East Lansing Removes DEI Director as Human Rights Commission Liaison Without Explanation
East Lansing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Director Elaine Hardy was replaced as staff liaison to the East Lansing Human Rights Commission after serving in the role for over five years, and no one is saying why.
City Manager Robert Belleman sent out a memo on Friday, April 10, announcing that Hardy is no longer the liaison and an HR employee will replace her. During a contentious three-hour-long commission meeting on Monday, members of the commission were baffled that no one knew why Hardy was removed, including the new staff liaison Human Resources Administrator Wendy Yaney, as well as Mayor Pro Tem Chuck Grigsby and Human Resources Director Emily Kenney.
For months, there has been tension between city leaders and members of the Human Rights Commission, as the body has been investigating an incident of alleged police brutality, despite city attorneys advising against the investigation because the incident is the subject of lawsuits filed in federal court. Hardy was also removed from her role as staff liaison to the city’s Police Oversight Commission – which has also been critical of the incident.
The change in liaison and lack of explanation ignited apprehensions among the commission about the status of DEI in the City of East Lansing.
“Racism doesn’t happen [and] sexism doesn’t happen in [a] direct line… if that were the case our [HRC] job would be so much easier. It happens through marginalization. It happens by removal from assignments. It happens by taking jobs away. It happens by sidelining someone and not giving them pertinent information for their role,” Vice Chair Tina Farhat said.
Grigsby said he found out about the removal “a few days ago,” but did not know the reason and did not question the decision.
“It’s a personnel decision… we [City Council] are only responsible for two employees, the city attorney and city manager, so when he [city manager] makes personnel decisions, we don’t get involved in that,” Grigsby said.
East Lansing Info followed up with Mayor Erik Altmann to see if he had foreknowledge about Hardy’s replacement. He echoed what Grigsby told the HRC.
“That is a personnel matter, and that is a question for the city manager,” Altmann said in the one-minute phone call.
Hardy’s removal from the commission, compounded by her removal as staff liaison to the East Lansing Independent Police Oversight Commission, led commissioners to ponder if these were precursors of potential changes to the DEI department.
“This may go beyond a personnel issue,” Commissioner Matthew Boughton said. “The only Black head of a department was removed without reason or cause given, without the consideration of the commissions she liaised [with], and there has been public speculation of removing the DEI department. I would expect you [Grigsby] of all people would be most concerned by this.”
On April 6, four days before Hardy’s removal from her liaison role, a Human Rights Commission special meeting was held to discuss an investigation the commission is conducting into the police department for racial discrimination complaints during a closed session with the city attorneys and city manager.
There was silence in the meeting room as no one on the commission voiced support for a closed session, as commissioners followed up with comments explaining that they want to ensure the process remains transparent.
“I think to many of us on the commission, your [Yaney] appointment feels somewhat retaliatory,” Commissioner Rebecca Kasen said. “On Monday of last week we refused to go into closed session and then by Friday our staff liaison, who was unaware completely of our decisions prior to the meeting, was removed.”
Present at the meeting was Director of Human Resources, Emily Kenney, who Belleman tasked with selecting the new liaison. After gauging the interest of two HR administrators, she made a decision.
“Wendy was interested and willing to do it and the other HR administrator expressed she was not interested, so that was what the decision was based on,” Kenney said.
Commission Chair Julia Walters chimed in that the change appears to be rushed and not well thought out, pointing out the city’s website has not been updated to reflect the change in liaison.
“I think that this decision to me seems to be rash, not thought out, and to have not been well reasoned about the consequences,” Walters said. “Institutional knowledge is built over time and that is helpful to a commission who is made up of volunteers, and grappling with things… as the potential violations of peoples’ human rights. When we lose a person with such institutional knowledge that perpetuates the very discrimination and inequities, essentially, that this commission has the purpose of fulfilling.”
Hoene added that on the city’s DEI website page, it explicitly mentions, “staff support the East Lansing Human Rights Commission in its work to make East Lansing a welcoming community.”
Both Belleman and Hardy did not respond to multiple requests for comment from ELi.