CIVIL RIGHTS AND ACCESS TO COUNTY SERVICES

Suffolk County is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or discriminated against under its projects, programs or activities on the basis of race, color, national origin (including Limited English Proficiency), gender*(in the context of education), disability or age, as provided in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Americans with Disabilities Act, Age Discrimination Act and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY

Suffolk County, under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes, ensures that no person in the County, shall on the grounds of race, color, national origin, disability, gender* (in the context of education), or age be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity it administers.

As a recipient of federal dollars, Suffolk County is required to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other statutes to ensure that services and benefits are provided on a non-discriminatory basis.

The Suffolk County Title VI Coordinator is responsible to ensure compliance with the County’s Title VI Non-Discrimination Policy and oversee the discrimination complaint process. In addition, each County Department or Division has a Title VI Designee who is directly responsible to ensure that departmental programs, activities and benefits comply with the County’s Non-Discrimination Policy and to investigate all discrimination complaints made regarding its programs, benefits or activities. Suffolk County also provides assistance for individuals with Limited English Proficiency. Go to the Language Access Plan page for more information on available language assistance services.

* While Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination based on gender in the context of education, many Federal programs prohibit gender discrimination in other contexts. Please contact Suffolk County Constituent Affairs at  (631) 853-4738 or  minority.affairs@suffolkcountyny.gov if you feel you have been discriminated against on the basis of gender.

DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINT PROCEDURE

Suffolk County’s discrimination complaint procedure and investigative process are consistent with federal guidelines.

Any person who feels that he or she, individually or as a member of any class of persons, on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, gender* (in the context of education), or age has been excluded from or denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination under any program or activity may file a written discrimination complaint. A discrimination complaint must be filed within 180 calendar days of the date the alleged the discrimination occurred.

Filing a complaint is easy. The complaint procedure, including optional appeals process, is outlined in six easy steps below:

1. Submission of Complaint: Please complete the following Suffolk County Discrimination Complaint Form. Remember to sign and date the form. Unsigned or anonymous complaints cannot be accepted.
• Suffolk County Discrimination Complaint Form (PDF)
• Complaint forms are also available in:
• Español: Formulario de queja de discriminación en el servicio
• Chinese: 服務歧視投訴表
• Haitian-Creole: Fòmilè Plent sou Diskriminasyon Sèvis
• Italian: Modulo di denuncia per discriminazione nei servizi
• Polish: Formularz zażalenia o dyskryminację w dostępie do usług
• Portuguese: Formulário de Queixa de Discriminação de Serviço

For additional languages email constituent.affairs@suffolkcountyny.gov. or call (631) 853-4235.

Please mail, email or fax the signed and dated complaint to the following address:

H. Lee Dennison Building
100 Veterans Memorial Hwy P.O. Box 6100
Hauppauge, NY 11788

Attn: Constituent Affairs - Title VI Complaint

 constituent.affairs@suffolkcountyny.gov

Fax: (631) 853-5716

2. Referral and Confirmation: Upon receipt, the complaint shall be forwarded to the Title VI Designee of the department responsible for the service, benefit, activity or program referenced on the Suffolk County Discrimination Complaint Form. The Title VI Designee shall mail a letter to the complainant confirming receipt of the Discrimination Complaint Form within 10 days of its receipt by the Department.
3. Investigation: The Title VI Designee shall investigate the complaint. Investigations may include interviews with the complainant, appropriate witnesses, relevant Suffolk County personnel and contractors, if any. In most cases, the Title VI Designee shall complete his or her investigation within 60 calendar days after receipt of a completed Suffolk County Discrimination Complaint Form. If more time is required, the Title VI Designee shall notify the complainant in writing of the delay and the estimated time for completion.
4. Departmental Determination: Upon completion of the investigation, the Title VI Designee shall mail a written determination the complainant.
5. Appeal: If the complainant disagrees with the Departmental Determination, he or she may request reconsideration by submitting a written request for appeal within 30 calendar days following receipt of the Departmental Determination. The appeal request should be addressed to the Title VI Coordinator or the Department Head as designated in the Departmental Determination. The appeal request should be sufficiently detailed to contain any items the complainant feels were not fully understood or reviewed in the initial investigation.
6. Final Determination Following Appeal: A request for appeal will trigger an automatic reconsideration of all investigation material and any additional information provided in the appeal request. The appeal will be followed by a Final Determination issued by the Department head in conjunction with the Title VI Coordinator.

For more information on Suffolk County’s Non-Discrimination program or how to file a complaint, contact:

• Suffolk County Constituent Affairs at  (631) 853-4235
• Email constituent at  affairs@suffolkcountyny.gov
• Submit a Discrimination Complaint to a State or Federal Agency

Anyone who feels that he or she has been discriminated against is free to submit a complaint directly to the appropriate federal or state agency regardless of the existence or status of a Suffolk County Discrimination Complaint.

 (888) 848-5306 English and Spanish (ingles y español)

OR

 (202) 307-2222 (voice)

(202) 307-2678 (TDD)

New York State Division of Human Rights at "how to file a complaint" or by contacting one of nine regional offices in New York State.

The Suffolk County office is located at:

 (631) 952-6434

 InfoLongIsland@dhr.ny.gov

If information is needed in another language, contact  (631) 853-4738

Si necesita información en otro idioma, llame al  (631) 853-4738