►
From YouTube: CityTalk with John McIntire: Carlos Torres
Description
On this episode of CityTalk, John McIntire interviews the Commission on Human Relations Director Carlos Torres.
A
B
A
B
So
in
the
city
of
Pittsburgh,
we
have
what
we
call
13
protected
classes
and
everything
from
age,
discrimination
to
gender,
race,
ethnicity,
religion,
place
of
birth,
national
origin
and
so
on.
So
a
person
who
feels
that
an
employment
resection
was
taken
against
them
because
of
one
of
those
reasons
they
can
file
a
complaint
of
discrimination
with
our
office
and
how
often
does
that
happen
more
often
that
and
more
often
that
you
think
right.
So
we
see
individuals
from
the
public
every
day
of
the
week
were
open,
Monday
to
Friday,
8
a.m.
A
B
For
us,
when
a
person
first
walk
in
what
we
asked
them
is,
do
they
believe?
That's
the
reason
why
and
then
we
investigate,
so
we
look
for
policies
and
procedures.
We
look
for
other
instances
in
which
an
employee
of
the
same
lick,
safe
race
or
a
different
race
was
in
a
similar
situation
and
how
they
were
treated
where
the
policies
followed
not
followed.
Was
this
disciplinary
actions
taken
by
the
employer
the
same
or
different?
In
that
particular
case,
we
talk
to
witnesses.
B
The
good
thing
is
that
we,
as
employees
don't
have
to
decide.
We
have
a
Board
of
Commissioners
there's
our
15
individuals
who
are
appointed
by
the
mayor
and
confirmed
by
City
Council
they're,
all
City
residents,
and
they
represent
the
community
at
large.
So
we
have
both
men
and
women,
young
and
old,
and
persons
with
disabilities
and
excuse
me
and
so
on,
to
evaluate
the
evidence
before
them.
So
when
we
do
complete
an
investigation,
we
bring
the
information
that
we
found
during
an
investigation
in
front
of
them.
B
What
happens
is
if
a
person
or
the
commissioners
find
that,
in
fact,
there
is
evidence
or
cause
for
the
act
of
discrimination?
What
we
do
is
we
bring
the
parties
to
the
table
and
trying
to
find
every
solution
to
the
to
the
issue,
so
that
might
be
back
wages
if
a
person
was
denied
a
promotion
or
it
may
be
a
change
in
policy,
a
change
in
procedures,
training.
B
If
that
fails
those-
and
we
do
that
two
times
that
attempts
fail.
Then
we
go
to
a
public
hearing
which
is
our
version
of
a
trial
and
then
a
separate
set
of
commissioners
get
to
look
at
what
that
evidence
is,
and
then
they
make
a
determination
whether
to
uphold
the
previous
finding
of
probable
cause
or
reverse
it.
So
this
process
could
take
a
while
I
say
it
can
take
a
while.
Absolutely
yes,.
A
B
B
I
didn't
get
the
job
or
I
didn't
get
the
promotion,
and
it's
just
me
and
I
just
went
to
the
next
time
that
there's
an
opportunity
when
in
fact
there
might
be
policies
or
practices
that
in
fact
are
discriminatory
and
that's
our
job
and
that's
what
we
look
at
the
policies
procedures,
practices.
We
talk
to
witnesses.
We
talk
to
other
employees
to
help
determine
what
is
it
that
is
happening.
If
at
all,
something
is
you
know
discriminatory
if.
A
I'm,
a
new
student
in
the
city
of
Pittsburgh
at
the
University
of
Pittsburgh
or
any
of
the
other
universities
and
I,
think
I
didn't
get
an
apartment
because
people
just
don't
want
to
mess
with
young
people,
they're,
afraid
they're,
flighty
or
will
move
out
or
be
responsible.
Is
that
actually
technically
a
form
of
discrimination?
Absolutely?
And
you
get
those
kind.
B
Of
cases
ya
notice,
often
as
we
wish
we
could,
we
have
a.
We
believe
that
there's
that
type
of
discrimination
happening.
Unfortunately,
a
lot
of
students,
particularly
those
who
may
not
be
from
Pittsburgh,
are
not
familiar
with
our
laws.
So
we
are
making
a
big
effort
right
now
to
bring
information
to
those
students,
so
they
know
what
their
rights
are.
So,
for
example,
saying
no
students
allowed
it's
against
the
law.
Saying
no
families
with
children
is
against
the
law.
B
A
Think
it'd
be
a
very
difficult
job
because
if
I'm,
a
landlord
which
I've
never
been
probably
never
will
be
and
I
don't
like
children
for
whatever
reason
couldn't
I
just
let
the
people
without
the
children
come
and
just
say:
well,
they're
they
have
a
better
income
or
they're.
They
earn
more
money
than
we're
liable.
So.
B
B
But
if
all
things
are
equal
and
you
have
two
individuals
that
meet
the
criteria-
and
you
select
the
one,
for
example
with
our
children,
then
we
want
to
know.
Okay.
Is
this
a
pattern,
or
is
this
just
because
this
other
family
or
this
other
individual?
You
know,
what's
the
first
to
show
up
and
say,
here's
my
money?
So
we
look
at.
We
look
at
practices
and
we
look
at
past
practices
and,
like
I
said
we
look
at
policies.
We
look
at
procedures.
B
B
B
A
B
So
one
of
the
other
things
that
we
do
aside
from
protecting
the
rights
of
individuals
and
by
the
way
any
person
who
lives,
works
or
visits
our
city
can
file
a
charge
of
discrimination
with
our
office
or,
oh,
you
don't
have
to
live
here.
You
do
not
have
to
live
here,
but
the
act
of
discrimination
has
to
happen
within
the
physical
boundaries
of
the
city
of
Pittsburgh
and
a
person
has
365
days
to
file
a
complaint
with
our
office.
So
a
person
could
be
here
for
vacation.
B
We
sit
in
a
friend
or
a
concert
or
any
any
other
activity,
and
they
experience
something
that
they
feel
is
discriminatory.
They
can
absolutely
file
a
complaint
with
our
office.
But
to
answer
your
original
question,
we
also
provide
education
for
employers,
landlords,
tenants
and
anyone
else
who
feels
they
want
to
learn
more
about
their
rights
were
capable
of
going
out
into
the
community
and
sharing
information
with
the
public.
So
they
can
not
only
learn
more
about
our
rights
but
know
what
they
can
do
if
they
feel
that
they'd
be
happy
in
this
needed
against
I.
A
B
Is
by
design
so
we
are
considered
to
be
an
independent
agency
within
the
structure
of
city
government,
and
that
means
that
the
commissioners
that
I
mentioned
earlier
are
the
one
who
hire
me.
They
will
fire
me
I
answer
to
them.
They
help
set
the
priorities
for
our
office
and
our
activities,
and
so
that
level
of
Independence
is
very
useful
because
I,
if
there's
an
issue,
for
example,
the
city
has
over
3,000
employees.
B
If
there's
an
issue
that
the
city
itself
may
be
doing,
I
can
have
that
honest
conversation
with
the
mayor
about
what
it
is,
we're
seeing
and
make
recommendations
for
him
to
consider
and
I
do
not
have
to
be
worried
about.
Are
those
recommendations
going
to
be
well
received
or
not?
You
know,
as
if
the
mayor
gonna
fire
me
because
I
said
something
that
he
or
she
doesn't
agree
with.
I
did.
A
A
B
Like
I
said,
I
love
my
job
I
love
our
mission.
We
are
in
the
process
of
revamping
some
of
our
outreach
materials,
we're
putting
out
some
information
for
individuals
with
disabilities
and
their
rights
related
to
housing,
we're
doing
some
information
for
landlords,
so
the
landlord
knows
what
their
the
laws
are
and
their
obligations
are
we're
putting
also
some
guidelines
for
landlords
on
how
to
create
procedures
and
policies
that
comply
with
the
law.
How
to
comply
with
issues
related
to
a
variety
of
different
topics
that
involve
the
protection
of
rights
for
individuals.
Carlos.