Civil Rights Training

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Civil RightsTraining

• Preview the Review
• 2010 SY

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Sponsors receiving USDA funds must follow civil
rights regulations and policy

• Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) 113 regulations
  cover these programs
• National School Lunch, Breakfast and Special Milk
  Programs
• Summer Food Program
• Food Distribution Program
• Child Care Food Program

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Civil Rights Statement
In accordance with Federal law and U.S.
Department of Agriculture policy, this
institution is prohibited from discriminating on
the basis of race, color, national origin, sex,
age, or disability. To file a complaint of
discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of
Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW,
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800)
795-3272 or [phone] (TTY). USDA is an
equal opportunity provider and employer.
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Statement Usage Information

• The full statement is the preferred statement on
  all documents anytime the USDA food programs are
  referred to in brochures, bulletins, leaflets,
  and letters
• The full statement must be used in documents that
  are more than 1 ½ pages
• All statements should be in print size no smaller
  than the text of the document

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Short Statement Information

• If the material is 1 ½ page or less (front and
  back) and there is not room for the full
  statement it may include USDAs short statement
  which is
• This institution is an equal opportunity
  provider
• Some examples of where the short statement may be
  used are
• Menus
• Stationary
• Spot announcements on television and radio
• Newspaper ads
• Internet

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5 Racial Categories

• Black or African American (persons having origins
  in any of the black racial groups of Africa)
• Asian (includes the Far East, Southeast Asia, or
  the Indian subcontinent including Cambodia,
  China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan,
  the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam)
• American Indian (North, Central and South
  American Indians) Alaska Native
• White (persons having origins in any of the
  original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or
  North Africa)
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (Native
  Hawaiians, Guamanians, Samoans, Carolinian,
  Fijian, Kosraean, Melanesian, Micronesian,
  Northern Mariana Islander, Palauan, Papua New
  Guinean, Ponapean (Pohnpelan) Polynesian, Solomon
  Islander, Tahitian, Tarawa Islander, Tokelauan,
  Tongan, Trukese (Chuukese) and Yapese)

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2 Ethnic Categories

• Hispanic or Latino persons of Cuban, Mexican,
  Puerto Rican, South or Central American or other
  Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.
• Not Hispanic or Latino

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Collection of Racial and Ethnic Data

• Free and reduced meal applications have an
  optional section for families to report
  participant's racial and ethnic information
• Sponsors report this data on CNP 2000 by October
  15th each year

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District Responsibilities

• District must have a procedure or policy for
  handling civil rights complaints.
• Food Service Staff must receive annual training
  on Civil Rights.

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Required Procedures for Sponsors

• Include nondiscrimination statement in all
  forms of communication regarding program benefits
  and services.
• Display the nondiscrimination poster in a
  prominent place.
• In each cafeteria where meals are served
• In offices where free reduced determination are
  made
• Entrance to facility
• Posters may be obtained from the State Agency.
• Inform parents or guardians as well as local
  minority and grassroots organizations about
  availability of benefits and services and
  requirements for eligibility and benefits.
• Note This is done through the press release and
  free reduce priced meal applications and
  parent/guardian letter for each enrolled child.

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Public Release

• Inform parents or guardians as well as local
  minority and grassroots organizations about
  availability of benefits and services and
  requirements for eligibility and benefits.
• Note This is done through the press release and
  free reduce priced meal applications and
  parent/guardian letter for each enrolled child.

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Procedures Cont.

• Upon request, make available to the public,
  participants and potential participants,
  information about program eligibility, benefits,
  services and the procedures for filing a
  complaint, in English and/or in the appropriate
  translation to non-English speaking persons.
• If needed use alternative means of communication
  (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.).

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MANAGING CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINTS
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Civil Rights Complaint
Can Be Either Written or Verbal

• Alleges discrimination has occurred in violation
  of one of the protected classes-- ?????

• Race
• Color
• National origin
• Sex
• Age
• Disability

Protected Classes
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Procedures for Filing a Complaint
1. Right To File A Complaint Any person
alleging discrimination based on race, color,
national origin, sex, age, or disability has a
right to file a complaint within 180 days of the
alleged discriminatory action. Under special
circumstances this time limit may be extended by
the Office of Civil Rights (OCR).
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Procedures for Filing a Complaint
2. Acceptance All civil rights complaints,
written or verbal, shall be accepted and
forwarded to the state agency to be forwarded to
the Civil Rights Division at WRO. It is
necessary that the information be sufficient to
determine the identity of the agency or
individual towards which the complaint is
directed, and to indicate the possibility of a
violation. Anonymous complaints should be
handled as any other complaints.
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Procedures for Filing a Complaint
3. Verbal Complaints In the event a
complainant makes the allegations verbally or
through a telephone conversation and refuses or
is not inclined to place such allegations in
writing, the person to whom the allegations are
made shall write up the elements of the complaint
for the complainant. Every effort should be made
to have the complainant provide the following
information
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Components of Verbal Complaints

• Contact information for the complainant.
• The specific location and name of the entity
  delivering the service or benefit.
• The nature of the incident or action that led the
  complainant to feel discrimination was a factor.
• The basis on which the complainant feels
  discrimination exists (race, color, national
  origin, sex,age, or disability).
• The names, titles, and business addresses of
  persons who may have knowledge of the
  discriminatory action.
• The date(s) during which the alleged
  discriminatory actions occurred or, if
  continuing, the duration of such actions.

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Civil Rights Complaint Procedure

• If a complainant returns a complaint form or
  provides a verbal complaint the sponsor must
  forward the complaint to the State Agency within
  three working days.

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Complaints

• If you know someone is going to write the
  Secretary of Agriculture with a complaint
  regarding School Food Service and civil rights,
  please inform the State Office at 208-332-6820.
• We will inform the Regional Office that such a
  complaint has been announced. The Federal Team
  will investigate all such complaints.

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Complaint Log
A complaint log must be maintained by each
Sponsor. AND A complaint log is maintained at
the State Agency
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State Agency Management of Complaints
Idaho Department of Education must forward all
complaints to the Civil Rights Division of USDA
at Western Regional Office (WRO) for submission
to the Office of Civil Rights (OCR). The OCR
will prepare and issue letters of acknowledgement
to complainants.
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All written or verbal complaints alleging
discrimination on the basis of race, color,
national origin, sex, age, or disability shall be
processed within 90 days upon receipt.