LANSING, Mich., March 1, 2021 — State Rep. Tullio Liberati (D-Allen Park) has introduced legislation to protect whistleblowers and victims of discrimination. House Bill 4381, introduced last week, would amend section 602 of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (1976 PA 453) by adding an anonymity clause to protect all persons alleging a violation.
“As a small business owner, I understand the importance of protecting employees and creating a dynamic where all can feel safe to report injustice,” said Liberati. “Without these changes, whistleblowers, who are supposed to be free from retaliation, are at the mercy of alleged violators when their names are handed over with the complaint. No other whistleblower is subject to this kind of potential exposure. If we want to cement our commitment to ending civil rights violations, we need to grant Elliot-Larsen whistleblowers the same anonymity, and therefore protection offered to all others.”
The Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination in Michigan on the basis of religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, familial status, or marital status” in employment, housing, education, and access to public accommodations.