Filing a Complaint

Any member of the public may contact FEMA if they feel that they have been discriminated against by FEMA employees, or programs or activities conducted by FEMA, or in programs or activities provided by recipients of FEMA financial assistance.

An external civil rights complaint may arise from discrimination based on race, color, religion, nationality, national origin, sex, age, disability, English proficiency, or economic status.

As a FEMA employee or job applicant, it is important that you know your rights. If you feel that you have been harassed or discriminated against, you may file an internal civil rights complaint or an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaint.

The EEO administrative process protects FEMA’s current and former employees and job applicants from discrimination or harassment.

For more information on employee and applicant rights, please visit Civil Rights for Employees and Applicants | FEMA.gov.

• To start the process of filing an external civil rights complaint, you must contact the FEMA Office of Civil Rights (OCR) by email, phone, or mail.
• Complaints must include:
  • Your name, address, and phone number.
  • Your signature.
  • Name and address of the agency, institution, or department you believe discriminated against you.
  • How, why, and when you believe you were discriminated against.
  • Name(s) of individual(s) whom you allege discriminated against you (if you know them).
  • Names of any persons with additional information to support or clarify your allegations.
  • If filing on behalf of someone else, include their name as well.

• Upon receipt, OCR will review the allegation to determine relevant facts and whether it has jurisdiction to accept a complaint, offer alternative dispute resolution, and investigate.
• As part of the investigation process, OCR may make a finding on the allegations or provide the covered entities with opportunities to enter into voluntary compliance and resolve the complaint.
• Discriminatory incidents must be reported to OCR within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory act.

You may contact the FEMA Office of Civil Rights by phone, email, or mail, as listed below for general questions, to raise concerns, or to initiate an external civil rights complaint.

If you believe that you or someone you know has been discriminated against, you may file a civil rights complaint:

• Call the Civil Rights Resource Line at 1 (833) 285-7448
  • Press 1 for English
  • Press 2 for Spanish
    
• Email: FEMA-OCR-ECRD@fema.dhs.gov
  
• Mailing Address:
  FEMA Office of Civil Rights
  500 C Street, SW
  4th Floor – 4SW-0915
  Washington, DC 20472-3535