Barnstable County Assembly Supports Human Rights Advisory Commission
Cape Cod Regional Government – Assembly of Delegates
Delegates call attention to County efforts to address discrimination
May 23, 2025 (Barnstable, MA) — The Barnstable County Human Rights Advisory Commission is expanding community education and outreach to address increasing reports of discrimination.
“Discrimination is gut-wrenching and for a lot of people just being able to be heard and understood is really important,” said Leslie Dominguez-Santos, Coordinator of the Barnstable County Human Rights Advisory Commission. “We’re really trying to raise our profile so that people know that we’re here and that Barnstable County has this amazing resource.”
Dominguez-Santos presented the Commission’s 2024 Year in Review at a recent meeting of the regional government’s Assembly of Delegates.
As part of the presentation, she shared data from the Commission’s intake and referral system, noting that 45 individuals contacted the office in 2024 to report possible discrimination and request assistance—an average of about one report per week. Nearly two-thirds of those cases involved racial discrimination, with additional reports linked to national origin and religion.
“Clearly part of it is we’re living in a time when a lot of ugliness and hate have been normalized,” said Delegate Brian O’Malley of Provincetown, the Assembly’s representative to the Commission. “So there may be a real increase, but we expanded our reach thanks to a resolution passed by the Assembly and have liaisons now for every town.
The presentation highlighted the Commission’s growing community engagement, including outreach events across the region, the annual Human Rights Day celebration, and the ongoing success of the Human Rights Academy, which brings together high school students to explore themes such as inclusion, health, and well-being in schools.
“What’s shocking to me is the number of incidents that happen in elementary schools,” said Dominguez-Santos. “Kids are having a tough time and are not necessarily being kind to each other.”
The Commission’s community education efforts serve both young people and adults. The Assembly expressed support for increasing regional awareness of this work.
“There couldn’t be anything more important than how we treat each other in society,” said Assembly Speaker Randi Potash of Chatham.
ABOUT THE ASSEMBLY OF DELEGATES
The Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates is the legislative branch of Cape Cod Regional Government. Fifteen Delegates, one elected by each town, enact ordinances and appropriate the County’s annual operating and capital budgets.
MEDIA CONTACT: Owen Fletcher, Assembly Clerk | [email protected] | 774-327-3564
