When County Executive George Latimer first took office in 2018, he made it a priority to strengthen and revitalize the Westchester County Human Rights Commission in an effort to combat discrimination and harassment incidents throughout the County. On Friday, Oct. 8, Latimer will fulfill his promise
by signing into law the Anti-Discriminatory Harassment Bill, legislation that expands the type of harassment that can be prosecuted under the law.
“When I sign this bill into law, we do away with any further reference to ‘other’ and ensure that there is only a ‘we’ in our County,” Latimer said. “Westchester
is very diverse, and we should all embrace any differences that exist between us. Today, I stand together with each and every one of you, solidifying our message
that harassment and discrimination must end in Westchester County.”
Under the current Westchester County Human Rights Law, it is unlawful to discriminate in relation to employment, public accommodations, housing
accommodation, commercial space and land transactions, and the issuing of credit—but what the Human Rights Law does not currently protect against is discriminatory harassment outside of these specific actions.
The change initiated by Latimer makes it an unlawful discriminatory practice for a person to by “force or threat of force, knowingly injure, intimidate or
interfere with, or threaten any other person in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to such other person by the constitution or laws
of the United States, the constitution or laws of this state, or by local law, or by this chapter.” With the new law in place, individuals are prohibited from
interfering with a person’s right to the enjoyment of their home or residence, or to utilize and enjoy public transportation free from threats, intimidation, harassment, coercion or violence because of the person’s actual or perceived membership in a protected class.
“This new law is a timely and proactive approach to combating discrimination in venues that are not otherwise covered by the County’s Human Rights
Law,” said Tejash Sanchala, executive director of the Human Rights Commission. “With this expansion of the Commission’s jurisdiction, the County’s Human
Rights Law is a leader in affording anti-discriminatory protections to residents and visitors in Westchester.” (Submitted)
