The City of Gastonia is dedicated to providing equitable access to all City services, programs, and activities. In accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related federal laws, this complaint procedure has been established to provide a clear and fair process for individuals to report concerns related to discrimination.
Any individual who believes they have been subjected to discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, religion, income level, sexual orientation, or limited English proficiency may use this procedure to file a formal complaint regarding City services, programs, or activities.
To learn more about Title VI protections, visit the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division at https://www.justice.gov/crt.
Complaints should be submitted in writing and include the complainant’s name, contact information, the date and location of the alleged discrimination, and a clear description of the incident. To ensure accessibility for all individuals, alternative methods for submitting a complaint—such as personal interviews, translated materials, or audio recordings—will be made available upon request.
Complaints should be submitted as soon as possible after the alleged discriminatory act occurred. Your complaint may be considered untimely if it is submitted more than 180 days after the alleged incident.
Submissions may be made using this online form or by mailing a written complaint to:
Attn: Director of Human Resources
City of Gastonia
PO Box 1748
Gastonia, NC 28053
Title VI Complaint Process Overview
These procedures apply to all complaints filed under Title VI. After completing this process, you still have the right to file a complaint with state or federal agencies or pursue private legal action.
- Anyone who believes they’ve experienced discrimination may submit a written complaint to the City’s Title VI Coordinator or designee. Your complaint may be considered untimely if it is submitted more than 180 days after the alleged incident.
- The Title VI Coordinator or designee will review within 5 days to determine the following:
- Whether the City of Gastonia has jurisdiction over the complaint.
- Whether the complaint includes all necessary information.
- Whether any additional information is required.
- Whether the complaint warrants further investigation.
- The person or group named in the complaint will have 15 days to respond in writing. If the complaint invovles a contractor or subrecipient, the City will notify the relevant agency within 15 days.
- Within 60 days, the Title VI Coordinator or their designee will complete a written investigation report that includes a summary of the incident, names of individuals interviewed, any investigation findings, and recommend resolution or corrective action. The report will be reviewed by the City Attorney, City Manager, and Title VI Coordinator to determine appropriate action.
- Once the investigative report is finalized and a course of action has been determined, both the complainant and the respondent will be provided with a copy of the report, a summary of the resolution, and written notification of their right to appeal the decision.
- Within 60 days of receiving the original complaint, the City will submit a copy of the complaint, the investigative report, and the proposed course of action to the appropriate federal or state agency for review and comment. Within 15 days of receiving feedback from the agency, the Title VI Coordinator will meet with all parties involved to review and discuss the agency’s comments.
- After receiving comments from the appropriate federal or state agency, the City Manager will review the feedback and issue a final decision. This decision will incorporate any necessary actions to address the agency’s recommendations or concerns. All parties involved will receive a copy of the final decision along with a notice of their right to appeal.
- Appeals may be submitted if a party presents new evidence that was not previously considered and could not have reasonably been discovered during the initial investigation. If a party remains unsatisfied with the outcome, they may appeal the City Manager’s decision to the appropriate federal or state agency within 180 days of the final decision.
All written complaints received by the Title VI Coordinator or their designee, as well as any appeals to the City Manager or their designee—and the written responses from both offices—will be kept on file by the City of Gastonia for at least three (3) years, or longer if the records are still needed for administrative purposes.
