Sound Transit is responsible for civil rights compliance and monitoring, which includes ensuring that contractors properly abide by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which is the federal law that protects individuals from discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin in any program receiving federal assistance.
Any person who believes they have been discriminated against on the basis of race, color, or national origin by Sound Transit may file a Title VI complaint by contacting the agency. The complainant can choose to complete and submit the Title VI Complaint form to facilitate a speedier investigation or call the discrimination complaint line at 206-689-3302. Sound Transit will investigate all complaints received within 180 days of the alleged incident.
Once the complaint is received by Sound Transit, a Title VI investigator will attempt to make contact with the complainant or designee via phone within 3 business days. If the complainant cannot be reached, Sound Transit will continue the process by determining whether the complaint constitutes a Title VI complaint and/or whether there is sufficient information for an investigation. The complainant will receive an acknowledgement letter informing him/her whether the complaint is covered under Title VI.
Sound Transit will generally complete an investigation within 90 days from receipt of a completed complaint form. If more information is needed to resolve the case, Sound Transit may contact the complainant. Unless a longer period is specified by Sound Transit, the complainant will have ten (10) days from the date of the request to provide the information to the Sound Transit investigator assigned to the case.
If Sound Transit's investigator is not contacted by the complainant or does not receive the additional information within the required timeline, Sound Transit may administratively close the case. A case may be administratively closed also if the complainant no longer wishes to pursue their case.
After the investigation is completed, the complainant will be issued one of two letters: a closure letter or a letter of finding. A closure letter summarizes the allegations, states that a Title VI violation could not be established, and informs the complainant that the case will be closed. A letter of finding summarizes the allegations and explains whether any type of corrective action was recommended and/or taken.
A complainant may appeal the decision by submitting a written request to Sound Transit's Chief Executive Officer within fifteen (15) business days from the date of the closure letter or letter of finding. The appeal request must specify the basis for the appeal. The Chief Executive Officer will notify the complainant of the decision either to accept or reject the request for appeal within 10 days. In cases where appeal is granted, the Chief Executive Officer will issue a determination letter to the complainant upon completion of the appeal review.
A person may also file a complaint directly with the U.S. Department of Transportation by contacting the Department at: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration's Office of Civil Rights: Complaint Team, East Building, 5th Floor – TCR, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20590 or call 888-446-4511.
View more information about the Title VI discrimination complaint process.
Sound Transit Contact Information
For more information on Sound Transit's Title VI Policy and the procedures to file a complaint, contact 206-689-3302; TTY Relay 711; or email stdiscriminationcomplaint@soundtransit.org; or mail (Attn: Customer Service) 401 S. Jackson St. Seattle, WA 98104-2826