Bringing Human Rights Home

Support

In solidarity.

Retaliation against those doing their jobs of actually protecting basic rights is unacceptable.

This is a travesty of the worse kind? How can we call this a community that supports fair and just exchanges and discord when Karen Baer is being censored for her honest work. This situations reminds me of the time when Hitler invaded Paris and Poland and began to eliminate those who would dare to stand up to him. Is Ithaca (most especially our County Legislature) becoming like the Paris and Poland under Hitler occupation? Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. we are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly." We must stand with Karen Baer and stop this travesty from taking place.

Solidarity.

In solidarity

We need Karen's strong voice for freedom from discrimination.

We need Karen Baer's strong voice for freedom from discrimination.

I think the County is "killing the messenger."

It is a conflict of interest for J. Wood to be acting director. The county cannot investigate itself let alone run the office. This was determined in a case in the late nineties with an office/department in Tompkins County being charged with discrimination. There has been a pattern of discrimination and systemic racism by the county board against women of color who have been the directors of the human rights office for over 20 years. The lack of a MOU with tbe State is just one indicator of this. If the county was committed to upholding human rights the MOU would have been signed YEAR'S ago and it has not been. The human rights office is supervised and reports to the county. There has been a historic misuse of that supervision and control of how the human rights office investigates.

Personnel issues can not be an excuse for the lack of transparency. Karen has been a dedicated, strong, and inspirational leader of the Office of Human Rights. Karen and all Tompkins County employees deserve fairness and respect.

There has to be a way for personnel privacy rules to be reconciled with the public’s right to transparency about decision-making processes in public agencies— some kind of independent, qualified board or commission to hear all sides under appropriately private conditions and to deliberate and issue a report assuring the public that decisions are not arbitrary, capricious, or in violation of relevant regulations. These are hypersensitive issues in turbulent times, and in the small context of local justice, we can do better.

We need Karen in her position to continue her work.

Thank you for this petition. Director Baer should be reinstated immediately, and this action against her carefully examined.

I strongly support the statements in this petition.

Reinstate this passionate woman.... she is exactly what is Needed!

I have been impressed with what Karen Baer has accomplished with OHR inspire of barriers she faces. She deserves to be reinstated immediately.

I do not support either Dir. Baer being fired or Mr Wood of all people being in charge of OHR..the county refused to give her the power she asked for to pursue all complaints against any county employee.the entire leg.refused and exempted police from being investigated.they are the main employees the community fears and has valid complaint s about and it falls on deaf legislature ears.this is the typical scapegoating of a woman of color who tells white men they are offensive.re instate Baer.

Standing in solidarity.

If you won't stand for Human Rights in our community, then you don't represent me and many other community members.