Skip to content
racist.systems

If something happened

Civil-rights pathways

Each pathway lists the organization, the published phone or email, the filing deadlines they cite, and the URL we retrieved their guidance from. Contact info goes stale — always click through to the source page before acting on it.

Find a legal-aid provider by ZIP →
Clear
Discrimination Complaint

Connect with an ACLU affiliate

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a national nonprofit with state affiliates. Affiliates accept intake on civil-rights matters but do not represent every individual; they prioritize cases that advance constitutional rights. Their 'Know Your Rights' library is a useful starting point regardless.

Steps to file
  1. Find your state affiliate (Same day)
    Each US state has an ACLU affiliate with its own intake process and priorities. Find yours via the directory on aclu.org.
  2. Submit through the affiliate's intake form (Within statute of limitations for your claim)
    Most affiliates have online intake; some require a phone call. Provide a detailed, dated chronology and any documentation. The affiliate will tell you whether they can take the case or recommend other counsel.

Retrieved from aclu.org affiliate directory. Retrieved 2026-05-12. ACLU does not have a single national intake hotline; go through the affiliate.

Discrimination Complaint

File a Title VI complaint about racial discrimination in schools

The US Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights enforces Title VI (race/color/national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), the ADA, and the Age Discrimination Act in federally funded education programs.

Contact
1-800-421-3481
OCR@ed.gov
Steps to file
  1. File within 180 days of the discriminatory act (Within 180 days)
    OCR will, with rare good-cause exceptions, dismiss complaints filed more than 180 days after the most recent act of discrimination. Submit promptly.
  2. Use the OCR online complaint form (Same step)
    OCR accepts complaints by mail, email, fax, and through an online complaint portal. Provide names, dates, schools, what happened, and what response (if any) the institution made.

Retrieved from the OCR 'How to File a Complaint' page. Retrieved 2026-05-12.

Discrimination Complaint

File an EPA Title VI environmental-discrimination complaint

The EPA's External Civil Rights Compliance Office investigates Title VI complaints alleging that recipients of EPA financial assistance — typically state environmental agencies — have permitted or operated programs with discriminatory racial impact. The Office's caseload is small and resolutions are slow, but the complaint record is the documentary basis for longer-term environmental-justice litigation and policy.

Steps to file
  1. Document the disparate impact (within 180 days of the permitting decision)
    Identify the permitting decision, the affected community, and the racial-demographic data showing disproportionate impact. EPA's EJScreen tool and the Census Bureau's American FactFinder are the standard data sources. Attach modeling reports if available.
  2. Submit the complaint (must be filed within 180 days of the action)
    Use the External Civil Rights Compliance Office complaint form. The complaint must identify the EPA-funded recipient (usually a state agency), the alleged discriminatory action, and the racial group affected. The Office acknowledges receipt and conducts a jurisdictional review.
  3. Track and supplement (ongoing during the investigation)
    Title VI investigations frequently take multiple years. Provide supplemental documentation as the recipient's compliance record evolves. Coordinated parallel filings with state environmental commissions and the Department of Justice are sometimes appropriate.

Retrieved from epa.gov/external-civil-rights. Retrieved 2026-05-13.

Discrimination Complaint

Report a book ban or curriculum restriction (PEN America)

PEN America's ``Banned in the USA`` tracker maintains the most complete public record of school book removals and curriculum restrictions. Reports from teachers, librarians, parents, and students feed the tracker and the corresponding legal-defense and legislative response. PEN America also coordinates with the American Library Association and the National Coalition Against Censorship for direct legal support in some cases.

Steps to file
  1. Document the specific removal or restriction (as soon as the removal is confirmed)
    Note the school or district, the date, the title or titles affected, and the stated reason. Copies of school-board minutes, complaint forms, or written removal orders are the strongest evidence.
  2. Submit to the PEN America tracker (no formal deadline, but earlier is better)
    PEN America's online intake form accepts submissions from anyone with first-hand knowledge of a removal or restriction. Reports are reviewed by the Freedom to Read team and added to the tracker.
  3. Coordinate with the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom (no formal deadline)
    The American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom maintains a parallel reporting system and can provide librarian-specific support, including model policies and defense for librarians facing employment retaliation.

Retrieved from pen.org/banned-books and ala.org/oif. Retrieved 2026-05-13.

Discrimination Complaint

Report a federal civil-rights violation to DOJ

The US Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division enforces federal civil-rights laws. The Division accepts reports of discrimination, hate crimes, voting-rights violations, police misconduct, and disability access violations.

Steps to file
  1. Choose the right intake channel (Anytime)
    The Civil Rights Division has separate sections for voting, police misconduct, employment, education, disability, religious-land-use, and others. Start at the central report-a-violation page; it will route you.
  2. Provide as much documentation as possible (With submission)
    DOJ does not represent individuals as private counsel; they assess for federal interest. Detailed, dated, documented submissions get prioritized.

Retrieved from civilrights.justice.gov. Retrieved 2026-05-12. The online intake form is the most reliable channel.

Discrimination Complaint

Request assistance from NAACP LDF

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) is a separate organization from the NAACP. It litigates structural civil-rights cases. Like other civil-rights litigators, LDF prioritizes cases of broad impact.

Steps to file
  1. Submit through the online request form (Anytime)
    LDF accepts requests for legal help via a form on its site. The site is explicit that submission does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Retrieved from naacpldf.org. Retrieved 2026-05-12.

We use cookies for analytics and civic-content ads. Analytics load only after you accept. Ads serve in non-personalized mode until you accept. Read our privacy notice.