Civil Rights/Title VI Complaint
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a cornerstone of modern American civil rights law. Proposed by President Kennedy in 1963 and signed by President Johnson a year late. Title VI of the Act declares that no program or activity that receives federal funding shall discriminate against a person on the basis of race, color or national origin, and directs Federal agencies to make rules to ensure that their sub recipients follow the law.
Title VI Complaint Procedure
Any person who believes that Athens On Demand Transit (AODT) has discriminated against him or her on the basis of race, color, or national origin may file a Title VI complaint by completing and submitting the agency’s Title VI Complaint Form. AODT will directly address all complaints alleging discrimination based on race, color or national origin in a service or benefit provided by AODT. AODT will also provide appropriate assistance to complainants, including those persons with disabilities, or who are limited in their ability to communicate in English. Additionally, AODT shall make every effort to address all complaints in a timely and thorough way.
How to get a Title VI Complaint Form
A PDF of the Title VI Complaint Form can be downloaded by clicking here.
Office Locations
- City of Athens Utility Billing Office (8 Washington St, Athens, OH)
- HAPCAP Glouster front desk (3 Cardaras Dr, Glouster, OH)
- HAPCAP Logan front desk (1005 CIC Dr, Logan, OH)
- All employees will be required to have a copy hanging in their office
Other
- Statement on brochures
- Notices in vehicles
How to file a Title VI Complaint
The complainant (the person who believes that they have been discriminated against or an authorized representative on their behalf) may file a signed, written complaint up to one hundred and eighty (180) days after the date of the alleged discrimination using the Title VI Complaint Form.
The complaint may be filed with AODT at the following address:
Attn: Title VI Coordinator
Athens On Demand Transit
3. Cardaras Drive
Glouster, OH 45732
What happens to the complaint once is it submitted?
An AODT investigator will fully review the complaint, and will make every effort to do so in a timely manner. The investigator will keep a written record of all interviews conducted with the complainant, AODT staff, and any witnesses to the alleged discrimination.
A letter acknowledging receipt of complaint will be mailed to the complainant certified within seven (7) business days after the postmark on the complaint letter. If more information is needed to resolve the case, AODT may make a request for that information in the acknowledgment letter.
The complainant will have seven (7) business days after the certification date of the acknowledgment letter to supply the requested information to the investigator assigned to the case. If the investigator is not contacted by the complainant or does not receive the requested additional information within seven (7) business days, AODT may administratively close the case. A case may also be administratively closed if the complainant no longer wishes to pursue their case.
After the investigator reviews the complaint, she/he will issue a letter to the complainant within sixty (60) days after the date of the initial complaint. This letter will be one of two types: a closure letter or a letter of finding (LOF). A closure letter summarizes the allegations and states that there was not a Title VI violation and that the case will be closed. An LOF summarizes the allegations and the interviews regarding the alleged incident, and explains whether any disciplinary action, additional training of the staff member or other action will occur.
If the complainant wishes to appeal the decision, she/he has seven (7) business days after the certified date of the letter or the LOF to do so. The complainant may also file a complaint directly with the Federal Transit Administration, at
FTA Office of Civil Rights,
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20590.
Notes
AODT encourages complainants to certify all mail that is sent through the U.S. Postal Service to ensure that all written correspondence can be tracked easily. All AODT documents pertaining to Title VI complaints will be sent by certified mail.
All time periods referred to in this document are counted not including the starting day and including the final day. This means that the day after the starting event is the first day of the time period, and communication may be received through the end of the final day. Documents sent by postal mail will be considered received on the date that they are postmarked, or the certification date if sent by certified mail. Electronic and telephone communication will be considered received on the date that it takes place and is logged.
Example: If an incident of alleged discrimination takes place on January 1st and the time period to file a complaint is 180 days, the final day that a complaint must be postmarked is June 29th. You may use the date calculator located at timeanddate.com to check any time period by entering the starting date and the time period in question.
