San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer called Thursday to temporarily cease county Human Relations Commission meetings and activities.
Her office, in a news release, cited “the systemic issues that have plagued the volunteer commission since its reinstatement in 2020,” saying they need to be “thoroughly addressed.”
In seeking to suspend the commission, she noted its mission, “to promote positive human relations, respect and the integrity of every individual regardless of gender, religion, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, or citizenship status.”
“Unfortunately, the HRC in its current form is not fulfilling this mission. The commission was not put in a position to succeed from the get-go,” she explained, saying that the Board of Supervisors needs to improve the commission’s rules and procedures.
Lawson-Remer is seeking “serious reform, including new rules to allow thorough vetting of potential appointees, better procedures to allow removal of members for behavior both inside and outside meetings, and revised bylaws to make the commission more effective.”
Nora Vargas, chair of the board, Lawson-Remer said, is expected to bring a policy calling for a pause on the commission’s meetings later this month. The board also will consider a series of changes to HRC bylaws.
Lawson-Remer had earlier called for a “serious rethink” of the Human Relations Commission.
Since being established in 2020, the commission has had several public struggles, including antisemitic comments by members, anti-LGBTQ comments, revision of bylaws and ongoing failures to reach a quorum.
