Civil Rights

Civil Rights Enforcement

The United States Attorney’s Office, in coordination with the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice, vigorously enforces federal civil rights laws throughout the Middle District of Louisiana.* These laws prohibit discrimination, protect the constitutional rights of residents of this District, and ensure equal opportunity for all. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana enforces civil rights through civil litigation and criminal prosecution and, in all cases, represents the interests of the United States.

*The following parishes are in the Middle District of Louisiana: Ascension; East Baton Rouge; West Baton Rouge; East Feliciana; West Feliciana; Iberville; Livingston; Pointe Coupee; and St. Helena. 

Submit a Civil Rights Complaint

We welcome information from the public regarding possible violations of our nation's civil rights laws. Civil rights complaints can be submitted by email or mail. You do not need a special form to submit a complaint, but you can use the form below:

• Civil Rights Complaint Form – English

You can submit your completed complaint by email to USALAM.Civil-Rights@usdoj.gov. 

To submit a complaint by mail, print and complete the form above, and mail it to:

Civil Rights Intake Specialist
USAO MDLA
777 Florida Street, Suite 208
Baton Rouge, LA 70801

Every complaint will be reviewed and, where appropriate, the matter will be pursued or referred to another agency or entity.

Please be advised that, while you may believe that your rights were violated, it does not necessarily follow that a civil rights violation has occurred under the law.

Please also keep in mind that this office cannot represent you in any matter and that you may need your own attorney.

Additionally, reporting a violation to this office does not meet any legal obligation you might have to timely pursue a complaint at another federal, state, or local entity.

Federal Civil Rights Statutes

For more information about some of the federal civil rights statutes that the department of Justice and U.S. Attorney's Offices are responsible for enforcing, please click on the following links:

• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other laws that prohibit disability discrimination.
• 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

Community Outreach

To prevent civil rights violations and to inform citizens of their rights, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Louisiana participates in community outreach efforts. Community outreach takes on many different forms, including Department of Justice driven programs and public efforts such as community meetings, trainings, and education. Regardless of the form of outreach, the United States Attorney's Office's goal is to listen, learn and educate. for more information about our community work and trainings, please contact  usalam.civil-rights@usdoj.gov.

Other Legal Resources

In addition to the U.S. Attorney's Office civil rights enforcement program, the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division and a variety of other federal agencies provide online resources and information. These include:

U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Labor (for violations of USERRA)
U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service
Rights of Persons with Limited English Proficiency

Public Service Announcements and Resource Guides

Fair Housing

• Sexual Harassment in Housing PSA
• Sexual Harassment is Illegal. 
  • Fair Housing is Your Right. Flyer (English)
  • Fair Housing is Your Right Flyer (Spanish)
  • Fair Housing is Your Right Flyer (Vietnamese)

Coronavirus Statement and Resource Guide

See Statement by the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Leading a Coordinated Civil Rights Response to Coronavirus (COVID-19) | OPA | Department of Justice.

Download English Statement & Resource Guide

Download Liderando una Respuesta Coordinada de Derechos Civiles ante el Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Download Pamumuno ng May Koordinasyon na Pagtugon ng Civil Rights sa Coronavirus (COVID-19).pdf

Download Phụ Trách Điều Phối Ứng Phó với Vi-rút Corona (COVID-19) liên quan đến Dân Quyền.pdf

Download 민권 담당 법무 차관보의 성명.pdf

Download 司法部副首席助理部長針關於公民權利發表的聲明.pdf

Download 领导新冠疫情（COVID-19）协同民权响应的相关资源.pdf