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Despite criticism from two senators and a leading gay rights advocate, commission voted 6-0 with one abstention
BY TOM HESTER SR.
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
UPDATED
The state Commission on Civil Rights Wednesday approved the nomination of Chinh Q. Le, a former assistant counsel for the NAACP, as state Civil Rights director.
The commission, meeting in Trenton, voted 6-0 with 1 abstention.
Opting to abstain on the important vote was Commissioner Clara C, Fernandez of Elizabeth, who is employed as the constituent relations manager for state Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union), one of three public figures to criticize Le's nomination.
Le's nomination by state Attorney General Anne Milgram to the $124,000 a year position was also criticized by Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) and Steven Goldstein, chairman of Garden State Equality.
Lee, 34, of Jersey City, was most recently with Seton Hall University's School of Law's Center for Social Justice.
"Chinh Le has an extraordinary background and commitment to justice and civil rights," Milgram said. "His experience and involvement in the important social and civil issues facing our state make him well-qualified to lead the division."
Goldstein described Le as "someone completely unknown to the state's gay community unlike former director Frank Vespa-Papaleo. The burden is on the attorney general to further demonstrate that her nominee will continue Frank Vespa-Papaleo's record of outstanding advocacy for every community, including ours.''
Lesniak and Scutari question Le's experience with gay rights issues.In a letter to Gov. Jon Corzine and Milgram, the senators questioned the attorney general's "lack of respect for licensed attorneys'' and "disregard of the civil rights of the gay residents of the state.''
David Wald, a spokesman for Milgram said Wednesday that Le is qualified for the position.
"This is a terrific, quality appointment,'' Wald said. "She is not filling patronage spots here.''
Le, who is also an adjunct associate research scholar at Columbia University School of Law, worked at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund for five years litigating cases related to education, school integration, voting rights and affirmative action. At Seton Hall Law School, he has focused on affordable housing preservation, mortgage fraud, tenant rights and charter schools.
He said Tuesday, prior to the criticism, that "I am excited by the opportunity to work on behalf of the people of New Jersey and ensure that all residents are protected against acts of discrimination — whether that's in the workplace or in the housing market, or in places of public accommodation. New Jersey was among the first states to enact laws against discrimination regardless of race, national origin, age, sexual orientation, or disability. I intend to continue the more than 50-year tradition of investigating and pursuing civil rights' complaints."
Le has been at Seton Hall's Center for Social Justice in Newark since July 2008. He has worked on initiatives for the urban revitalization, supervised students in the Civil Litigation Clinic and the law school's pro bono programs. He has also been serving as a consultant to the Center for Institutional and Social Change at Columbia's law school for the past year.
Le was assistant counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund in New York from October 2001 to July 2006. He litigated cases related to issues of educational equity, K-12 school desegregation, voting rights, higher education affirmative act ion and school vouchers.
Le was born in Saigon, Vietnam and grew up in Springfield, Virginia. He received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Virginia in 1997 and his law degree from the university's School of Law in 2000. He also earned a master's degree in American government at the school in 2001. He was an associate at Jenner & Block, a New York law firm from August 2006 until April 2008, focusing on commercial litigation and white collar criminal investigations. Pro bono work included cases related to voluntary school integration, voting rights, and tenant and housing rights.
Le succeeds C. Carlos Bellido, who has been acting director since Vespa-Papaleo left the position in January. Bellido will stay at the division as chief of staff.
And had for Plaintiff to visit back to her Section 8 Housing Manager to take the next step process and set up a Confirmation Date & Time to then inspect the housing unit Plaintiff located for her housing needs. And why did it take so long to notify Plaintiff of denial due to credit report when the credit report was pulled the day Plaintiff paid her money and submitted the rental application. Plaintiff was misled, deceived, and Plaintiff's approved Section 8 Voucher was completed, signed and dated by the prospective landlord's leasing agent during the rental housing process. The results were Plaintiff was denied the housing opportunity after all of that, resulted in Plaintiff becoming in a homelessness demise, but Mr. Chinh Q. Le and the assigned investigator stated it was not enough to find a probable cause for housing discrimination, when Plaintiff was made to beleive that she was on her way to occupy the empty and available housing using her Section 8 Housing Voucher for Rental Assistance. This case is now within the 4 walls of the U.S. District Federal Court in a Civil Action Complaint Lawsuit and naming Chinh Q. Le, Director as one of the Defendant's.