U.S. Department
of Justice
Civil Rights
Overview
The U.S. Attorney’s Office (in coordination with the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice) vigorously enforces federal civil rights laws throughout Western Washington. These laws prohibit discrimination, protect the constitutional rights of residents, and affirm equal opportunity for all. The U.S. Attorney’s Office enforces civil rights through both civil litigation and criminal prosecution and, in all cases, represents the interests of the United States.
For a description of the Department of Justice’s civil rights work, click here.
Report a Violation
The U.S. Attorney’s Office welcomes information from the public that brings to our attention possible violations of our nation's civil rights laws here in Western Washington.
Civil Violations:
If you wish to report a non-criminal civil rights violation or discrimination, you may file a complaint directly with our office. You do not need a special form to submit a complaint, but we recommend using the form below:
You may also send any supporting documentation with your complaint. To submit a complaint by email, complete and save the form above, then email it to: USAWAW.Civil-Rights@usdoj.gov. Or by Mailing Address:
Civil Rights Intake Specialist
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington
700 Stewart Street, Suite 5220
Seattle, WA 98101-1271
To submit a complaint by phone, call (206) 553-7970, and request to leave a voicemail in the Civil Rights Intake Voicemail Box.
Language interpretation and disability accommodations are available upon request.
You may also submit a complaint to the U.S Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. To do so, please follow the instructions on the Dept. of Justice How to File a Complaint website.
Criminal Violations:
Criminal civil rights matters typically involve causing or attempting to cause injury (or threats to do so) because of the victim’s race, color, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. These types of cases are generally investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation before being referred to our office. To report a criminal civil rights violation, call the Seattle FBI Field Office at 206-622-0460 and ask to submit a complaint to the Civil Rights squad, or file a complaint online by visiting www.fbi.gov and clicking “Submit a Tip.”
EXAMPLES OF OUR WORK:
Civil:
DOJ and U.S. Health and Human Services settle claims that MultiCare Health System violated ADA
U.S Department of Justice and Washington State Parks resolve complaint over ADA violations
DOJ and eating disorder clinic resolve allegation the program violated the ADA
Criminal:
Washington Man Sentenced for Hate Crimes for Four Attacks on Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Halls
Olympia Man Sentenced for Racially Motivated Threats Against Federal Worker
Four Men Sentenced for Hate Crime After Racially Motivated Assault in Lynnwood, Washington
For more information on federal criminal civil rights laws, please explore the following links: