Heated discussion leads to close vote for Human Rights Commission

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A controversial figure on Jacksonville's Human Rights Commission is one step closer to being reappointed.

Dr. Parvez Ahmed is up for reappointment on the commission. In a 4-to-3 vote, the committee approved his reappointment. That's the first step in the process. Now, it's up to the full council to decide. The full council is expected to take up the issue next Tuesday.

Ahmed did not attend the meeting and some wanted to defer the vote until he could be questioned in front of the committee. Council member Robin Lumb says the committee was blindsided with the vote.

Dr. Ahmed's leadership came into question after critics accused him of having ties to terrorist groups. Those claims were never substantiated.