- City of Fort Dodge Statement on Equal Opportunity
- The 2019 Greater Iowa African American Resource Guide
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Human Rights Commission
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The commission meets the first Wednesday of each month at 5:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. Seven members serve 2 year terms and are appointed by the Mayor with approval from the City Council.
MISSION: To secure for all individuals within the City of Fort Dodge freedom from discrimination because of race, color, religion, creed, sex, national origin, age or mental or physical disability in connection with employment, public accommodations, housing, and credit, and thereby to protect the personal dignity of these individuals to insure their full productive capacities, to preserve the public safety, health, and general welfare, and to promote the interests, rights, and privileges of individual citizens in Fort Dodge.
Discrimination is prohibited in the following five areas:
1) Employment
2) Housing
3) Credit
4) Public Accommodation
5) Education
Protected bases for these areas are:
Race, Color, Religion, Creed, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, National Origin, Age (in employment and credit), Physical Disability, Mental Disability (in housing, employment, education, and public accommodation). Familial Status (the presence of children; in housing and credit) and Marital Status (credit).
Specific Powers and Duties:
- To receive, investigate, and finally determine the merits of complaints alleging unfair or discriminatory practices pursuant to this ordinance.
- To investigate and study the existence, character, causes and extent of discrimination in public accommodations, employment, apprenticeship programs, on-the-job training programs, vocational schools, extension of credit, real estate, financial transactions, and housing in this City and to attempt the elimination of such discrimination by education and conciliation.
- To hold hearings upon any complaint pursuant to this ordinance made against a person, an employer, an employment agency, or a labor organization, or the employees or members thereof, to subpoena witnesses and compel their attendance at such hearings, to administer oaths and take the testimony of any person under oath.
| Commission Member | Term Expiration |
| Jessica Barkhaus | December 31, 2023 |
| Sherry Washington | December 31, 2023 |
| Keenan Schuur, Chair | December 31, 2024 |
| Laura Crowley | December 31, 2024 |
| Jim Schwan |
June 30, 2025 |
| Teri Townsend |
June 30, 2025 |
Anyone wishing to serve on this Commission should complete a Boards & Commissions application form and turn it into the Mayor/City Manager's office at City Hall located at 819 1st Avenue South in Fort Dodge. Feel free to contact the Human Rights Office at 576-2201 if you have questions.
Boards & Commissions Application
Boards & Commissions Application
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The Fort Dodge Human Rights Commission is not associated with the Department of Human Services. If you have general questions relating to assistance provided by DHS, please contact Webster County Human Services at (515) 955-6353. Links to other community resources can be found here.
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