Discrimination Complaint Procedure

Any individual, group of individuals or entity that believes they have been discriminated against on the
basis of race, color, disability or national origin by the Town of Acton or its third-party vendors may file
an American with Disabilities Act (ADA) or Title VI complaint by completing and submitting the ADA and
Title VI Complaint Form.

Anyone who believes that the Town of Acton (Acton) or its third-party vendors have failed to comply
with any of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) regulations listed below is eligible to file a
complaint. Complaints should be filed within 180 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance.
Acton will address any complaints you might have, including but not limited to:

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): this prohibits discrimination on the basis of a disability;
• Title VI: this prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin.

1. Print or Download the Complaint Form: Obtain the complaint form from the Town of
   Acton’s website https://www.acton-ma.gov or contact the Office of Diversity, Equity,
   and Inclusion at (978) 929-6651.
2. You may also click the link https://shorturl.at/vPsfx.
3. Submit the Complaint Form: Once you have filled out the complaint form, you can submit it
   through one of the following methods:
   ○ Mail: Send it to the address below.

Town of Acton
472 Main Street
Acton, MA 01720
Attn: Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Equity
○ Email: Send it to transportation@actonma.gov.
○ Fax: (978) 929-6340.
○ In-Person: Deliver it directly to the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the
address above.

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Contact Information for Questions and Application Support:

1. Phone: Contact Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at (978) 929-6611
2. Fax: (978) 929-6340
3. Email: transportation@actonma.gov
   What to Expect During the Complaint Process
   The Town of Acton and its third-party vendors want to address and correct all concerns and complaints
   in a timely manner. You will receive a confirmation that your complaint was received within 10 business
   days of your submission, (not including holidays and weekends).
   A complaint must be filed with the Town of Acton no later than 180 days after the alleged ADA violation.
   Once the complaint is received, Acton will review to determine if our office has jurisdiction. A copy of
   each ADA and Title VI complaint form will be forwarded to Massachusetts Department of Transportation
   (MASSDOT).
   The Town then has 45 days to investigate the complaint. If more information is needed to resolve the
   case, Acton may contact the complainant requesting further information. The complainant has 10
   business days from the date of the request for more information to submit requested information to the
   investigator of the case. If the investigator is not contacted by the complainant or does not receive the
   requested additional information within 10 business days, Acton may administratively close the case.
   We will begin working internally to investigate and respond to your complaint, potentially reaching out
   to you for additional details and information as required. Once a resolution to your complaint has been
   made, we will keep a record of your complaint documentation for a period of 5 years from the
   resolution date.
   After the investigator reviews the complaint, Acton will issue one of two (2) letters to the complainant: a
   closure letter or a letter of finding (LOF), described as follows:
4. A closure letter summarizes the allegations and states that there was not an ADA or Title VI
   violation and that the case will be closed.
5. A letter of finding (LOF) summarizes the allegation and the investigation regarding the alleged
   incident, and explains whether any disciplinary action, additional training of the staff member or
   other action will occur.
   Eligibility Appeal Process
   If the complainant wishes to appeal the decision it must direct the appeal to the Town department that
   made the decision. The complainant has 10 days after the date of the closure letter or the letter of
   finding (LOF) to do so. If an appeal is sent to a Town department that was not involved in the original
   decision under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the process can generally unfold as follows:

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1. Redirecting the Appeal: A department that receives the appeal but was not involved in the
   original decision should redirect the appeal to the correct department or office that handled the
   initial decision. This ensures the matter is addressed by the right parties with appropriate
   knowledge of the original context.
2. Notification to the Individual: The person who submitted the appeal should be informed of a
   complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice or another relevant enforcement agency
   promptly that the appeal has been forwarded to the appropriate department. Clear
   communication should be provided about the status and next steps in the process.
3. Review of the Appeal: Once the correct department receives the appeal, they will typically
   review the case and the original decision. This may involve examining whether the decision was
   consistent with ADA requirements and whether accommodations or adjustments were
   appropriately considered.
4. Timely Response: Under ADA guidelines, agencies or organizations should respond to appeals or
   complaints in a timely manner. This response time can vary depending on the organization’s
   policies, but it should be reasonable and aim to address the concern as quickly as possible.
5. Further Action or Resolution: If the department reviewing the appeal finds that the original
   decision violated ADA standards or did not consider appropriate accommodations, they may
   take corrective action. This could involve reversing the decision, offering new accommodations,
   or taking other steps to ensure compliance with ADA standards.
6. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR): If the matter is not resolved at the department level, the
   person filing the appeal might have the option to pursue further action. They may appeal an
   outstanding concern to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MASSDOT) or the
   Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The appeal process information will be included in the
   decision letter from the Town.
   Mass Department of Transportation (MASSDOT) Title VI Specialists
   Office of Diversity and Civil Rights-Title VI Unit
   10 Park Plaza, Suite 3800
   Boston, MA 02116
   Phone: (857) 368-8580 or 7-1-1 for Relay Service
   Email: MassDOT.CivilRights@state.ma.us
   U.S. Department of Transportation
   Office of Civil Rights
   1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
   Washington DC 20590
   Website: civilrights.justice.gov/
   If you have an ADA complaint, please contact the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) by mail,
   in person, phone at (978) 929-6611 or email transportation@actonma.gov to request an ADA/Title VI
   Discrimination Complaint Form.