Overview

Gwinnett County Government, through the Department of Transportation, hereby gives public notice that it is committed to full compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and all related regulations and directives. Gwinnett County assures that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, sex, national origin, disability, or age — as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987 — be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity, whether federally assisted or not.

Any person who believes they have been subjected to unlawful discriminatory practices under Title VI has the right to file a formal complaint with the Gwinnett County Department of Transportation. Complaints must be submitted in writing within 180 calendar days of the alleged incident.

The Title VI Complaint Form is available online. The Title VI Complaint Form is also available in print at no cost by calling 770.822.7400.

These procedures apply to all complaints filed under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and all related regulations and directives, relating to any program or activity administered by the Gwinnett County Department of Transportation, including those administered by sub-recipients, consultants, and contractors. Intimidation or retaliation of any kind is prohibited by law.

Right to file formal complaints

These procedures do not deny the complainant’s right to file formal complaints with other state or federal agencies, or to seek private counsel regarding complaints alleging discrimination. These procedures are part of an administrative process and do not provide for remedies that include punitive damages or compensatory remuneration.

Complaint resolution

Initial interviews with both the complainant and the respondent will be conducted to gather information regarding requested relief and potential settlement opportunities. Informal mediation meetings between the affected parties and the Title VI coordinator may be offered at any stage of the process as a resolution option. The Title VI coordinator will make every reasonable effort to resolve the complaint.

Procedures

1. Any individual, group of individuals, or entity that believes they have been subjected to discrimination prohibited by nondiscrimination requirements may file a formal, written complaint using the Title VI Complaint Form. Complaints received by fax, mailed letters, or e-mail will be acknowledged and processed once the complainant has been identified and the intent to proceed with the complaint has been established.

2. A formal complaint must be submitted within 180 calendar days of the alleged occurrence. Gwinnett Transportation will not act on or respond to complaints made verbally.

3. Upon receiving the written complaint, Gwinnett Transportation will determine jurisdiction, acceptability, the need for additional information, and the investigative merit of the complaint. If the complaint is filed against a sub-recipient, consultant, or contractor under contract with Gwinnett Transportation, the appropriate sub-recipient will be notified within 15 calendar days.

4. In some situations, Gwinnett Transportation may request the Georgia Department of Transportation’s (GDOT) Office of Equal Employment Opportunity to conduct the investigation. If GDOT handles the investigation, it will follow its adopted procedures in accordance with its current Title VI Plan

5. Once Gwinnett Transportation determines a course of action, the complainant and respondent will be notified in writing within five calendar days. The complaint will be logged by the Title VI coordinator and will include the basis of the allegation — whether race, color, sex, national origin, disability, and/or age.

6. In cases where Gwinnett Transportation assumes the investigation, the respondent will be provided an opportunity to respond to the allegations in writing. The respondent will have 10 calendar days upon receipt of the complaint to furnish a written response to Gwinnett Transportation.

7. Within 60 calendar days of receipt of the complaint, the Gwinnett Transportation Title VI coordinator (or GDOT representative) will prepare a written report. This report will include a narrative description of the incident, a list of individuals interviewed, and findings and recommendations for resolution.

8. Once the report is finalized, briefings will be scheduled with both parties within 60 calendar days. Each party will receive a copy of the final report and will be informed of their respective appeal rights.

9. A copy of the complaint and the final report will be submitted to GDOT’s Office of Equal Employment Opportunity within 60 calendar days of the completion of briefings.

10. If the complainant or respondent is dissatisfied with the results of the investigation, they will be informed of their right to appeal Gwinnett Transportation’s decision to GDOT, the United States Department of Transportation, or the United States Department of Justice. The complainant has 180 calendar days upon receipt of Gwinnett County’s briefing to appeal to USDOT. Unless new, previously unconsidered facts emerge, reconsideration of the county’s final determination will not be available.

Complaint log

A complaint log will be maintained by Gwinnett Transportation and will include the following information for each complaint filed:

• Name and address of the complainant
• Date of the complaint
• Basis of the complaint (e.g., race, color, sex, etc.)
• Status of the complaint
• Final disposition of the complaint

Contact

Formal complaints should be submitted by mail or email to:

Gwinnett County Department of Transportation
Attn: Gwinnett DOT Title VI Coordinator
One Justice Square
446 West Crogan Street, Suite 410
Lawrenceville, GA 30046
DOTTitle6Coordinator@GwinnettCounty.com

Any person who believes they have been aggrieved by an unlawful discriminatory practice under Title VI has the right to file a formal complaint with Gwinnett Transportation. View the Title VI Form online for more information.