Most of the private and public employment agencies in the city of Denver and vicinity accept without hesitation discriminatory requests for job placements, the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith reported this week The League’s report followed a pre-Brotherhood Week special survey conducted February 14 by the Dever A. D. L. Council under the chairmanship of Mandel Berenbaum.
The A. D. L. in its survey, contacted 46 private and public employment agencies, representing over 90 per cent of the total number in Denver and vicinity, and placed a request with each agency for a “white, Protestant stenographer.”
In 42-cases the A. D. L. found, the discriminatory request was accepted without hesitation, while in two instances, there was some reluctance in accepting the request in only one instance, did the employment agency–the Veterans Employment of the State of Colorado refuse to handle this kind of a discriminatory request.
What is particularly disturbing,” declared Mr. Berenbaum, “is that two of the employment agencies which showed no hesitation in accepting this discriminatory request the Colorado State Employment Service and the Welfare Department of the City of Denver are supported by public funds.” He called for “immediate conference between the Governor’s Commission on Human Relations and these two public agencies. He demanded that Denver “take remedial steps insofar as the Welfare Department is concerned.”
Mr. Berenbaum also urged the Governor’s Commission on Human Relations and the F. E. P. office to promptly inform all employment agencies in the state, both private and public, of the provisions of the Colorado Fair Employment Practices Law and to set up conferences which would help bring about a voluntary compliance with the law. A Colorado Statute, passed in 1951, declares illegal any discrimination in employment because of race, creed or national origin. But its enforcement provisions affect only cases of discrimination by public employers. In cases of discrimination by private employers, remedies can only be obtained by persuasion on the part of the Governor’s Commission and the Colorado F. E. P. office.
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