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Civil Rights Complaint Procedures

Newington Foods & Nutrition Services CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT PROCEDURES for Child Nutrition Programs

Click here to download/print this information. 

This document provides a process that school food authorities (SFAs) must follow for handling civil rights complaints.  

Sponsor name: Newington Public Schools

The sponsor indicated above is a sponsor of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food  and Nutrition Services (FNS) Child Nutrition Programs, including the applicable programs  checked below. 

X National School Lunch Program (NSLP) 

X School Breakfast Program (SBP) 

□ Seamless Summer Option (SSO) of the NSLP 

□ Special Milk Program (SMP) 

□ Afterschool Snack Program (ASP) 

□ Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) 

The sponsor provides benefits to all eligible individuals without discrimination in accordance with  Federal civil rights laws and USDA policy, as governed by FNS Instruction 113-1. The USDA, its  Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA  programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex (including  gender identity and sexual orientation), age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil  rights activity.  

Program participants who feel they have been discriminated against while participating in the  Child Nutrition Programs, including during the serving of meals, will be instructed to contact the  sponsor’s contact person below for procedures to voice their complaint. All complaints alleging  discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and  sexual orientation), age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity either  written or verbal, must be processed within the established time frames. 

Contact person’s name:  Mr. Stephen Foresi

Contact person’s title: Assistant Superintendent of Schools

Contact person’s phone number: (860) 665-8631

 

 

 

  • Any person or representative alleging discrimination based on a prohibited basis has the right to  file a complaint within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory action. Only the Secretary of  Agriculture may extend this time under special circumstances. The complainant must be  advised of confidentiality and Privacy Act applications. The sponsor’s contact person listed  above will not attempt to resolve the complaint themselves, without first providing the  complainant with information on how they can file a complaint. 


  • The sponsor’s contact person will provide, all persons wishing to file a complaint, instructions on where to obtain the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form online or where they can  obtain a hard copy. However, use of this form will not be a prerequisite for acceptance of the  complaint.  

    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program  information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, and American Sign Language) may contact  USDA through the USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact  USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. for assistance in filing a complaint. 

     

  • The sponsor’s contact person will provide instructions to the complainant on where to forward  the completed USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form by:

    • mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture  

    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights  

    1400 Independence Avenue, SW  

    Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

  • In the event a complainant wishes to make the allegations verbally or in person and refuses or is not inclined to place such allegations in writing, the sponsor’s contact person will write up the elements of the complaint for the complainant utilizing the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form.

  • All written or verbal complaints received by the sponsor’s contact person will be forwarded to  the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (OCR) within 5 calendar days of receipt of the complaint. Anonymous complaints will be handled as  any other complaints, to the extent feasible, based on available information. Complaints will be  forwarded to OCR via: 

    • mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture  

    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights  

    1400 Independence Avenue, SW  

    Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or 

    • fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or  

    • e-mail: program.intake@usda.gov. 

    The sponsor will: 

    • maintain a copy of any correspondence regarding the complaint for at least four years  after the date the complaint is closed; 

    • make its employees available to the FNS Civil Rights Director (CRD) to be interviewed  as necessary during investigations; 

    • provide necessary documents as requested by the FNS CRD or the Connecticut State  Department of Education (CSDE) within the timeframes established by FNS guidance; • participate in attempts to resolve the complaint  

  • If the sponsor’s contact person is notified that a program participant has filed a Civil Rights  complaint or they have filed a complaint on behalf of a program participant, they will notify their  school nutrition team member at the CSDE. The sponsor’s contact person will provide  information as requested by the CSDE during the OCR investigation of the complaint.

     

    In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights  regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race,  color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or  reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. 

    Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with  disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g.,  Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or  local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice  and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. 

    To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027,  USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at:  https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by  calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the  complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged  discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR)  about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or  letter must be submitted to USDA by: 

    1. mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture 

    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 

    1400 Independence Avenue, SW 

    Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or 

    2. fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or 

    3. email: program.intake@usda.gov 

    This institution is an equal opportunity provider.