Civil Rights Statement

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has developed a civil rights statement for use in its various programs. The purpose of the civil rights statement is to inform applicants, participants and potentially eligible persons of the policy of nondiscrimination and the procedure for filing a civil rights complaint to the USDA.

Sponsors are required to include the nondiscrimination statement on publications, websites, posters and informational materials mentioning USDA programs.

The standard/full civil rights statement must be used wherever possible.

If the material is too small to permit the full statement to be included, the condensed civil rights statement may be used. The material must, at a minimum, include the civil rights statement in print size no smaller than the text used throughout the document.

Standard/Full Civil Rights Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and 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, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or 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 to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

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: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, 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 Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Condensed Civil Rights Statement

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

What You Need to do for Compliance

Check your center’s or agency’s publications, website, posters and informational materials for a nondiscrimination statement.

If the nondiscrimination statement is missing on a publication, include this updated nondiscrimination statement the next time these publications are revised and reprinted. Print copies of this statement and attach to the current supply of publications until the next revision and reprinting.

Contact the Minnesota Department of Education-Food and Nutrition Service at 651-582-8526 or 1-800-366-8922 if you have further questions regarding compliance with this civil rights requirement.