Chaplain Aida Mansoor, Director of Field Education, has been appointed to the state’s newly formed Connecticut Hates Crimes Advisory Council.

Gov. Ned Lamont announced the members of the council, which was mandated by a new state law, on June 1, 2021.

The council will be “responsible for encouraging and coordinating programs that increase community awareness and reporting of hate crimes and to combat such crimes. It also can make recommendations for legislation concerning hate crimes, including recommendations on restitution for victims, community service designed to remedy damage caused by any such crime, and additional alternative sentencing programs for first-time offenders and juvenile offenders.”

In his announcement, Governor Lamont said: “Nobody should ever have to fear being the victim of the crime for being the person they are, and it is unconscionable that people continue to be targeted throughout our country because of the color of their skin, the religion they practice, the person they love, their country of birth, or any other personal attributes that identify who they are. I appreciate the willingness of this diverse group of members who have volunteered to serve on this council and deliver their insights so that we can establish policies that prevent these crimes from happening in the first place and ensure the appropriate actions are taken in the event that we are faced with crisis in the future.”

The council is administered within the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney.

The following members have been appointed:

• Co-chair: Douglas S. Lavine, Judge Trial Referee
• Co-chair: Amy Lin Meyerson, President, Connecticut Bar Association
• Corrie Betts, NAACP
• Michael Bloom, Jewish Federation Association of Connecticut
• Jason O. Chang, Asian American Studies Institute, UConn
• Reverend Dr. Lindsay E. Curtis, Grace Baptist Church
• Rabbi Michael Farbman, Temple Emanuel of Greater New Haven
• Andrew A. Feinstein, Feinstein Education Law Group, LLC
• Steven D. Ginsburg, Anti-Defamation League of Connecticut
• Erene Hammond, UnitedHealth Group
• Steven Hernández, Commission on Women, Children, Seniors Equity & Opportunity
• Rathanak M. Keo, #IAmNotAVirus
• Tamara K. Lanier, NAACP, Connecticut Racial Profiling Project, ACLU Connecticut
• Diana R. Lombardi, Connecticut Trans Advocacy Coalition
• Duane J. Lovello, Director of Security, Yale University
• Gary M. MacNamara, Public Safety & Government Affairs, Sacred Heart University
• Robin P. McHaelen, True Colors
• John P. Merz, Advancing Connecticut Together
• Aida Mansoor, Coordinator, Islamic Chaplaincy Program, Hartford Seminary
• Fernando J. Muñiz, Community Solutions, Inc.
• MD Masudur Rahman, Marjars Sourcing, Inc.
• Precious Price, Middletown Racial Justice Coalition
• Sharad A. Samy, The Commonfund for Nonprofit Organizations
• Jonathan S. Slifka, Connecticut Department of Aging and Disability Services
• Richard A. Wilson, UConn School of Law

The nine ex-officio members, or their designees, include:

• the Chief State’s Attorney;
• the Chief Public Defender;
• the commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection;
• the president of the Connecticut Bar Association;
• the president of the George W. Crawford Black Bar Association;
• the president of the South Asian Bar Association of Connecticut;
• the president of the Connecticut Asian Pacific American Bar Association;
• the president of the Connecticut Hispanic Bar Association; and
• the president of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association.