Filing a discrimination complaint

Any individual who believes they have been subjected to discrimination under Title VI in the provision of a federally assisted service by the Department can file a complaint. A representative or designee may also file on behalf of an affected individual. Complaints can be submitted verbally via telephone call to the Nondiscrimination Coordinator. Written complaints may be mailed, faxed, or emailed to the Nondiscrimination Coordinator.

Complaints in writing or provided verbally must at minimum contain the following information:

1. Name of complainant;
2. Name of the individual harmed or potentially harmed by the act of discrimination (may or may not be the complainant);
3. Home or Mobile Telephone Number of complainant;
4. Secondary Telephone Number (if available);
5. Mailing or Email Address of complainant;
6. Time most convenient for Nondiscrimination Coordinator to contact complainant;
7. Base of discriminatory action(s) – explain if based on race, sex, color, national origin, religion, or any other protected class;
8. Date and Place of alleged discriminatory actions, to include earliest date of discrimination and most recent date of discrimination;
9. Describe how discrimination unfolded through either an action or inaction, decision or a condition and how the protected class of the aggrieved individual was a factor in the discrimination.
10. Describe, if possible, how other persons were treated differently from the aggrieved individual.
11. Names of persons (witnesses, fellow employees, supervisors, or others) whom the Nondiscrimination Coordinator may contact for additional information to support or clarify.
12. Any additional information not captured that may be relevant to the alleged discrimination complaint.

The complaint shall be submitted by the complainant or their representative as soon as possible but no later than 180 calendar days following the alleged discrimination to the Nondiscrimination Coordinator. 

The Nondiscrimination Coordinator or representative/designee will acknowledge receipt of the complaint within 15 business days. Should the complaint be received in writing, the Nondiscrimination Coordinator shall notify the complainant in writing via the contact information provided. The Nondiscrimination Coordinator at such time shall seek necessary or additional information pertinent for their review and resolution.

Within 30 business days of receiving the complaint, the Nondiscrimination Coordinator will have reviewed to determine if the alleged discrimination falls within the scope of Title VI for further investigation.

• Should a determination be made that the alleged discrimination is indeed not a violation of Title VI against a protected class, or lacks insufficient information to support, the Nondiscrimination Coordinator shall advise the complainant within the 30 business days.
• Should the complaint move forward for investigation, the Nondiscrimination Coordinator shall proceed with beginning the investigation before or on the 30th business day from receiving the complaint.

An appropriate and impartial investigation of the discrimination allegation(s), which may be informal but thorough, will be conducted. The investigation will afford all interested individuals, including those listed as witnesses, an opportunity to submit evidence. The Nondiscrimination Coordinator shall maintain the files and records developed or obtained during the investigation and shall also take steps to ensure confidentiality of such files and records.

The Nondiscrimination Coordinator will aim to issue a written decision no later than 60 business days from receipt of complaint. If the Nondiscrimination Coordinator anticipates a delay, they shall notify the complainant of the reasons for the delay and provide an expected final response date.

The Nondiscrimination Coordinator shall issue a written response to the complainant that is one of the following:

1. A closure letter summarizing the allegations and stating there was no evidence of a violation.
2. A letter summarizing the allegations and any remedial administrative and corrective actions to be taken by the Department as authorized and appropriate under existing policies, procedures and agreements.

Should administrative and correction actions be necessary, the Nondiscrimination Coordinator will monitor the implementation for compliance.

The complainant can appeal to the Department Director within 15 calendar days after receipt of the response from the Nondiscrimination Coordinator.

The Department Director contact information is as follows:

Lourdes Gomez, Director, AICP
Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources
111 NW 1st Street, 11th Floor, Miami, FL 33128
Email: [email protected]
Office: 305-375-2886

The Department Director or designee will meet with the complainant and affected operation within 15 business days of the receipt of the appeal to discuss the complaint and possible solutions.  The Department Director or designee may also interview witnesses and review all files and records obtained during the investigation. 

Within 15 calendar days of meeting with the complainant, the Department Director or designee will respond in writing to the complainant, with a final resolution of the complaint.  If a delayed response is anticipated, the Department Director or designee will notify the complainant in writing of the reasons(s) for the delay and the expected date for a response.

The Nondiscrimination Coordinator shall also maintain and hold all files and records resulting from the appeals process. 

Non-Discrimination Coordinator 

The Department Director designated the following as the Non-Discrimination Coordinator: 

Alain Donderiz, M.P.H., C.H.E.S.
Manager, RER Safety & Training/RER ADA Coordinator
Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources, 
Human Resources, Safety and Training Section of the Administrative Services Division
701 NW 1st Court, 4th Floor, Miami, FL 33136
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 305-372-6779
Fax: 305-372-6465