State will investigate discrimination allegations within mental health department

Hartford (AP) — The state Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities has agreed to investigate allegations of racial discrimination within Connecticut’s Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

The Connecticut Post reports the commission agreed Wednesday to accept a complaint from the Connecticut Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, charging that more than 20 African-Americans employed by the department have suffered from discrimination in hiring and in the enforcement of agency rules.

The NAACP says the complaints originated from multiple DMHAS offices and involve different supervisors.

The mental health department issued a statement Wednesday which did not directly address the allegations, but said it is committed to “maintaining a workforce that reflects the diversity of the individuals being served.”