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 states:
"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, regardless of whether or not they are federally funded.
Who is eligible to file a 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 complaint.
How to file a 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.
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 (information below).
Title VI Complaint Form – Online
Title VI Complaint Form – PDF
Complaints may be submitted via mail, email, or in person to:
Title VI Coordinator
City of Sammamish
TitleVICoordinator@sammamish.us
425-295-0500
Mailing address:
801 228th Avenue SE
Sammamish, WA 98075-9509
Physical Address:
801 228th Avenue SE
Sammamish, WA 98075-9509
What happens after a complaint is filed?
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.
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 send requested information to the investigator assigned to the case. If the investigator is not contacted by the complainant or does not receive the additional information within 30 business days, the City of Sammamish can administratively close the case. A case can also be administratively closed if the complainant no longer wishes to pursue their case.
After the investigator reviews the complaint, one of two letters will be issued to the complainant: 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. An LOF summarizes the allegations and the interview regarding the alleged incident. It explains how the situation will be addressed, and whether any disciplinary action, additional training of the employee, or other action will occur. If the complainant wishes to appeal the decision, he/she has 90 days after the date of the letter or the LOF to do so.
What if I don’t agree with the decision?
The notification of the final decision will advise the complainant of his/her appeal rights with WSDOT and USDOT if he/she is dissatisfied with the final decision rendered.
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/
LEGAL STATUTES & RELATED INFORMATION
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act
Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987