Virginia Attorney General To Create And Reorganize Office Of Civil Rights

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring is creating an Office of Civil Rights designed for investigating allegations of discrimination in policing, housing and employment. Herring says the new office replaces and expands the Office of Human Rights, which had one attorney and three staffers when he took office. The new office will have a staff of seven attorneys and six staffers, including investigators. Herring tied the reorganization to the passage of a handful of bills passed by new Democratic majorities last year that expand the duties of Herring’s office, including legislation authorizing the attorney general to investigate discrimination in local police departments and sweeping bills banning LGBTQ and gender based discrimination.