How to File a Civil Rights Act Complaint

Civil Rights Act Title VI complaint guidelines

These rules apply to all complaints made under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This law is about any program or activity run by the City of Gresham or by its partners (Sub-recipients), consultants, and contractors. It is against the law to threaten or punish anyone for making a complaint.

Who can file a complaint?

Anyone who thinks they or a group of people were treated unfairly because of their race, color, national origin, age, sex, disability, income level, or Limited English Proficiency can file a Title VI complaint. This usually involves programs and activities run by local groups like cities or counties that get money from the federal government.

Where can you file a complaint?

If you have a complaint about a highway project that gets federal money, you can file a complaint in several places. You can file with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Division Office, the FHWA Headquarters Office of Civil Rights (HCR), the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Office of Civil Rights, or the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

When must you file a complaint?

According to the rules set by the USDOT (regulation 49 CFR §21.11(b)), you must file your complaint within 180 days (about six months) after the last time you experienced the alleged discrimination in writing.

For more information or to obtain a Title VI Discrimination Complaint Form, visit the Civil Rights Act Title VI Program page or contact the Title VI Coordinator, Denise Johnson, at 503-618-2398 or Denise.Johnson@GreshamOregon.gov.

How are complaints handled?

The City of Gresham and groups that receive federal money (called Sub-recipients) cannot investigate complaints made against themselves. The FHWA-HCR or the federal agency that gave the funds will decide what happens with the complaint—whether it is accepted, dismissed, or sent to another agency. The federal government may take up to 180 days to investigate the complaint once they accept it.

Complaints will be sent from the first agency that gets them all the way up the chain until they reach FHWA-HCR. For example, if someone files a complaint with the City of Gresham, the City will forward the complaint to the Oregon State Department of Transportation (ODOT). Then, ODOT will send it to Oregon’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Division Office. Finally, the complaint will go to FHWA-HCR.

If a complaint is made directly to ODOT, then ODOT will also send it to Oregon’s FHWA Division Office, and from there, it will be sent to FHWA-HCR.

The City of Gresham must keep a record of all complaints received. The City keeps a safe record of complaints that may relate to Title VI. This office puts together a summary of these complaints every year in a report called the Title VI Goals and Accomplishments Report, which is sent to ODOT.

The log includes important details such as the name of the person making the complaint, the reason for the complaint (like race, color, national origin, age, sex, disability, income level, or Limited English Proficiency), the specific issues being reported, when the complaint was made, when the investigation report was created, what was decided, and any other important information. ODOT also keeps files for each investigation into these complaints.

What is the difference between a concern and a complaint?

If you have a problem with customer service, a general question, or a request for assistance, please contact the Title VI Coordinator, Denise Johnson, at 503-618-2398 or via email at Denise.Johnson@GreshamOregon.gov. If you report a concern but decide to change it to a formal complaint for federal review, complete the Title VI Complaint form within 180 days of the last case of alleged discrimination.

If you need assistance or have questions about translation services, please don't hesitate to contact Alex Louge, Community Engagement Program Manager, at CommunityEngagement@GreshamOregon.gov.

File a Civil Rights Act complaint