| TRENTON – The Division on Civil Rights will host a regional conference aboard the Battleship New Jersey in Camden this Saturday, September 29, to promote awareness among veterans and active military personnel of their rights under the state’s Law Against Discrimination (LAD), as well as their recourse if they believe those rights have been violated.
The conference, a collaborative effort with the New Jersey American Legion, the Camden County American Legion, the Battleship New Jersey, the Camden County Office of Veterans Affairs and other co-sponsors, will take place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is part of a continuing Division on Civil Rights initiative designed to help those who have served in the military and, upon returning to civilian life, encountered possible discrimination in the workplace and elsewhere.
One concern underlying the outreach effort is that discrimination against military personnel, including disabled veterans and active reservists returning from their tours of duty, may go unreported due to a lack of awareness of the protections afforded by the law, said Division Director Craig T. Sashihara.
In developing the outreach initiative, the Division’s’ Bureau of Prevention, Outreach and Public Education has worked closely with the American Legion, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance and the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, said Division Assistant Director Philip Freemen, who will speak at Saturday’s event.
The Division has hosted previous veterans’ awareness conferences in Mercer, Essex and Bergen Counties. Additional conferences, as well as other events and activities focused on veterans’ rights, will be held across the state throughout 2012.
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