MANHATTAN- The city commission in Manhattan voted on Tuesday night to add sexual orientation as a protected class to the city’s anti-discrimination hiring policy.

In the final three minutes of a 4-hour meeting, Mayor Karen McCulloh proposed legislation to direct city manager Rohn Fehr to include sexual orientation to the city’s list of protected class.

The commission approved the proposal with a 4-0 vote. Commissioner Wynn Butler abstained.

The Manhattan-Ogden School District, Fort Riley and Kansas State University already have sexual orientation as a protected class in their hiring policies.