Complaint Procedures 

If someone believes they have suffered from discrimination in delivery of MWD services or programs, they may contact MWD’s Nondiscrimination Program Coordinator to seek informal resolution. If the matter cannot be resolved informally, a formal complaint may be filed. 

Filing a Complaint 

Within 180 days of the alleged discrimination or latest occurrence, complainants may submit a signed, written complaint to the Nondiscrimination Program Coordinator. Complaints must include the complainant’s name, the nature of the complaint, the date of the alleged discrimination, requested action, and contact information. 

Complaints may be filed by any person who believes she or he has been excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to discrimination under any MWD service, program, or activity, and believes the discrimination is based upon their membership in a protected class. 

The complaint form can be found here. Contact the Nondiscrimination Coordinator for forms in alternative formats and languages.  

Processing a Complaint 

MWD will promptly and impartially investigate all complaints of discrimination program. MWD’s goal is to address complaints within 60 days of receipt, though the time to carefully investigate complaints may be longer depending on the nature of the complaint and complexity of the issue. When assessing complaints, the preponderance of evidence standard will be applied during the analysis. 

Preliminary Inquiry: The Nondiscrimination Program Coordinator will review the complaint and will notify the complainant in writing that a preliminary inquiry is underway to determine the need for further investigation. If additional information is requested and not received, the case may be closed. The case may also be closed if the complainant no longer wishes to pursue their case. 

If the preliminary inquiry indicates that further investigation is warranted, the complainant will be notified in writing and an interview will be scheduled. If the preliminary inquiry indicates further investigation is not warranted, the complainant will be notified in writing (unless notification is requested in additional formats by the complainant)  of the reasons why and factors considered. 

A complaint log will be kept containing the name and address of the complainant, nature of the complaint, date of submission, and results of the investigation. 

If the complaint is outside the jurisdiction of MWD, the complainant will be notified of the name and contact information for the appropriate agency with jurisdiction, if known. 

Further Investigation: Complaints warranting further investigation will be promptly and impartially processed by the Nondiscrimination Program Coordinator. The preponderance of evidence standard will be applied to all complaint investigations. The results of the investigation will be provided to the MWD Administrative Committee Chair and presentation to the Board. 

The complainant will be notified promptly in writing (unless notification is requested in additional formats by the complainant) of the results of the investigation and what actions were taken in the process of the investigation, the response initiated based on the findings, and a timeline to request review. 

Records and investigative files will be kept for a minimum of three years.