About KCTFHR

Who Are We?

The KCTFHR is made up of residents representing all segments of society. We oppose discrimination or the denial of equal protection of the laws based upon race, color, religion, creed, gender, age, disability, national origin or sexual orientation.

What We Do

The Goals of the KCTFHR are:

1. Provide education promoting positive human relations.
2. Provide support to people victimized by malicious harassment.
3. Promote legislation that deals with reducing hate crimes.
4. Monitor and document incidents of malicious harassment.
5. Promote and celebrate the diversity of the people of Kootenai County.

How Do We Do It?

The work of the Task Force is being accomplished through the board of directors and the following committees: Victim Support, Community Involvement, Education, Legislative, Legal, and Finance.

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Background and Structure

The Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations was founded in 1981 as a response group against the harassment and criminal activities of the Aryan white supremacy movement located north of Hayden Lake, a community in Kootenai County, Idaho. The Task Force has been instrumental in directing the passage of major Idaho legislation giving the state strong laws against harassment.

KCTFHR is a structured, incorporated, not-for-profit entity consisting of a 21 member volunteer board of directors of diverse backgrounds. In addition to at-large board members, there are designated representatives from the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, North Idaho College Human Equality Club, high school clubs, Hispanic, Asian-American, Jewish, African-American, local governments, Coeur d'Alene Chamber of Commerce, religious, law enforcement, educational and gay and lesbian communities. The board meets on a regular basis to deal with business matters and to plan and implement task force projects. Board members are elected to serve for a four-year term on a rotating basis, to ensure program continuity.

The KCTFHR has been recognized as a major grassroots human rights organization in combating bigotry and prejudice. In 1987, due to KCTFHR work, the city of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, was awarded the prestigious "Raoul Wallenberg Civic Award" and in 1990 was designated an "All American City."

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Paths to Justice in Idaho

1. Idaho's Malicious Harassment Act (adopted in 1983) - In Idaho it is a felony to maliciously harass any person because of race, color, national origin, religion, or creed. This offense is punishable by up to five years in the Idaho State Correction Institution and a $5,000 fine for each occurrence.
2. Idaho's Civil Remedies Act (adopted in 1987) - A victim of malicious harassment as defined above, may sue the harasser for actual damages, punitive damages and attorney fees.
3. Idaho's Domestic Terrorist Control Act (adopted in 1987) - If two or more individuals engage in paramilitary training in Idaho, they can be sentenced for up to 10 years in the Idaho State Correctional Institution and fined up to $50,000.
4. Uniform Hate Crimes Reporting Act (adopted in 1989) - This act requires all law enforcement agencies in Idaho to specially report to the State Department of Law Enforcement all hate crimes committed on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, or creed.
5. Idaho's Explosive Devices Act (adopted in 1997) - Prohibits possession of explosive devices with intent to commit a crime.
6. Idaho's Common Law Courts Act - Prohibits impersonating a public official or acting as a public official with intent to intimidate private citizens or lawfully appointed officials.
7. Idaho's False Lien Act (adopted in 1996) - Prohibits filing a false lien with intent to intimidate or harass a private citizen or public official.

Idaho has also taken other steps to promote human equality, such as officially recognizing the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Holiday. (Adopted  in 1990)

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KCTFHR Creed

The Task Force is founded on the principles of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States of America and the Idaho State Constitution. These documents support the principles of the dignity and worth of each human being.

We support the self-evident truth that all persons are created equal.
We believe the dignity of each human being is inviolable.
We oppose discrimination or the denial of equal protection of the law based on race, age, color, gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation, national origin or creed. We further oppose all attempts to promote segregation of the races. We reject the doctrine of white supremacy or any other doctrine that advocates the superiority of one race over another.
We pledge to work for the elimination of prejudice and discrimination. It is our creed that saying "YES" to human rights is the best way to say "NO" to prejudice.
We support federal, state, and local laws that guarantee due process of law and equal protection of the laws for all persons.
We believe that it is the racial, social and cultural diversity of its people, that makes the United States and the Pacific Northwest a special place to live.

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Projects: Past and Current

1. Continue to review Idaho's civil/human rights legislation.
2. Monitor and speak out in support of human rights issues.
3. Continue support for victims of harassment.
4. Support the educational use of human rights materials in our schools with special attention to the representation of Idaho Native American history, the presentation of the holocaust, the history of ethnic peoples in our communities and current social community problems.
5. Co-sponsor along with North Idaho College and local school districts, the largest annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration in the state.
6. Support law enforcement's efforts to combat hate crimes.
7. Sponsor successful Human Rights Celebrations in the community.
8. Continue to aid other Northwest communities as they organize to fight prejudice and bigotry in their area. The KCTFHR has provided assistance to communities in Florida, North Carolina, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Utah, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania as well as other areas of North America such as Canada.
9. Produced a 90-minute video documentary on the history of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations with guidelines used by this organization as an aid to others in their work. (The video is available at the Coeur d'Alene and North Idaho College libraries.)

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About Kootenai County

Kootenai County is located in northern Idaho on the Washington state border. The county seat is located in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. It is Idaho's third most populous county, but ranks only twenty-third in total area. About 5.4% (or 70.6 sq. miles) of the county is water, and almost one-third of the county is federal land. Recreation and tourism employment are important to the county as are jobs in trade and services supporting the North Idaho region.

Kootenai County has good public education facilities. For higher education, there is North Idaho College located in Coeur d'Alene. In addition, both Lewis-Clark State College and the University of Idaho offer upper division and graduate courses.

Attractions in the county include Lake Coeur d'Alene and its Scenic Byway, Spirit Lake, Silverwood Theme Park, Farragut State Park on Lake Pend Oreille, the Coeur d'Alene Resort on Lake Coeur d'Alene and the Cataldo Mission (Idaho's oldest building.)

For more information we invite you to follow these links to the Kootenai County, North Idaho College, Idaho Human Rights Education Center (Boise), and the Coeur d'Alene Chamber of Commerce websites.

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