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Filing a Complaint

The Complaint Process

Complaints Received Directly from Complainants

Staff, faculty, student employees or applicants for employment who believe they have been discriminated against are encouraged to contact the EEO/AA office to arrange a confidential appointment with an appropriate EEO/AA staff member to discuss their concerns.

At this initial consultation, the EEO/AA investigator will explore the details of the complaint, including but not limited to who is alleged to have discriminated against the complainant, specific incidents, patterns of behavior, consequences of the alleged or discrimination and what remedies are being sought by the complainant. The investigator will also determine if there are any safety issues that must be addressed immediately.

At the time of the initial consultation, the EEO/AA staff person will determine if the complaint falls within the scope of responsibility of the EEO/AA office. If it does not, the complainant will be referred to the appropriate on or off campus office. Included in the referral will be information about any time requirements for filing a complaint with that particular office.

If it is determined that the complaint is appropriate to be handled by the EEO/AA office, the investigator will outline the possible next steps or strategies. These might include further investigation into written records, recruitment and screening files, policies or other documents; individual interviews with others involved or implicated in the complaint; further discussions with the complainant; facilitated discussions or mediation for the purpose of attempting to resolve the problem; and/or training and education.

The EEO/AA office will attempt to complete their investigation of the complaint as quickly as possible. The timeline is driven by the complexity of the complaint.

While there are no time requirements attached to the filing of a complaint with the EEO/AA office, complainants are encouraged to file their complaint as soon as possible after the alleged event(s) to allow resolution of the problem at the earliest stage possible.

Information contained in complaint case files, including investigation reports are shared on a "need to know basis" standard. The EEO/AA office keeps confidential records of all cases. Notwithstanding the requirements of litigation or court proceedings, access to this written information is limited to the EEO/AA Director and his/her designees. Complaint case reports may be requested through the California Public Information Act and redacted copies will be provided to appropriate individuals with a need to know. The redactions will uphold privacy and confidentiality laws and policies.

Complaints received in accordance with Personnel Policies for Staff Members, Policy 70 - Complaint Resolution or Labor Agreements

If a grievance received by the Labor Relations office includes an allegation of discrimination, a complainant may elect to have his/her allegation of discrimination investigated by the EEO/AA Office prior to the first written grievance response. If the employee elects review by the EEO/AA Office, the deadline for the first written response shall be extended by 60 days.

Complaints Received from External Agencies

Complaints of discrimination from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Department of Fair Employment and Housing, or other external agencies shall be investigated by the EEO/AA office. Investigation of these complaints shall be in accordance with the guidelines for response and timeliness established by the external agency.

 

To file a discrimination complaint on campus, contact:

Ciel Benedetto, Principal Analyst (831) 459-3676 (voice) cbene@ucsc.edu (email) or use the Discrimination Complaint form . (This document is in Adobe format for optimal printing. If you do not have the Acrobat Reader, you may download it for free from Adobe Systems.)