Hearing Officer - Barbara Snethen

The hearing officer presides over administrative hearings for the Iowa Civil Rights Commission statewide, assists in the rulemaking process, and handles special assignments not inconsistent with hearing officer duties.

ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL - Ray Pery, Shirley Steele

The duties of the Assistant Attorney Generals for the Iowa Civil Rights Commission include advising the Commission regarding an legal problems, drafting departmental rules, participating in seminars to educate the public, and representing the Commission in administrative hearings and court actions. Each of these Assistant Attorney Generals handles per month on the average of two to three administrative hearings, two to six court appearances, and three to nine briefs and/or case preparations.

Barbara Snethen

Barbara Snethen became the first permanent hearing officer for the Iowa Civil Rights Commission when she started with the agency in August of 1977.

Ms. Snethen, a native of Urbandale, received her Bachelor of Science degree in political science from Iowa State University in 1973 and her law degree from Drake in 1977.

From 1973-1976 Ms. Snethen held the position of executive director for the Campaign Finance Disclosure Commission. During 1976-1977 Ms. Snethen was employed by the Public Employee Relations Board as an elections agent conducting collective bargaining elections for the State.

Ms. Snethen is currently treasurer for the Polk County Women Attorney's Association; a board member for the Big Brother - Big Sister program for the City of Des Moines and a big sister herself; a member of the Iowa Women's Political Caucus; a member of the Iowa Association of Administrative Hearing Officers; and a member of the Polk County Bar Association, the Iowa State Bar Association, and the American Bar Association.

Ray Perry

Mr. Perry is a native of Davenport, Iowa. He was appointed Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Iowa Civil Rights Commission in September of 1977. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in history education from the University of Iowa (1971). Related course work included sociology, political science and economics. Mr. Perry also earned his law degree from the University of Iowa in May of 1975 and he joined the Bar in June of that year.

Mr. Perry brought a variety of experience to his present position. WLOL Radio (Minneapolis) employed Mr. Perry as a talk show moderator for the year prior to his entering law school. During the summer after his admission to the Bar, he did criminal prosecutions as Assistant County Attorney in Dickinson County, Iowa. Thereafter, his experience includes being Director of the Muscatine Legal Aid Office, going back to radio again as a talk show moderator at WHO (Des Moines) and pursuing his own private law practice.

In addition to the Bar Association, Mr. Perry is a member of the NAACP, NARAL and is an active welfare rights advocate.

Shirley Steele

Ms. Steele was appointed Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Iowa Civil Rights Commission in February, 1977. She hails from Salisbury, North Carolina, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology (cum laude) from Livingstone College (1974). She attained her law degree from Drake University (1976).

Prior to college Ms. Steele had five years experience as a Psychiatric Nursing Assistant. While attending Livingstone she was secretary for the college's Office of Federal Relations. During law school she held the position of Research Clerk for various Des Moines law firms and the Iowa Supreme Court.

Governor Robert Ray currently has appointed Ms. Steele to the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women. Other professional affiliations include the Iowa State Bar Association, the Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity, the Polk County Women's Bar Association and the NAACP Legal Redress Committee.

The following is a complete list of all the cases that went to public hearing, state district court and Iowa Supreme Court during the biennium. The reader can find a more in-depth presentation of each of these cases, including findings of fact and conclusions of law, by requesting the booklet entitled, Iowa Civil Rights Commission Case Reports, 1965 -1977 or Iowa Civil Rights Commission Case Reports, 1978.

*More cases were heard before the Iowa Civil Rights Commission in FY 78 than in all the previous ten years combined.

+This case was heard but settled before a decision was rendered. In FY 78, six cases scheduled for heating were settled before they were actually heard.