Federal law prohibits intimidation or retaliation of any kind for filing a complaint.
If you believe you have been discriminated against regarding the receipt of benefits or services because of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability or income level, you have the right to file a complaint with Metro. Complaints based on any other issue will be directed to the appropriate department or agency for resolution.
Metro's Title VI coordinator and ADA coordinator make every effort to resolve the complaint. The Title VI coordinator or ADA coordinator will schedule initial interviews with the persons involved to determine the relief requested and to discuss settlement options. The Title VI coordinator or ADA coordinator may suggest informal mediation at any stage of the process to resolve the issue. Filing a complaint with Metro will not lead to recovery of money damages, but will allow the affected individuals to discuss any issues and to develop solutions. In some cases, a state or federal agency may assume jurisdiction to review or investigate matters.
Filing options
Even if you file a complaint with Metro, you still have the right to file a formal complaint with other government agencies and to seek an attorney to represent you. You may file a Title VI complaint with:
- Metro’s Title VI coordinator or ADA coordinator
- Oregon Department of Transportation Office of Civil Rights
- Federal Highway Administration or Federal Transit Administration
- U.S. Department of Transportation
- U.S. Department of Justice.
Metro’s procedures
Time limit. A person must file a complaint no more than 180 calendar days after either the date of the alleged act of discrimination, or the date when the person(s) became aware of the alleged discrimination.
Complaint requirements Complaints must:
- be in writing and signed or affirmed by the person filing the complaint
- include the date of the alleged act of discrimination (date when the person(s) became aware of the alleged discrimination, the date on which that conduct was discontinued, or the date of the latest instance of the conduct)
- provide a detailed description of the issues, including names and job titles of those individuals perceived as parties in the incident.
Complaint submission Submit complaints of discrimination because of race, color, national origin, sex, age or income level via one of the following methods:
- web form
- email to [email protected]
- fax to 503-797-1797
- mail to Clifford Higgins, Title VI coordinator, Metro, 600 NE Grand Ave., Portland, OR 97232
- verbally by telephone to 503-797-1890 or 503-797-1804 TDD
- verbally in person at 600 NE Grand Ave., Portland
Submit complaints of discrimination because of disability via one of the following methods:
- web form
- email to [email protected]
- mail to Heather Buczek, ADA coordinator and Accessibility Program Manager, Metro, 600 NE Grand Ave., Portland, OR 97232
- verbally by telephone to 971-940-3157 or 503-797-1804 TDD
- verbally in person at 600 NE Grand Ave., Portland
Complaints will reserve the date of receipt as the filing date. Verbal complaints will be put into writing and provided to complainant for revision or confirmation, and signature or affirmation before processing.
Complaint dismissal The Title VI coordinator or ADA coordinator may dismiss a complaint without investigation if:
- the complaint is not filed within the 180-day time limit
- the complaint is withdrawn
- the complainant fails to provide required information after repeated requests
- the complainant is anonymous or person who filed the complaint cannot be located after reasonable attempts.
Complaint review Upon receipt of the complaint, the Title VI coordinator or ADA coordinator will ensure that the complaint includes all necessary information, is timely and is within Metro's jurisdiction, usually within five calendar days of the receipt. The coordinator may refer complaints against Metro to the Oregon Department of Transportation Office of Civil Rights for investigation. If the complaint is incomplete, the coordinator will contact the person who filed complaint for additional information. The person who filed the complaint will be given 10 calendars days to respond to the request for additional information.
Investigation notification After determining Metro will accept the complaint for investigation, the Title VI coordinator or ADA coordinator will assign case number and log the complaint, its basis, alleged harm and the race, color, national origin, disability, age and sex of the complainant, as appropriate. The coordinator will send a notification letter and consent form to the complainant and, if Metro is not the subject of the complaint, send a notification letter to that person, company or agency. The subject of the complaint has 10 calendar days to respond to the allegation in writing. The coordinator will then investigate the complaint in coordination with the Office of Metro Attorney and Metro's Chief Operating Officer.
Resolution and notification Metro attempts to complete all Title VI and ADA complaint investigations within 60 calendar days of receipt of the complaint. At the completion of the investigation, Metro will notify the parties of the results of the investigation and submit the final investigative report and a copy of the complaint to Oregon Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration or Federal Transit Administration, as appropriate.