U.S. Department
of Justice
Civil Rights
Enforcing federal civil rights laws in the Eastern District of North Carolina is an integral part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s mission. The U.S. Attorney’s Office coordinates with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other federal agencies to enforce a wide variety of federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination, protect constitutional rights, and affirm equal opportunity for all.
Because civil rights laws can be enforced through both civil and criminal actions, the office has a designated Civil Rights Team that includes Civil Rights Coordinators in both the Civil and Criminal divisions. The Civil Division Coordinator directs enforcement actions related to the protection of voter rights; disability rights or access; and discrimination in housing, healthcare, lending, employment, and education. The Criminal Division Coordinator directs the investigation and prosecution of criminal enforcement actions, such as hate crimes and color of law violations. In addition, the office has a designated Human Trafficking Coordinator. The coordinators work closely with the office’s Chief Counsel for Litigation who takes on special litigative projects in the area of civil rights
As part of the office’s ongoing Civil Rights Initiative, the office will continue working with state and local law enforcement agencies and community groups to raise awareness of key civil rights issues. Examples of this ongoing community outreach include educational programs and law enforcement training.
Civil Rights Complaints
The Department of Justice welcomes information from the public regarding potential violations of federal civil rights laws, which may be submitted directly to the Civil Rights Division.
If you have questions regarding how to submit a report to the Civil Rights Division, please call (202) 514-4609 (language and disability accommodation information can be found here.)
Reports may also be submitted to the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice by mailing complaints to:
U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division
950 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20530
Please be aware that the Department can only investigate and seek to remedy alleged discriminatory conduct when authorized by a specific statute and in the manner prescribed by that statute.
Other Resources
For more information on federal civil rights laws, please explore the following links:
- The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- The Fair Housing Act (FHA)
- The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA)
- The Equal Educational Opportunities Act (EEOA) and other laws that prohibit discrimination in schools
- Title II of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, and national origin in places of public accommodation.
- Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin by programs that receive federal financial assistance.
- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, and religion by state and local government employers.
- The anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which prohibits employment discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin.
- Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act (USERRA)
- The Service Members Civil Relief Act (SCRA)
- The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA)
- The Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA)
- The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act and other laws that prohibit law enforcement misconduct.
- The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act