Discrimination and Civil Rights Complaints
City's Statement of Non-Discrimination
In accordance with federal civil rights laws, the City of West Linn does not discriminate, and will not permit discrimination in its operations, against any party or person based on race (including but not limited to physical characteristics that are historically associated with race, including but not limited to, natural hair, hair texture, hair type and protective hair styles), color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions), political affiliation, uniformed/military service or veteran’s status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, expunged juvenile record, whistleblower activity, or any other status or activity protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. The City of West Linn does not engage in or tolerate reprisal, intimidation, or retaliation for prior civil rights activity or toward anyone who takes action to oppose discrimination, files a complaint, or participates in the investigation of a complaint.
Overview
The City of West Linn's Nondiscrimination Policy Coordinator is the Deputy City Manager, Elissa Preston, epreston@westlinnoregon.gov, 503-722-4714. To obtain a complaint form in another language or format, please contact the Nondiscrimination Policy Coordinator.
Complaints on this form may be filed by any person who believes they have been excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to discrimination under any City service, program, or activity, and believes the discrimination is based upon their membership in a protected class. Complaints will be investigated and complainants will be informed in writing of the progress and disposition of their complaint, unless notification is requested in additional formats by the complainant. If someone believes they have suffered from discrimination in delivery of City services or programs, they may also contact the City’s Nondiscrimination Policy Coordinator to seek informal resolution.
Processing a Complaint
The City will promptly and fairly investigate all complaints of discrimination. The City’s goal is to address complaints within 90 days of receipt, though the time to carefully investigate complaints may be longer depending on the nature of the complaint and complexity of the issue. When assessing complaints, the preponderance of evidence standard will be applied during the analysis.
Preliminary Inquiry: The Nondiscrimination Coordinator or their designee will review the complaint and will notify the complainant in writing that a preliminary inquiry is underway to determine the need for further investigation. If additional information is requested and not received, the case may be closed. The case may also be closed if the complainant no longer wishes to pursue their case, unless evidence has already been discovered that requires due diligence.
If the preliminary inquiry indicates that further investigation is warranted, the complainant will be notified in writing, and an interview will be scheduled. If the preliminary inquiry indicates further investigation is not warranted, the complainant will be notified in writing of the reasons why and factors considered. A complaint log will be kept containing the name and address of the complainant, nature of the complaint, date of submission, and results of the investigation. If the complaint is outside the jurisdiction of the City, the complainant will be notified of the name and contact information for the appropriate agency with jurisdiction, if known.
Further Investigation: Complaints warranting further investigation will be promptly and fairly processed by the Nondiscrimination Policy Coordinator. The preponderance of evidence standard will be applied to all complaint investigations. The results of the investigation will be provided to the City Manager. The complainant will be informed that the investigation has concluded and whether appropriate actions have been taken in a resolution memo. However, disciplinary details, if any, will not be disclosed. Records and investigative files will be kept for a minimum of three years.
Individuals may also file a complaint against entities receiving Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funds with the EPA’s External Civil Rights Division here
