NIFA's Equal Opportunity Staff (EOS) are available to provide additional resources to employees and partners in the areas of civil rights.
No Fear Act
The primary purpose of the No FEAR Act of 2002 is to improve Federal agency accountability for violations of the anti-discrimination and whistleblower protection laws related to employment and to ensure that employees, applicants for employment, and former employees know their rights under anti-discrimination laws and the Whistleblower Protection Act.
More Information about the No Fear Act, including data, annual reports, and resources can be found on the USDA No Fear Act Data Posting.
"And Justice For All" Posters
The “And Justice for All” poster is to be prominently displayed in all offices where there is a USDA presence and where it may be read by customers. Please note that institutions participating in or administering USDA NIFA programs are required to display the appropriate “And Justice for All” posters (AD 475-A, Green, Federally Assisted and AD-475-D, Orange, Title IX) in their facilities where it can be viewed by customers (Exceptions are public schools, public libraries and federal agencies, that should already have the poster on display). All “And Justice for All” posters must be displayed in a specific size: 11” width x 17” height. This size requirement relates to a problem where the poster's text becomes small and almost unreadable when printed in a typical printer's print size of 8.5" x 11". This ensures that program beneficiaries have appropriate access to program compliant information for USDA. The revised posters are located at the links below:
AD-475-A: “AND JUSTICE FOR ALL” POSTER LANGUAGE FOR ASSISTED PROGRAMS
In accordance with Federal law and the 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 (including limited English proficiency), sex, age, disability, and 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 for program information (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language) should contact the responsible State or local Agency that administers the program or contact USDA through the Telecommunications Relay Service at 711 (voice and TTY).
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 AD-3027 (PDF, 351 KB), 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 Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (OASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA 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
email: program.intake@usda.gov
AD-475-D: “AND JUSTICE FOR ALL” POSTER LANGUAGE FOR TITLE IX PROGRAMS
Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 (Title IX) prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex – including pregnancy or parental status - in educational programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance. The law also prohibits individuals from exclusion from such programs or activities, or from denial of benefits from such programs or activities based on sex. This prohibition applies to a wide array of public and private schools at the K-12 grade levels, as well as colleges and universities which receive federal funding. A school that is controlled by a religious organization is exempt from Title IX when the law’s requirements would conflict with the organization’s religious tenets. The law requires federally funded education institutions or programs to disseminate Title IX information widely, including the name, address, and telephone number (or other contact information) of the designated Title IX Coordinator.
Program information is available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language) should contact the responsible State or local Agency that administers the program or contact USDA through the Federal Telecommunications Relay Service at 711 (voice and TTY).
Prior to filing a Title IX complaint with USDA against an institution, a potential complainant may want to find out about the institution’s grievance process and use that process to have the complaint resolved. However, a complainant is not required by law to use the institutional grievance process before filing a complaint with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (OASCR). If a complainant uses an institutional grievance process and chooses to file the complaint with OASCR, the complaint must be filed with OASCR within 60 days after completion of the institutional grievance process.
To file a USDA program discrimination complaint, a complainant should complete Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, which can be obtained online at AD-3027 (PDF, 351 KB); from any USDA office; by calling (866) 632-9992; or by writing a letter addressed to the USDA office listed below.
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 OASCR about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA 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
Email: program.intake@usda.gov
Title VI Fact Sheets
- Title VI Fact Sheet
- Title VI Fact Sheet (Arabic)
- Title VI Fact Sheet (Yiddish)
- Title VI Fact Sheet (Urdu)
- Title VI Fact Sheet (Spanish)
- Title VI Fact Sheet (Punjabi)
- Title VI Fact Sheet (Hebrew)
Nine Agency Rule Notification
NIFA Equal Opportunity Office
For more information contact NIFA's Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights.