TITLE VI

Title VI Complaint Process

The U.S. Department of Transportation, through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), provides federal funding to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. The FHWA authorizes Caltrans to enforce Local Public Agencies' Title VI Plans to ensure compliance with FHWA's Title VI requirements. Caltrans allows Public Works to resolve inquiries internally. If an inquiry becomes a formal complaint, constituents can file a complaint directly with Caltrans at Filing a Title VI Complaint | Caltrans or Public Works can email the complaint directly to Caltrans. Caltrans will then forward it to the appropriate agency, such as the FHWA or the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), for investigation. For other complaints where the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works has jurisdiction and can investigate, Public Works will follow the complaint process below.

Title VI Inquiry/Complaint Process

Public Works established a Title VI inquiry/complaint procedure. The procedure is described below.

Any person who believes they have been subjected to unlawful discriminatory practice under Title VI has a right to file a complaint. Any such complaint must be filed in writing with the Public Works Title VI Coordinator within 180 days following the date of the alleged discriminatory action.

The complaint process is available at Public Works' public counters and online. Complaints must be filed in writing and should be directed to:

County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works
Workforce Support Division – Title VI Coordinator
900 South Fremont Avenue, Alhambra, CA 91803
Website: https://dpw.lacounty.gov/general/civilRights/nondiscrimination.shtml

Complainants will be advised that they may submit their formal complaint to Public Works or to an external Federal agency, such as the FAA, FHWA, and FTA. However, should a formal complaint be filed with Public Works and the Federal agency simultaneously, the Federal complaint will supersede Public Works' complaint and Public Works' complaint procedures will be suspended pending the Federal agency's findings. Every effort will be made to obtain a timely resolution of complaints.

Public Works' Title VI Coordinator will adhere to following Title VI formal complaint procedures:

1. The formal complaint must meet the following requirements to undergo a Title VI investigation:

   1. Complaint shall be in writing and signed by the complainant(s). In cases where a formal complainant is unable or incapable of providing a written statement, a verbal complaint may be made. The coordinator can assist the person in converting a verbal complaint to writing the formal complainant. All complaints must, however, be signed by the complainant or his/her representative.

   2. Include the date of the alleged act of discrimination, date when the complainant became aware of the alleged discrimination, date on which the conduct occurred, and the latest instance of conduct.

   3. Present a detailed description of the issues, including names and job titles of those individuals perceived as parties to the discriminatory activity.

   4. Formal complaints must be filed within 180 calendar days of the alleged incident in compliance with applicable law.

2. The Public Works Title VI Coordinator will maintain a log of all Title VI complaints identifying complainant's name, factual allegations, alleged harm, basis for the discrimination complaint based on a protected class. Coordinator will maintain a list of formal complaints received.

3. Within 14 business days of receiving the formal complaint, Public Works Title VI Coordinator will determine jurisdiction, sufficiency, and any need for additional information. The coordinator will attempt to contact the complainant if additional information is needed. The complainant will have 60 days from the date of the letter to send the requested information to the Public Works Title VI Coordinator. If the complainant fails to respond as requested, Public Works may terminate the investigation and close the complaint.

4. The Public Works coordinator will assign a formal complaint number, send an acknowledgment letter to the complainant informing him/her that Public Works has received the formal complaint. The acknowledgment letter will include Caltrans' contact information for the complainant to obtain status updates. The coordinator will forward the formal complaint to Caltrans for investigation or to be assigned to the appropriate agency.

5. Within 90 calendar days of receipt of the complaint or requested additional information, the appropriate agency will issue either: 1) a closure letter or 2) a letter of finding (LOF). A closure letter summarizes the allegations and states that there was not a Title VI violation or there was insufficient evidence to substantiate the alleged violation and that the complaint will be closed. A LOF summarizes the allegations and informs the complainant whether the complaint was found to have merit and it will take appropriate corrective action to remedy the matter.

6. If the complainant is unsatisfied with the decision, he/she may file an appeal with the appropriate Federal agency for their review of the decision.

For information or guidance on how to file a complaint directly with Caltrans, or obtain more information regarding Title VI, please contact the Title VI Branch Manager at (916) 639-6392 or visit their Title VI webpage.