EO Complaints
Every applicant, participant, employee or other interested party shall have the right, without fear of reprisal, to present a complaint or grievance.
Grievances are divided into two areas. If the complaint is based on race, color, actual or perceived religion, shared ancestry, ethnic characteristics, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, gender expression, sex stereotyping, transgender status, and gender identity), national origin (including limited English proficiency), age, disability, or political affiliation or belief, it is an Equal Opportunity or discrimination complaint and the Equal Opportunity is the Law procedure below should be followed.
If the complaint is based on grounds other than those above, it is considered a non-equal opportunity or non-discrimination complaint. All non-discrimination complaints are processed by the Central Workforce Board, with the right to appeal to Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, PO Box 52003, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73152-2003. You should state whether or not your complaint is equal opportunity or discrimination related. A complaint must be filed within (15) days from the date of the violation(s) which is the basis of the grievance. If you believe that the rules of the WIOA have been broken, it is your right to file a complaint and you cannot be penalized in any way for filing a complaint.
You can learn more about our grievance procedures by contacting the following individual:
Sissel Brown, Local EO Officer
Central Oklahoma Workforce Innovation Board
3813 N Santa Fe, Ste 135
Oklahoma City, OK 73118
Phone: 405-622-2026
TTY: 711 or 1-800-722-0353
Email: SisselBrown@cowib.org
Kacey Luster
State Equal Opportunity Officer
Oklahoma Employment Security Commission
PO BOX 52003
Oklahoma City, OK 73152-5496
Phone: 405-557-5496
Fax: 405-557-5489
TTY: 711 or 1-800-722-0353
Email: EOOfficer@oesc.ok.gov
Website: https://oklahoma.gov/workforce.html
Naomi M. Barry-Perez
U.S. Department of Labor—Director, Civil Rights Center (CRC)
U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room N-4123
Washington, DC 20210
Phone: (202) 693-6500
Fax: (202) 693-6505
TTY: (202) 693-6516
Inquiry Email: CivilRightsCenter@dol.gov
Email for filing complaints: CRCExternalComplaints@dol.gov
or electronically as directed on the CRC website: www.dol.gov/crc
Civil Rights Center Contact Info: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/centers-offices/civil-rights-center/contact
Equal Opportunity is the Law
It is against the law for this recipient of Federal financial assistance to discriminate on the following basis:
- Against any individual in the United States, on the basis of race, color, actual or perceived religion, shared ancestry, ethnic characteristics, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, gender expression, sex stereotyping, transgender status, and gender identity), national origin (including limited English proficiency), age, disability, or political affiliation or belief; and
- Against any beneficiary of programs financially assisted under Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), on the basis of the beneficiary’s citizenship/status as a lawfully admitted immigrant authorized to work in the United States, or his or her participation in any WIOA Title I-financially assisted program or activity.
- The recipient must not discriminate in any of the following areas:
- Deciding who will be admitted, or have access, to any WIOA Title-I financially assisted program or activity;
- Providing opportunities in, or treating any person with regard to, such a program or activity; or
- Making employment decisions in the administration of, or in connections with, such a program or activity.
What to Do If You Believe You Have Experienced Discrimination
If you think that you have been subjected to discrimination under a WIOA Title-I financially assisted program or activity:
You may file a complaint within 180 days from the date of the alleged violation with either:
The recipient’s Equal Opportunity Officer or person who has been designated for purpose name, address and phone numbers as listed above
OR
The Director, Civil Rights Center (CRC), U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room N-4123, Washington, DC 20210.
If you file your complaint with the recipient, you must wait either until the recipient issues a written Notice of Final Action, or until 90 days have passed (whichever is sooner), before filing with the Civil Rights Center (see address above).
If the recipient does not give you a written Notice of Final Action within 90 days of the day on which you filed your complaint, you do not have to wait for the recipient to issue that Notice before filing a complaint with CRC. However, you must file your CRC complaint within 30 days of the 90-day deadline (in other words, within 120 days after the day on which you filed your complaint with the recipient).
If the recipient does give you a written Notice of Final Action on your complaint, but you are dissatisfied with the decision or resolution, you may file a complaint with CRC. You must file your CRC complaint within 30 days of the date on which you received the Notice of Final Action.
After reviewing the above, if you believe that you have been discriminated against, please continue to fill out the complaint forms.
Grievance Forms
Additional References/Resources:
- How to File a Discrimination Complaint
- State of Oklahoma WIOA Nondiscrimination Plan
- Grievance and Complaint Process - WSD 31-2024
- Discrimination Complaint Procedures - WSD 09-2024
- Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Section 188
- 29 CFR Part 38
- Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
- Equal Opportunity Law
- Equal Employment Opportunity Posters