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Civil Rights Program

We investigate and resolve complaints of discrimination. Our office also helps to make King County government programs, facilities and services accessible to people with disabilities. Our mission is to eliminate unlawful discrimination through education, mediation, and enforcement that is responsive to a diverse King County.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states:

"No person in the United States shall, on the grounds 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."

King County Title VI Policy Statement

King County assures that no person shall on the grounds of race, color, national origin, or sex, as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended, and the Civil Right Restoration Act of 1987 (P.L. 100.259) be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.

King County further assures every effort will be made to ensure nondiscrimination in all of its programs and activities, whether those programs and activities are federally funded or not.

In the event King County distributes federal aid funds to another governmental entity or other sub-recipient, King County will include Title VI language in all written agreements and will monitor for compliance.

The Office of Equity and Racial and Social Justice serves as King County's Title VI Coordinator. We are responsible for initiating and monitoring Title VI activities, preparing required reports and other King County responsibilities as required by 23 CFR 200 and 49 CFR 21.

What we do

We investigate and resolve complaints of discrimination. Our office also helps to make King County government programs, facilities and services accessible to people with disabilities.

We work as impartial fact-finders and does not represent any party. 

We have authority to handle discrimination complaints only for:

If your complaint meets these criteria, please complete an inquiry (link below). Need help filling out the form? Contact us at 206-263-2446 or civilrights@kingcounty.gov.

Completing this inquiry form is the starting point for exploring whether you may have a claim of discrimination that the Civil Rights Program of the King County Office of Equity and Racial and Social Justice (OERSJ) could investigate. OERSJ is an office within the King County Executive Department with authority to investigate and enforce violations of the King County Code that amount to unlawful discrimination occurring in:

  • employment;
  • housing;
  • places that supply goods or services to the public (like shops, restaurants, and hotels); and contracting, either by King County in choosing contractors or by companies and associations in providing contracted services.

    • Our authority is limited to matters where discrimination happened (1) in unincorporated King County (“unincorporated” means an area in King County that is outside of a city like Seattle, Bellevue, or Enumclaw); or (2) in any area of King County when King County is acting as an employer or contractor, or operating a place of public accommodation. Our authority is also limited by strict deadlines based on the date the alleged discrimination happened or the date a person, through exercise of due diligence, should have become aware of the facts that amount to discrimination. It is possible other offices may also have jurisdiction over your allegations. We are providing contact information if you would like to explore this possibility:

  • In Seattle, contact the Seattle Office for Civil Rights at 206-684-4500.
  • In Tacoma, contact Tacoma Human Rights at 253-591-5045.
  • For any other Washington city or county, contact the Washington State Human Rights Commission, 360-753-6770, or toll-free, 800-233-3247.

    • Important considerations

  • We are an independent office within the King County Executive Department and are not acting as lawyers for either party while investigating your case. Therefore, any communications you have with us, whether orally or in writing, are not subject to attorney-client privilege, and we may be required to disclose them to other people involved in any investigation or lawsuit related to your allegations.
  • Additionally, because we are a government office, records we create or possess in connection with our investigation of your case may be subject to disclosure to the public.
  • Finally, please be aware that your ability to file a discrimination lawsuit is subject to legal deadlines that start to run on the date the discrimination happened or the date that you, through exercise of due diligence, should have become aware of the facts that amount to discrimination. It is critically important that you decide what steps you would like to pursue as soon as possible and stay in contact with any agency and/or lawyer who is helping you.

    • You may wish to contact an attorney to advise you of all your legal rights and options. For more information on contacting an attorney, please visit the Washington State Bar Association’s website.

    Completing this form does not mean you have filed a complaint. After we review your inquiry form, we'll contact you about next steps.

     

    Start a civil rights complaint

    Compliance with County Code and federal laws

    Anti-Discrimination Ordinances in the King County Code (KCC):

    As a recipient of federal funds, King County government also complies with federal laws which prohibit discrimination against people because of their:

    • Race
    • Color
    • National origin

    And in some cases:

    • Sex
    • Age
    • Low income status

    This includes Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Our office is a Title VI compliance resource to county agencies, and investigates public grievances alleging Title VI violations by the county.

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