MA Commission Against Discrimination Seal

The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) is the primary agency for

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...

law enforcement Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms governing that society. The term en ...

, outreach, and training in the

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. Following the recommendation of a 1944 committee appointed by

Governor of Massachusetts The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the chief executive officer of the government of Massachusetts. The governor is the head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonwealth's military forces. Massachusetts ...

Maurice Tobin Maurice Joseph Tobin (May 22, 1901July 19, 1953) was an American politician serving as Mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, the Governor of Massachusetts, and United States Secretary of Labor. He was a member of the Democratic Party and a liberal tha ...

to establish a commission to enforce laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, religious creed, national origin, or ancestry, the

Massachusetts General Court The Massachusetts General Court (formally styled the General Court of Massachusetts) is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the earliest days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, ...

created the Fair Employment Practices Commission in 1946. The Commission took 96 complaints, conducted 60 interviews, and handled 500 phone inquiries in its first year alone. The name was changed to the current name in 1950 to reflect the expansion of its jurisdiction and power from employment to housing and public accommodations. A legal reporter with Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination cases, commentary, and subject matter indices is provided by Landlaw Inc. and MCAD decisions can also be found on Westlaw.com

References

External links

MCAD homepage

MCAD Reporter
* . (Various documents). {{authority control Civil rights organizations in the United States Discrimination in Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination