Idaho Industrial Commission Faces Civil Rights Complaint

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A group of Idaho workers have brought a civil rights complaint against the state's worker's compensation agency for only providing services in English.

Erik Johnson, an attorney with Idaho Legal Aid Services, filed the federal complaint against the Idaho Industrial Commission on behalf of the workers late last week. Johnson says the state agency turned the workers away because they only speak Spanish, in some cases telling them that they would have to find and pay for their own interpreters to access services.

Federal rules prohibit agencies that receive federal funds from discriminating against people based on their race or national origin. Idaho Industrial Commission spokeswoman Dara Barney said the agency had not yet seen the complaint and so she couldn't comment.