U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Appoints Connecticut State Advisory Committee Members

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May 28, 2014, 01:31 ET

WASHINGTON, May 28, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights announced today the appointment of 15 members to the Connecticut State Advisory Committee, charging them to evaluate and report on civil rights concerns in the state.

The Commission appointed:

-- Alex A. Knopp of Norwalk (chair)	-- David J. McGuire of West Hartford
-- Kashif Abdul-Karim of Hamden	-- Melanie S. Rausch of Bethany
-- Jay A. Bergman of Newington	-- David W. Reynolds of Torrington
-- Alok S. Bhatt of Hartford	-- John M. Tanski of Glastonbury
-- Christine W. Corgel of Westport	-- Yanil Teron of South Windsor
-- John W. Herrington of South Windsor	-- Stephanie A. Wainwright of Windsor Locks
-- Lilia N. Hrekul of Farmington	-- Olivia S. White of Essex
-- Meghann E. LaFountain of Middletown

"Connecticut founded the nation's first official civil rights agency in 1943 with the Inter-Racial Commission and has continued to contribute to the development of civil rights law in Connecticut and beyond," Commission Staff Director Marlene Sallo said.

State advisory committee members conduct reviews and produce reports and recommendations concerning local civil rights issues, including justice, voting, discrimination, housing and education. Congress mandates that the federal Commission establish advisory committees in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Appointees to State Advisory Committees serve two year terms.

"This will be an active advisory committee and I am confident that we will be able to make important contributions to the work of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission that will help Connecticut," Alex Knopp, newly appointed committee chair, said.

Past Connecticut State Advisory Committee reports addressed closing the achievement gap in Connecticut public high schools and racial profiling. The committee will meet for the first time in July to consider its plans and priorities.

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is an independent, bipartisan agency charged with studying and advising the President and Congress on civil rights matters and issuing a federal civil rights enforcement report. For information about the reports and meetings of the Commission and its State Advisory Committees, please visit http://www.usccr.gov.

Media contact: Ivy Davis
Director, Eastern Regional Office
(202) 376-7533

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SOURCE U.S. Commission on Civil Rights