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UPDATE, July 24, 2020:
Savannah is the latest Georgia city to pass a nondiscrimination ordinance. Read here. UPDATE, July 10, 2020: Cities around the state are progressing on non-discrimination ordinances . Here is an update from AJC.com: Despite court victory, LGBT boosters gird for more fights in Ga UPDATE, June 24, 2020: Well-known real estate marketplace website Zillow now indicates non-discrimination protections on its listings. Zillowgroup.com states, "Zillow believes everyone deserves a safe, affordable home, free of discrimination. Federal law does not provide those protections. That’s why Zillow is shining a spotlight on towns and cities that have LGBTQ+ protections, and those that don’t. Information on LGBTQ+ housing, employment and public accommodation laws is now available on all Zillow home listings across the nation." People searching Zillow for home listings will now see that our neighboring cities provide protections currently unavailable in Tucker, which may result in lower prices for our homes. Tucker must act now to remedy this disadvantage before the Tucker real estate market is affected. Read more here and here. UPDATE, June 23, 2020: The Georgia Legislature passed a hate crimes bill, HB 426. Read the AJC article here. It will be sent to the Governor to sign. On June 8 the Tucker City Council unanimously passed a Resolution asking the State to pass the Hate Crimes Law. We are pleased that our Mayor and Council took this important stand. We challenge them to back up their words with local action against discrimination by adopting a non-discrimination ordinance for the City of Tucker. UPDATE, June 20, 2020: This weekend we launched the Tucker Open Door Program. This allows you to easily identify which Tucker Businesses are open to all. Look for the Tucker Open Door logo displayed at local businesses. Be sure to support these stand out businesses. Click here to learn more. Contact us to add your business. UPDATE, June 15, 2020: Today the Supreme Court acknowledged employment rights for LGBTQ persons under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. This is an important and long-overdue acknowledgment of the basic civil rights of LGBTQ Americans to earn a living. Here is the written opinion. Here is an article from NPR , another from CNN, and this one from Georgia Equality. Of course, this does not end all discrimination. Only two days ago the Trump administration eliminated discrimination protections for transgender Americans under the Affordable Care Act. Also today, the city of East Point became the latest Georgia city to adopt a non-discrimination ordinance. Read about it here. UPDATE, June 13, 2020: The Decatur-ish Twitch program features a discussion of the non-discrimination ordinance proposed for Tucker. The discussion runs from minutes 17 to 41. See it here. |
We Love Tucker...
...and we want it to be its best self.
We believe discrimination has no place here.
We believe the doors of opportunity in Tucker should be open to all persons of good will.
We believe we can accomplish more by working together.
So, a group of dedicated Tucker citizens is working to get the city to adopt a Non-Discrimination Ordinance.
So far, the Mayor and City Council have not acted.
Will you join us in helping them understand why this is needed and why it will help Tucker be an even better place to live?
We believe discrimination has no place here.
We believe the doors of opportunity in Tucker should be open to all persons of good will.
We believe we can accomplish more by working together.
So, a group of dedicated Tucker citizens is working to get the city to adopt a Non-Discrimination Ordinance.
So far, the Mayor and City Council have not acted.
Will you join us in helping them understand why this is needed and why it will help Tucker be an even better place to live?
"This ordinance is important to me and my family because not only are we allies, we have close family members and many friends in the LGBTQIA community. I believe that this ordinance would go a long way in creating the kind of welcoming and open city Tucker should be."
Rachel N.
Here is a quick summary of the draft ordinance:
Purpose
This ordinance is designed to protect everyone living, working, and doing business in the City of Tucker from discrimination in employment, housing, and providing goods and services.
Models
This ordinance is modeled on the ordinances recently adopted by the cities of Chamblee, Clarkston, and Doraville.
Protection
Everyone is protected by this ordinance, because we all fit into one or more of these specified categories:
Actual or perceived race, color, religion, religious expression, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression), ancestry, national origin, age, disability, citizenship status, marital status, familial status, genetic information, veteran/military status, or any other classification protected by applicable federal, state and local laws.
Exemptions
The ordinance would not apply to a religious organization, private fraternal and benevolent association or society, or a nonprofit private club.
Process
A complaint under the ordinance must be filed with the city clerk within 90 days of the alleged act of discrimination. A $50 filing fee is required, but that fee may be waived later in the process.
A hearing officer, who must be an attorney with experience in constitutional law and employment discrimination, will review the complaint and either dismiss it or refer it to a mediator for voluntary non-binding mediation between the complainant and the alleged violator.
If the issue isn’t resolved in mediation, the complaint is referred back to the hearing officer. If the officer finds a violation has occurred, the offender can face a $500 fine for the first violation, $1,000 for the second violation and $1,500 or the suspension/revocation of the business permit/license, or cancellation of city contract for subsequent violations. If the hearing officer recommends suspension or revocation of the offender’s business license, the city council would have the final decision in the matter. The burden of proof shall be by a preponderance of the evidence.
Finally, either party, if still not satisfied, can appeal to the DeKalb County Superior Court.
Cost
The Mediator’s fees and the Hearing Officer’s fees will be assessed to the non- prevailing party unless the Hearing Officer determines that circumstances warrant assessing the cost in some other manner.
Purpose
This ordinance is designed to protect everyone living, working, and doing business in the City of Tucker from discrimination in employment, housing, and providing goods and services.
Models
This ordinance is modeled on the ordinances recently adopted by the cities of Chamblee, Clarkston, and Doraville.
Protection
Everyone is protected by this ordinance, because we all fit into one or more of these specified categories:
Actual or perceived race, color, religion, religious expression, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression), ancestry, national origin, age, disability, citizenship status, marital status, familial status, genetic information, veteran/military status, or any other classification protected by applicable federal, state and local laws.
Exemptions
The ordinance would not apply to a religious organization, private fraternal and benevolent association or society, or a nonprofit private club.
Process
A complaint under the ordinance must be filed with the city clerk within 90 days of the alleged act of discrimination. A $50 filing fee is required, but that fee may be waived later in the process.
A hearing officer, who must be an attorney with experience in constitutional law and employment discrimination, will review the complaint and either dismiss it or refer it to a mediator for voluntary non-binding mediation between the complainant and the alleged violator.
If the issue isn’t resolved in mediation, the complaint is referred back to the hearing officer. If the officer finds a violation has occurred, the offender can face a $500 fine for the first violation, $1,000 for the second violation and $1,500 or the suspension/revocation of the business permit/license, or cancellation of city contract for subsequent violations. If the hearing officer recommends suspension or revocation of the offender’s business license, the city council would have the final decision in the matter. The burden of proof shall be by a preponderance of the evidence.
Finally, either party, if still not satisfied, can appeal to the DeKalb County Superior Court.
Cost
The Mediator’s fees and the Hearing Officer’s fees will be assessed to the non- prevailing party unless the Hearing Officer determines that circumstances warrant assessing the cost in some other manner.
Logo by Brandy Wright - Designer and Real Estate Agent
bwrightdesigns@gmail.com
bwrightdesigns@gmail.com