An African-American Ohio lawmaker who says security at the Statehouse has inappropriately stopped her several times has filed a complaint with the state Civil Rights Commission.
Democratic Representative Emilia Sykes filed the complaint after an unsatisfactory meeting with Ohio Department of Public Safety Director John Born and other Ohio Highway Patrol officials. Sykes says despite assurances she shouldn't have any problems, she and other black women have been singled out at security checkpoints the last two years while white legislators with proper badges pass through unquestioned. She says that when she asked why her badge wasn't recognized, she was told she looked too young to be a legislator. A Highway Patrol spokesperson says Sykes' allegations are being investigated.
