Title VI
Policy Statement
It is the policy of the City of Sammamish that no person shall, on the basis of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any federally funded program or activity as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, and any other applicable non-discrimination Civil Rights laws and regulations.
The City of Sammamish assures that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, or gender, as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity.
Furthermore, the City of Sammamish assures that no person shall, on the grounds of age, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, income, or limited English proficiency, as provided by the legal statutes listed below, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity.
About Title VI
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
"No person in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."
The U.S. Congress signed the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and the Civil Rights Restoration Act in 1987. Title VI of the Civil Rights Acts prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin in all benefits and services provided by government agencies. Additional nondiscrimination laws prohibit discrimination based on disability, age, income status, minority status or limited English proficiency.
Title VI and other nondiscrimination laws apply to all local government programs and activities. Nondiscrimination laws are not limited to federally funded programs and activities.
Title VI Complaints
Who is eligible to file a Title VI complaint?
Anyone who believes they have been excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to discrimination under any City of Sammamish program or activity because of their race, color, national origin, age, sex, or disability may file a Title VI complaint.
How to file a Title VI complaint
Complaints must be filed in writing within 180 days from the last date of the alleged discrimination. However, you may contact the City of Sammamish’s Title VI Coordinator if you believe your complaint may fall outside of this deadline.
Where to submit Title VI complaints
Complaints may be submitted via mail, email, or in person to:
Title VI Coordinator
City of Sammamish
TitleVICoordinator@sammamish.us
Mailing address:
801 228th Avenue SE
Sammamish, WA 98075-9509
Physical Address:
801 228th Avenue SE
Sammamish, WA 98075-9509
Assistance filing a written complaint
Reasonable efforts will be made to assist persons with disabilities, non-English speakers, and others unable to file a written complaint.
For assistance filing a complaint, please contact the City of Sammamish’s Title VI Coordinator.
What happens after a complaint is filed?
Review for jurisdiction
Once a complaint is received, the City of Sammamish will review it to determine if our office has jurisdiction. The complainant will receive an acknowledgment letter informing him/her whether the complaint will be investigated by our office.
Investigation of Title VI complaint
If the complaint has investigative merit, the Title VI Coordinator will assign an investigator. The City of Sammamish has 90 days to investigate the complaint.
If more information is needed to resolve the case, the investigator may contact the complainant. The complainant has 30 business days from the date of the letter to provide the investigator with the requested information.
If the complainant does not contact the investigator or provide the additional information within 30 business days, the City of Sammamish may administratively close the case. A case can also be administratively closed if the complainant no longer wishes to pursue their case.
Conclusion of investigation
After the investigator reviews the complaint, a letter will be issued to the complainant: either 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. This means the case will be closed.
- A Letter of Finding (LOF) summarizes the allegations and the interview regarding the alleged incident. It explains how the situation will be addressed. It states whether any disciplinary action, additional training of the employee, or other action will occur.
If the complainant wishes to appeal the decision, they have 90 days after the date of the letter to do so.
What if I don’t agree with the decision?
The notification of the final decision will advise the complainant of their appeal rights with WSDOT and USDOT.
Administrative Jurisdiction Contacts
Washington State Department of Transportation
Office of Equal Opportunity, Title VI Program
P.O. Box 47314
Olympia, WA 98504-7314
(360) 705-7090
https://wsdot.wa.gov/EqualOpportunity/default.html
Federal Highway Administration
Washington Division Office
711 Capitol Way South, Suite 501
Olympia, WA 98501-1284
(360) 753-9480
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/wadiv/