Rock Island Today

City of Moline Human Rights Commission met Aug. 7.

Here are the minutes provided by the commission:

PRESENT: Diokel Gning

Jose Castro

Sue Normoyle

Adrian Ritchie

Angelica Villarreal

Betsy Zmuda-Swanson

ABSENT: Matt Stoefen

STAFF: Amy Saunders, Paralegal

OTHER: Elana Kahn, Executive Director, Illinois Commission on

Discrimination & Hate Crimes

Amy Meek, Deputy Director, Illinois Department of Human Rights

Steve Andich, Rock Island Human Rights Commission

Isaac Carr, Rock Island Human Rights Commission

David Levin, Rock Island Human Rights Commission

Monta Ponsetto, Rock Island Human Rights Commission

Phillip Rotman, Rock Island Human Rights Commission

Vincent Thomas, Rock Island Human Rights Commission

Call to Order

Human Rights Commission Chair, Angelica Villarreal, called the meeting to order at 5:42 p.m., in the Gold Room, at the Moline Public Library.

Public Comment

There was no public comment at this time.

Questions on the Agenda

There were no questions.

Agenda Items

1. Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR)/Illinois v. Hate (Help Stop Hate) Training

Amy Meeks, Deputy Director of the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR), presented an overview of the Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA) and processes of the Illinois Department of Human Rights. She outlined and explained all of the protected classes and provided information concerning the following select topics:

A. Protections for Immigrant Communities and examples of actions that may violate the IHRA;

B. Pregnancy-Related Protections and examples of actions that may violate the IHRA;

C. Protections for LGBTQ+ Communities and examples of actions that may violate the IHRA; and

D. Arrest and Conviction Record Protections and examples of actions that may violate the IHRA.

Finally, she explained how to file a charge of discrimination with the IDHR, shared the deadlines for doing so, provided the IDHR’s contact information and outlined the IDHR’s investigative process after a charge of discrimination is filed.

Elana Kahn, Executive Director of the Illinois Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes (CDHC), presented on the Help Stop Hate campaign. The CDHC is a governor-appointed commission that was reactivated in 2021 by Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker. The CDHC’s purpose is to strengthen responses to hate and prevent future acts of hate while supporting communities and targeted populations. The CDHC’s guiding values are that everyone has a role, the rise of hate is linked to broader threats to democracy and hate is a public health issue. Hate and extremism are local issues, so preventing them takes place in our local communities.

The recently launched Hate Helpline (Help Stop Hate) provides support to people who have experienced or witnessed acts of hate. The service is free, confidential and not affiliated with law enforcement. Online reports may be made in English and Spanish.

Elana described the three kinds of hate crimes and shared that half of all hate crimes are not reported. When hates crimes are not reported, hate can become normalized. When people report hate, they can access vital resources, build awareness, and help make Illinois safer and more inclusive for all. Reporting also allows communities to take action.

Elana announced that there is a conference in Champaign, Illinois, on October 21, 2025, for all Human Rights Commissions to attend. Elana offered to send a Help Stop Hate kit. She shared that the CDHC is exploring community mediation centers.

2. Miscellaneous Business. There was no miscellaneous business.

Public Comment

There was no public comment at this time.

Next Meeting

The next regularly scheduled HRC meeting is on August 11, 2025.

Adjournment

On motion of Adrian Ritchie, seconded by Sue Normoyle, and approved unanimously by the HRC, the HRC meeting adjourned at 7:15 p.m.

http://www.moline.il.us/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/11143