Title
Adopt the following countywide civil rights-related policies concurrent with the proposed name change of "Civil Rights Office":
a. Adopt the Nondiscrimination Policy;
b. Adopt the Sexual Harassment Policy; and
c. Adopt the Language Access and Effective Communication Policy.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Adopt the Nondiscrimination Policy;
b. Adopt the Sexual Harassment Policy; and
c. Adopt the Language Access and Effective Communication Policy.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
On December 5, 2017, the Board of Supervisors adopted the County's Title VI Implementation Plan and discussed changing the name of the Equal Opportunity Office to the Civil Rights Office. To make the changes throughout the Office's guiding documents, it is recommended that the Board of Supervisors update the County's policies related to the Civil Rights Ordinance. The three policies maintain the spirit of the past policies, but are updated to reflect new County Board Policy Manual formatting. In addition, the policies were updated to comply with the 2016 revision of California's Fair Employment and Housing Act and include provisions to ensure County compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Currently, Monterey County has the following policies:
- Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination
- Prevention of Sexual Harassment
- Diversity
- Relative to Committees and Commissions
It is recommended that the Policy Relative to Committees and Commissions be combined into the Nondiscrimination Policy, which also includes the essence of the Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy. It is also recommended that the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Policy become the Sexual Harassment Policy and that the Diversity Policy become the Language Access and Effective Communication Policy.
The Diversity Policy, as it is currently written, discusses the County's commitment to diversity and inclusion. This commitment is affirmed clearly in...
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