TIMELINESS

A complaint must be filed within 180 calendar days of the date of the alleged discrimination, unless the time for filing is extended by OCR for good cause.

INSTITUTIONAL GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES

Prior to filing a complaint with OCR against an institution, a potential complainant may want to find out about the institution's grievance process and use that process to have the complaint resolved. A complainant is not required by law to use the institutional grievance procedure before filing a complaint with OCR. If a complainant uses an institutional grievance process and also chooses to file the complaint with OCR, the complaint must be filed with OCR within 60 days after the last act of the institutional grievance process.

WHERE TO WRITE

Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20202-1100
1-800-421-3481
FAX: (202) 245-6840; TDD: (877) 521-2172
E-mail: OCR@ed.gov
Web: www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html

EASTERN DIVISION

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Office for Civil Rights, Boston Office
U.S. Department of Education
33 Arch Street, Suite 900
Boston, MA 02110-1491
(617) 289-0111; FAX# (617) 289-0150

New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico,
Virgin Islands
Office for Civil Rights, New York Office
U.S. Department of Education
32 Old Slip, 26th Floor
New York, NY 10005-2500
(646) 428-3900; FAX# (646) 428-3843

Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky,
Pennsylvania, West Virginia
Office for Civil Rights, Philadelphia Office
U.S. Department of Education
Wanamaker Building
100 Penn Square East, Suite 515
Philadelphia, PA 19107-3323
(215) 656-8541; FAX# (215) 656-8605

SOUTHERN DIVISION

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee
Office for Civil Rights, Atlanta Office
U.S. Department of Education
61 Forsyth Street, S.W., Suite 19T70