Commission on Human Rights
Doris Sarr of Murray, Sam Coleman of Middlesboro, George Stinson of Louisville, and Tim Thomas of Madisonville appointed to KY Human Rights Commission

The Kentucky Commission on Human Rights is pleased to announce that Governor Steve Beshear this week made one appointment and three reappointments to the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights Board of Commissioners. The commission has 11 members.

Doris Sarr, Ph.D., of Murray, Ky., has been newly appointed to serve as a Kentucky Human Rights commissioner. Dr. Sarr is director of the Adventures in Math & Science (AIMS) program at Murray State University. Her term will expire Sept. 12, 2015. She replaces State-At-Large Commissioner Virginia Burton of Lexington, Ky., whose term has expired.

Commissioner Samuel Coleman Jr. of Middlesboro, Ky., has been reappointed to represent the state at large. He has served as a Kentucky Human Rights commissioner since 2008. He is the director of the Small Business Development Center at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College. He also serves as a commissioner of the Kentucky African American Heritage Commission and as a board member of the Tri-Cities Heritage Development Corporation. His term will expire Sept. 12, 2015.

Commission Chair George Stinson of Louisville, Ky., has been reappointed to represent the Fourth Supreme Court District and has been designated to continue to serve as chair. He has served as a Kentucky Human Rights commissioner and as chair since 2008. He is a real estate developer of SLS Management LLC in Louisville. His term will expire Sept. 12, 2015.

Commissioner Timothy Thomas of Madisonville, Ky., has been reappointed to represent the First Supreme Court District.  He has served as a Kentucky Human Rights commissioner since 2008. He serves on the Hopkins County Joint Planning Commission as vice chair, he is president of Hopkins County Crimestoppers Inc., and is president of the Hopkins County Community Clinic Board of Directors.  His term will expire Sept. 12, 2015.

“The Kentucky Commission on Human Rights performs a crucial job for the people of Kentucky by enforcing civil rights laws and working to end discrimination,” said John J. Johnson, Kentucky Human Rights Commission executive director. “We appreciate the fine service of Chair Stinson and Commissioners Thomas and Coleman and thank them for their commitment to continue,” he said. “We are honored to welcome Dr. Doris Sarr and look forward to the contributions she will bring,” he said.  

The Kentucky Commission on Human Rights is the state government authority that enforces the Kentucky and U.S. Civil Rights acts, which make discrimination illegal. The Board of Commissioners meets regularly to rule on discrimination complaints made by people alleging that illegal discrimination incidents have occurred in Kentucky.

The Kentucky Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the areas of employment, public accommodations, housing and financial transactions. It is illegal to discriminate because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age (40 and over in the area of employment), disability, familial status (households with children under age 18 and pregnant women) in the area of housing, and tobacco-smoking status in the area of employment. It is illegal to retaliate against a person who has made a discrimination complaint to the commission.

For more information, contact the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights at 1.800.292.5566 or visit the website at www.kchr.ky.gov.                            

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