An intake is an appointment with an investigator – over the phone - to talk about your situation. If there is a viable complaint, the investigator will draft a complaint for your consideration. If you choose to file, you will need to fax, mail or drop off your complaint within 180 days of the act that you feel was adverse to you based on your vaccination status.
The Human Rights Bureau’s fax number is (406) 443-3234. You can reach us by mail at Human Rights Bureau, P.O. Box 1728, Helena MT, 59624. You can also drop off the complaint off 33 S. Last Chance Gulch, Helena Montana. Please understand, the Bureau has limited staff and appointments for intake are out a few weeks.
Last Updated 10/28/21You are free to draft your own complaint and here is a (hyperlink) to the Bureau’s page on how to file a self-drafted complaint. As noted on that page, there are five steps. The Bureau will need (1) your contact information, (2) the contact information for the entity that you want to file against, and then (3) you need to set out that you feel you were discriminated against based on your vaccination status. When you are doing a self-drafted complaint, please include a (4) concise statement of the facts, including relevant dates for when the adverse act or omission occurred. At the bottom, you need to (5) verify your complaint. This means that you “swear or affirm” that what you have written in your complaint is true and correct. We have ‘attestation’ language in our link.
Remember, you need to file that complaint within 180 days of the adverse act (the act or omission you feel was adverse to you based on your vaccination status). The Bureau also notes be sure and provide accurate ‘contact information’ for the entity that you are filing against, you may work in a local office but that might not be the best address to receive a discrimination complaint. Once drafted, you will need to fax, mail or drop of your complaint. The Bureau does not accept emailed complaints. You can fax your complaint to (406) 443-3234. You can mail your complaint to Human Rights Bureau, P.O. Box 1728, Helena MT, 59624. You can also or drop it off at our office at 33 S. Last Chance Gulch, Helena Montana. You will need to get your complaint filed within 180 days of the act or omission you feel was adverse to you based on your vaccination status.
Last Updated 10/28/21The Bureau operates as a neutral and it is obligated to provide due process to all parties. After you submit your complaint, it will be sent to the entity you are filing against (the Respondent). By statute, the Bureau cannot begin an investigation until the Respondent is on notice that a complaint is filed. The Respondent is given an opportunity to respond. After we receive this response, the Bureau will send it to you and ask you to submit a rebuttal. A rebuttal is where you tell us why you do not agree with the Respondent’s defense. After this, the Bureau will gather relevant information through witness interviews, requests for documents or comparative information. When the Bureau’s investigator has gathered the information necessary, it will write a final investigative report that determines whether there is reasonable cause to believe discrimination occurred. (Understand that the Bureau is working on complaints that have been currently filed and it has 180 days to complete an investigation and issue a finding.) Because the facts of each case are different, the Bureau has to look at each complaint independently.
Last Updated 10/28/21