Public Complaint Procedure

Concerns about Baltimore County Public Schools should be referred to Theodore R. Garrett, Jr. at 443-809-8937 or tgarrett3@bcps.org.

This Complaint Procedure is established to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. It may be used by anyone who wants to file a complaint alleging discrimination on the basis of disability in the provision of Title II access to Baltimore County Government services, including buildings and recreational property.

The complaint should be in writing and contain information about the alleged discrimination such as name, address, phone number of complainant and location, date, and description of the problem. Alternative means of filing complaints, such as personal interviews or an audio recording of the complaint, will be made available for persons with disabilities upon request.

APPEALS

If the response by the ADA Coordinator’s designee does not satisfactorily resolve the issue, the complainant and their designee may appeal the decision in writing within 15 calendar days after receipt of the response to the Baltimore County ADA Coordinator:

John Bryan
Office of ADA Coordinator
111 West Chesapeake Avenue, Room 120
Towson, Maryland 21204

Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the appeal, the ADA Coordinator or designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days after the meeting, the ADA Coordinator or designee will respond in writing, and, where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, with a final resolution of the complaint.

All written complaints received by the ADA Coordinator or designee, and responses from this office, will be retained by the Baltimore County Government for at least three years.

PROCEDURE

An individual who believes he or she has been discriminated against on the basis of disability in the provision of services, activities, programs or benefits by an agency of Baltimore County Government should, if possible, try to resolve the issue locally with the director or supervisor of the program or services. If this informal attempt at resolution is unsuccessful, the complainant shall follow these steps.

Fill out all of the information requested on the ADA Title II Complaint Form. Submit online or mail or hand deliver the completed form to the ADA Coordinator.

If the complainant needs a reasonable accommodation to communicate his or her complaint, such as an interpreter or an alternative format, it should be listed on the complaint form so that the ADA Coordinator can arrange for an accommodation for effective communication. ADA complaints must be filed within 60 calendar days after the discriminatory action or situation was alleged to have occurred.

Within 15 business days after the complaint is received by the ADA Coordinator, the Coordinator or designee will meet with the individual or contact him or her regarding his or her complaint.

If it is determined that the individual is a qualified individual with a disability under the ADA, the ADA Coordinator’s designee will attempt to resolve the complaint.

Within 15 business days of the meeting, the ADA Coordinator’s designee will respond in writing, and where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, such as large print, Braille or audio recording. The response will explain the position of Baltimore County Government and offer options for substantive resolution of the complaint.

Complaint Resolved: If the individual and the ADA Coordinator’s designee jointly agree to a resolution of the complaint, the ADA Coordinator’s designee will put the joint agreement in writing and send it to the individual. The agreement will generally contain the following items:
- A description of the complaint
- A summary of the facts
- A description of the resolution agreed to
- The timeframe for resolving the complaint
- An assurance that Baltimore County will comply with the specific terms and conditions of the agreement

For this resolution to be effective, the individual must sign a copy of the agreement and return it to the ADA Coordinator’s designee and the ADA Coordinator in the time specified.

Complaint Not Resolved: If the individual and the ADA Coordinator’s designee cannot resolve the complaint, the ADA Coordinator’s designee will send the individual a notice of that fact. The notice will generally include the following:
- A description of the complaint
- A summary of any resolution proposed
- A statement addressing the issues that could not be resolved

If the complaint is not resolved, the individual may request a further review of the complaint by the county ADA Coordinator, who will review the decision of the ADA Coordinator’s designee. If additional information is required, the ADA Coordinator will schedule a meeting with the individual within 15 business days of having received the complaint. ADA Coordinator will issue a decision on the complaint within 15 business days of either having received the decision of the ADA Coordinator’s designee, or his meeting with the individual, whichever is appropriate. The decision of the ADA Coordinator is not appealable.

Note: It is important for the individual to keep copies of the original complaint or notifications received after meeting with the ADA Coordinator’s designee, as well as any other correspondence or other documentation that is related to the complaint and bring those copies to all meetings, reviews and appeals related to the complaint.

U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

If the individual still believes the complaint has not been resolved, they may request a decision from the:

U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest
Washington, DC 20530-0001
Phone: 202-514-2000

Note: At any time during the complaint procedure, the complainant may refer the complaint to the U.S. Department of Justice at the address above.

This information is available in alternative format upon request.

DOWNLOADABLE FORMS

Below are links to printable versions of the ADA Complaint Form. Complete the forms either in black ink or type. Sign and return to:

John Bryan, Office of ADA Coordinator
111 West Chesapeake Avenue, Room 120
Towson, Maryland 21204

ADA Complaint Form (Word)
ADA Complaint Form

ONLINE FORM

Complete the form then select the "Submit" button to begin the complaint process.

Fields marked with an asterisk are required.

COMPLAINANT INFORMATION

Complainant

Address

City

State

ZIP Code

Phone Number

If your complaint involves a specific event, when did the incident occur?

Describe in detail the event or situation for which you are seeking ADA relief. Provide names, if appropriate, of individuals who were involved.

If this is a general request for an accommodation, describe the functional limitations caused by your disability for which you are requesting this accommodation.

Describe any accommodations that you believe would minimize or eliminate the barriers to your participation in the County’s services, activities, programs, or benefits:

I will need an accommodation to meet with the ADA Coordinator

Yes

If “yes,” the accommodation I will need is:

Signature or Initials

Date