'll kind of look to see if that has been happening interesting to see if that you know increases um filings uh thank you on to investigation extension requests so uh pursue intersection for 40 point 100 of our procedural rules uh commission staff is seeking to extend the 188 deadline um or investigation completion for a total of 38 cases uh both of these are up for first extension um and we just need additional time uh to complete these investigations i can uh answer any case specific questions in executive session but just wanted to uh uh that we're thinking of the people to say why the for number 35 um there is that uh for number 35 uh right now we're just waiting on additional information from some of the parties it's been taking a while and then with the holidays uh has not been asked responses so we'll hope you do uh close that case out and i will say that our priority first half of the year has been to close out some of our older cases so that's why you know some of the newer cases uh are more so listed here we shifted priority at the end of last year to try to uh focus more on closure of older investigations that so is it more appropriate for discussion to wait for closed session um are you okay with us voting on it no no no i'm not okay so some questions um we'll just vote out after executive session motion to table item g investigation extension requests after executive session all right all those uh we're not investigation extension requests after executive session uh chair i just want for the roll call to add commissioner isaacs well chair actually the motion to move to executive session just second i think we have a second thank you all those in favor please all right all those who oppose please say nay moving into executive session

Eric Sterner.

We won't have any issues about stilling.

Welcome.

Chair team the motion to approve the November thirteenth, twenty twenty-five regular meeting closements.

I wasn't there, so I have no stage.

Commissioner Lupinski.

Commissioner Block.

Commissioner Robert Howard.

Commissioner Sharp.

Commissioner Isaacs.

Chair South Chair the motion passes with five eyes and one decision.

Wonderful.

Motion chair's a motion.

Um to adopt ALJ's recommendation, finding an order for damages and training case.

Perfect, second.

On the motion to um adopt the AOJ's findings and uh findings in order regarding damages attorney fees in case number 2023 PA 005, Commissioner Leginski.

Yes, Commissioner Block, Commissioner Robert Talliver, Commissioner Sharma, Commissioner Isaacs, Chair Soho.

Aye.

The motion passes with uh six access.

Next is charging the motion to deny the reconsideration of case number 25 e00373, pending the changes and discussing second, please.

Second, thank you.

On the motion were we gonna say based upon uh the additions we have pending the change okay on the motion to deny the request for reconsideration in case 2025 E00373 with the uh changes as discussed uh in executive session, Commissioner Lapinsky, aye commissioner block, commissioner Robert Top, Commissioner Shama, Commissioner Isaacs, Chair Sohotion uh carries with six ayes and no wonderful and chair entertains a motion to approve the requests for investigation extensions for cases 2025 PA00456 for the 38 cases um presented to us today second thank you all those in favor please say aye.

Aye all those opposed, please say nay motion granted.

Any other comments, questions, speak that chair and change the motion to adjourn?

Thank you.

Thank you.

All those in favor say aye.

All those who oppose say nay meeting is adjourned at 11.

When does our next meeting?

March 26.