Equity Resources

W&M Resources: Offices that Handle Complaints or Provide Other Discrimination-Related Services

For information about complaint/reporting procedures, visit the discrimination complaint website.  The Office of Compliance & Equity is responsible for investigating most discrimination complaints and can provide information about other complaint procedures.  

Detailed information about campus resources and reporting procedures is available as an appendix to the Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Policy. For quick information about the roles of other university offices involved in preventing or responding to discrimination or harassment, view the online organization charts (below): 

Offices responsible for preventing and responding to discrimination in the workplace (pdf)

Offices responsible for preventing and responding to sexual misconduct against William & Mary students (pdf)

W&M Online Resources: Websites for Community Members

• Campus Access - information hub for anyone with questions about disability access to services, programs, and facilities
• Disabilities in the workplace - rights and responsibilities relating to employees (faculty or staff) or applicants with disabilities
• Women in the workplace - equity resources for female faculty and staff
• Pregnant or breastfeeding at W&M? - resources for students and employees (faculty or staff) 
• Affirmative action in employment - information and plans 
• Service and comfort/therapy animals 
• Sexual violence website
• LGBTQ site - information hub for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer students or employees 
• The Diversity Portal and the Center for Student Diversity  - collected links to other William & Mary programs, organizations, and offices that students or employees may join or that may provide information or other services.

External Resources: Agencies that Accept Complaints or Enforce Laws

Department of Human Resource Management

The Virginia Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM) is the central human resource (HR) agency for the Commonwealth of Virginia. DHRM promulgates and provides guidance on important personnel policies, particularly policies applying to classified and operational employees. DHRM's policy library is available online.  DHRM also has two offices that handle discrimination complaints.  

• The Office of Equal Employment Services (OEES) enforces the Governor's Executive Order, which prohibits discrimination based on race, gender, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran's status, political affiliation, or disability.  OEES's brochure including information on filing a complaint is available online.
• The Office of Employment Dispute Resolution (EDR) processes a wide range of workplace disputes, through mediation and a grievance process.  This process may be used instead of the OEES process. Information about these processes is available on DHRM's website.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

The EEOC enforces

• Titles VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits race and national origin-based discrimination
• Title VIIof the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits race, color, national original, sex, or religion-based discrimination,
• certain provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities and requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities, 
• the Equal Pay Act,
• the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and
• other certain federal discrimination laws applicable to employees.  

Employees and applicants for employment may file complaints with the EEOC.  The EEOC provides information about filing a charge with the Norfolk field office online. Information about the Richmond field office is available online. The EEOC also provides an online assessment, which can be used to help people decide if the EEOC is the correct agency to assist them.

The EEOC also provides guidance on the various types of discrimination on its website.  

Office of Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education

The federal Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Education provides guidance and investigates student complaints regarding certain federal discrimination laws including:  

• Titles VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits race and national origin-based discrimination
• Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibit discrimination against qualified students with disabilities and require reasonable accommodation to be made for students or applicants with disabilities,
• Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits sex-based discrimination,
• the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, which applies to age discrimination of students. 

Complaints may be filed by anyone who believes that William & Mary has discriminated against a student on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age.  Access the online complaint form. 

OCR provides guidance on various discrimination topics in its online reading room.  

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs 

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) is the federal agency that ensures that all employers who contract with the federal government -- including William & Mary -- follow non-discrimination laws in their employment practices.  This Office is a part of the U.S. Department of Labor.  Specifically, OFCCP enforces

• Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals on the basis of disability and also requires affirmative actions steps to hire, retain, and promote qualified individuals with disabilities.  
• VEVRAA, or the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Act of 1974, as amended, which prohibits discrimination against specified categories of veterans and requires affirmate action steps to hire, retain, and promote covered veterans.
• Executive Order 11246, which prohibits discrimination and requires affirmative action to ensure that all employment actions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.  (President Obama amended Executive Order 11246 on July 21, 2014, to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.)

People who believe that they have been discriminated against in hiring or employment, by William & Mary, may file a complaint with OFCCP.  According to OFCCP's website, "OFCCP keeps for investigation discrimination complaints that involve groups of people or indicate that the employer engaged in a pattern of discrimination. If your complaint of discrimination is based on race, sex, color, religion, national original, and you are the only victim, OFCCP will normally refer your complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)."

The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) 

The Civil Rights Division of DOJ enforces: 

• laws providing equal opportunity for people with disabilities, specifically the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Executive Order 12250.  
• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which protects students from discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, and religion in public universities (such as William & Mary), and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, prohibiting sex-based discrimination. These activities are performed by the Educational Opportunities Section of DOJ's Civil Rights Division.  

DOJ provides online information about how to file a complaint regarding a potential civil rights violation. According to this website, employees who believe they have been discriminated against on the basis of their race, sex, color, religion or national origin "should contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission." Similarly, people who believe they have been denied employment on one of these bases are also directed to contact the EEOC.

External resources: organizations that provide information about or advocate for discrimination compliance issues 

The EEOC, OCR, and OFCCP, all listed above, provide online resources available to the public regarding various discrimination laws.  The organizations described below are some non-governmental associations or other entities that may provide helpful information or services.  These organizations are not affiliated with William & Mary and William & Mary does not make any representations about these organizations.  They are listed in alphabetical order.  In addition to the resources listed here, William & Mary's Center for Student Diversity has collected information about many other organizations and web-based resources.  

• American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity (AAED) is an association of equal opportunity, diversity and affirmative action professionals.  
• American Association of University Professors (AAUP) performs advocacy and research work, particularly related to people engaged in teaching and research in higher education.  It provides information about specific issues including diversity and affirmative action and discrimination.  
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an organization that engages in legislative advocacy and legal work related to the defense of individual rights and liberties, including disability rights, women's rights, and racial justice.  
• American Council on Education (ACE).  ACE is a membership organization that conducts public policy advocacy.  It provides information on various topics including campus diversity and military students and veterans.
• Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD).   AHEAD provides resources for students, parents, and the general public.  
• Job Accommodation Network (JAN) provides information about workplace accommodations, the ADA and related issues.  
• National Industry Liaison Group (NILG) is an association focusing on affirmative action.  The organization focuses on work with the OFCCP but also partners with other federal agencies such as the EEOC.  
• Society for Human Resource Management is a membership association serving HR professionals and interests.  Its website provides information on employment law topics.
• Virginia Disability Services Agencies collects information about and links to different state agencies dedicated to helping citizens with disabilities.