Lansing - On the eve of a special Michigan Civil Rights Commission (MCRC) meeting in Saginaw on Monday, leaders from the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) and MCRC have condemned the latest in a string of noose hangings in Michigan.

Officials at Lutz Veterans Affairs Medical Center at 1500 Weiss in Saginaw are investigating an employee's claim that he found a noose hanging in his work locker last Friday. According to news reports management acknowledged the incident and have apologized to the employee and condemned the act, warning all employees that such hate incidents will not be
tolerated.

While commending the swift response from the Center, Linda V. Parker, director of the MDCR, said such cowardly acts of hate appear to be part of a disgraceful pattern emerging all over the state.

"Within the past year we have seen similar incidents every where from a college campus in Mt. Pleasant, to a warehouse in Delta Township, and now at a medical facility in Saginaw - a medical facility where men and women who risked their lives in defense of our country go for treatment," she said. "It suggests we are now living in a climate where individuals feel free enough to act on their hateful impulses anywhere they please regardless of the consequences."

The Michigan Civil Rights Commission will host a general commission meeting on Monday, May 19, 2008, beginning at 4:00PM, followed by a public forum at 5:30PM, at the Andersen Enrichment Center. The center is located at 120 Ezra Rust Drive, Saginaw, MI 48601. The meeting concludes with a public comment period where residents may share civil
rights concerns, including hate incidents such as nooses, with the Commission.

During the public forum, the MCRC will partner with area organizations and leaders to discuss the predatory lending and foreclosure crisis in Michigan. MCRC will also hear testimony from area residents with concerns regarding these issues.

For more information on the Department of Civil Rights visit the website at http://www.michigan.gov/mdcr.