Your rights under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

              Title VI
Of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Phone: 405-521-2072
Toll Free: 1-800-788-4539
Fax: 405-522-2136
Civil Rights Division
200 N.E. 21st Street, Room 1-C5
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/
Oklahoma Department of
Transportation
Oklahoma Department of Transportation
“No person in the United States shall, on
the ground of race, color, or national
origin, be excluded from participation in,
be denied the benefits of, or be subjected
to discrimination under any program or
activity receiving Federal financial
assistance.”
“Simple jus t i ce requi res that
public funds, to which all taxpayers of
all races contribute, not be spent in any
fashion which encourages, entrenches,
subsidizes, or results in racial
discrimination.”
-President John F. Kennedy, in his message calling
for the enactment of Title VI, 1963
You should be aware that a recipient is prohibited
from retaliating against you or any person
because he or she opposed an unlawful policy or
practice, or made charges, testified, or participated
in any complaint action under the Title VI. If you
believe that you have been retaliated against, you
should immediately contact the ODOT.
Any state, territory, possession, the District of
Columbia, Puerto Rico, or any political subdivision,
or instrumentality thereof, or any public or private
agency, institution, or organization, or other
entity, or any individual, in any state, territory,
possession, the District of Columbia, or Puerto
Rico, to whom Federal assistance is extended,
either directly or through another recipient, for any
program. Recipient includes any successor,
assignee, or transferee thereof. The term
recipient does not include any ultimate beneficiary
under any such program.
What if the recipient
retaliated against me for
asserting my rights or
filing a complaint?
Each Federal agency that provides Federal
financial assistance as well as the ODOT as a
recipient of Federal financial assistance is
responsible for investigating complaints of
discrimination on the basis of race, color, or
national origin in the use of its funds. If you
believe that you or others protected by Title VI have
been discriminated against, you may file a
complaint with the Federal agency that provides
funds for the program where you believe the
discrimination is occurring or the ODOT.
Complaints filed with the ODOT should be directed
to:
There are many forms of illegal
discrimination based on race, color, or national
origin that can limit the opportunity of minorities
to gain equal access to services and programs.
Among other things, in operating a federally
assisted program, a recipient cannot, on the
basis of race, color or national origin, either
directly or through contractual means:
 Deny a program services, aids, or benefits;
 Provide a different service, aid, or benefit, or
provide them in a manner different than they
are provided to others; or
 Segregate or separately treat individuals in any
matter related to the receipt of any service, aid,
or benefit.
Oklahoma Department of Transportation
Civil Rights Division
200 N.E. 2st Street, Room 1-C5
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-3204
A signed, written complaint should be filed
within 180 days of the date of the alleged
discrimination. The Title VI Complaint form is
available on the ODOT’s website or by contacting
the ODOT’s Civil Rights Division. Information from
the complaint should include:
1. Your name, address, and telephone number.
Your complaint must be signed. If you are filing
on behalf of another person, include your name,
address, telephone number, and your relation to
that person (e.g. friend, attorney, parent, etc.).
2. The name and address of the agency ,
institution, or department you believe
discriminated against you.
3. How, why, and when you believe you
were discriminated against. Include as much
background information as possible about the
alleged acts of discrimination. Include names
of individuals whom you allege discriminated
against you, if you know them.
4. The names of any persons, if known, that
the investigating agency may contact for
additional information to support or clarify your
allegations.
Once a complaint is filed, it will be
reviewed by the department to determine
whether it has jurisdiction to investigate the
issues you have raised. If it is determined
that ODOT has jurisdiction to investigate the
complaint, the allegations will be investigated. If
violations of the Title VI are found, the
department will attempt to resolve them. If the
complaint is against the ODOT it will be
forwarded to the Federal agency which provided
 All Advertisements; funds for the program or project in question.
 Bid proposals, requests, and evaluations;
 Contracts/subcontracts;
 Title VI reports, issues, and complaint: Public
meetings and internal meetings relating to Title VI
will be documented and reports forwarded to the
Title VI Coordinator;
 The Title VI contract provisions and other legal
documents;
 Other office areas where discrimination may
exist.
Complaints may be filed by any individual or
group who believes:
 That their rights, under the Title VI have been
violated in a discriminatory manner.
 That the department’s programs or activities do
not comply with Federal civil rights laws.
 That they have been treated in a disparate
manner.
Discrimination:
An act (or action) whether intentional or
unintentional through which a person in the United
States, solely because of race, color, religion,
gender, or national origin has been otherwise
subjected to unequal treatment under any program
or activity receiving financial assistance from the
Federal highway Administration, the Federal Transit
Administration, or the Federal Aviation
Administration.
Disparate Treatment:
Inconsistent application of rules and policies to one
group of people over another. Discrimination may
result when rules and policies are applied differently
to members of protected classes. Disciplining
Hispanic and African-American employees for
tardiness, while ignoring tardiness among other
employees is an example of disparate treatment.
What is Title VI?
T itle VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the
Federal law that protects individuals from
discrimination on the basis of their race, color, or
national origin in programs that receive Federal
financial assistance.
Title VI Covers...
How can I file a
discrimination complaint?
Who may file a
Title VI Complaint?