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Title VI Complaint &
Investigation Process
Title VI Complaint & Investigation Process
Right to File a Complaint
Any person who believes he/she or any specific class of persons has been subjected to discrimination prohibited by Title VI may, by himself/herself or by a representative, file a written complaint with the City of Paramount Title VI Compliance Manager, US Department of Transportation (USDOT) or the Federal Transit Authority (FTA) no later than 180 days after the alleged act of discrimination.
Complaint Acceptance Letter
Once a Title VI complaint has been accepted for investigation, the City of Paramount Administrative Services Department (Title VI Compliance) will notify complainant that an investigation of allegation(s) will be conducted, and when completed, the complainant and alleged person/organization will be notified of the decision and disposition.
Investigations
The City Title VI Compliance Manager will assign, oversee, track, and record a prompt investigation of the allegation(s) presented. The investigation will include, where appropriate, a review of the pertinent practices and policies of the City’s Title VI Program, the circumstances under which the possible noncompliance occurred, and other factors relevant to a determination as to whether the City has failed to comply with Title VI. In cases involving transit vehicles, the investigation will include a review of any audio or video recording devices.
Letters of Finding or Resolution
After the investigation has been completed, the Title VI Compliance Manager will transmit to the complainant and the alleged individual or organization one of the following letters:
- A letter of resolution that explains the steps that the City has taken or guarantees to take to come into compliance with Title VI.
- A letter of finding issued when the alleged individual or organization is not found to be in noncompliance with Title VI. This letter will include an explanation of why the individual or organization was not found to be in noncompliance, and provide notification of the complainant’s right to appeal. If applicable, the letter can include a list of procedural violations or concerns, which can put the alleged individual or organization on notice that certain practices are questionable and that without corrective steps, a future violation finding is possible.
- A letter of finding issued when an individual or organization is found to be in noncompliance. This letter will include each violation referenced as to the applicable regulations, a brief description of proposed remedies, notice of the time limit on the conciliation process, the consequences of failure to achieve voluntary compliance, and an offer of assistance to the individual or organization in devising a remedial plan for compliance, if appropriate.
Appeals Process
The letter of finding and resolution will offer the complainant and the alleged City individual or organization the opportunity to provide additional information that would lead the City of Paramount’s Administrative Services Department (Title VI Compliance) to reconsider its conclusions. In general, the City’s policy requires that the parties in the complaint provide this additional information within 60 days of the date the Letter of Finding was transmitted. After receiving and reviewing the information, the Title VI Compliance Manager will respond either by issuing a revised letter of resolution or finding to the appealing party, or by informing the appealing party that the original letter of resolution or finding remains in force. Refer to Appendix C for the Complaint Form.
