U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Program Compliance and Training Branch

The Program Compliance Branch is responsible for monitoring recipient compliance under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VIII of the Fair Housing Act of 1988, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, The Americans with Disability Act of 1990, The Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, The Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and The Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987. The Program Compliance (PC) Branch provides key outreach and educational tools to empower Rural Development employees to administer the various (Business, Housing, and Utility) programs to rural America. The Branch performs the following functions:

  • Develop and conduct program civil rights and compliance training. Training modules are of a highly technical nature and specifically designed to various types of program facilities financed by the RD. Training is provided to internal and external customers and stakeholders.
  • Develop, analyze, evaluate and recommend policies, plans, regulations, standards and procedures to assure equal access to all RD programs and services are consistent with RD civil rights objectives, and suggest modifications where needed.
  • Advise field staff on the proper execution of forms, instructions, and guidelines. Determine areas where noncompliance exists and recommend corrective or remedial action for achieving full compliance.
  • Perform on-site reviews to evaluate State offices complaint processing responsibilities and implementation of civil rights policies by correlating information developed through investigations and compliance reviews as well as information from sources outside USDA on racial, gender and National Origin data on program participation.

  • Under Development

  • How to file a complaint

    To file a Program Discrimination complaint, you can contact the Rural Development Civil Rights staff via the “Contact Us” Button. An Available Specialist on Staff Will Be Happy to Assist You.

    For questions on issues or how to file a complaint you may contact the Rural Development Civil Rights staff at 1-800-787-8821, option 02.

    What is a Program Discrimination Complaint?

    Filing a Program Discrimination Complaint as a USDA Customer

    USDA prohibits discrimination against its customers. If you believe you experienced discrimination when obtaining services from USDA, participating in a USDA program, or a program that receives financial assistance from USDA, you may file a complaint with USDA. OASCR, through the Center for Civil Rights Enforcement, will investigate and resolve complaints of discrimination in programs operated or assisted by USDA.

    USDA prohibits discrimination on the bases of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, familial status, disability, limited English proficiency, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from a public assistance program. In programs that receive Federal financial assistance from USDA, discrimination is prohibited on the bases of race, color, religious creed, sex, political beliefs, age, disability, national origin, or limited English proficiency. (Not all bases apply to all programs.) Reprisal is prohibited based on prior civil rights activity.

    To file a program discrimination complaint, you may obtain a complaint form by sending an email to SM.OASCR.Info. You or your authorized representative must sign the complaint form. You are not required to use the complaint form. You may write a letter instead. If you write a letter, it must contain all of the information requested in the form and be signed by you or your authorized representative. Incomplete information will delay the processing of your complaint. Employment civil rights complaints will not be accepted through this email address.

    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). Send your completed complaint form or letter by mail, fax, or email.

    By Mail
    U.S. Department of Agriculture
    Director, Center for Civil Rights Enforcement
    1400 Independence Avenue, SW
    Washington, DC 20250-9410
    Fax (202) 690-7442
    E-mail: program.intake@usda.gov

  • Name    Title    Phone    Email Address   
    Darren Kaihlanen    Branch Chief, Program Compliance 405-446-2619   Darren.Kaihlanen@usda.gov      
    Robert Harris Equal Opportunity Specialist 202-720-0834 Robert.Harris@usda.gov
    Ralph Deleon Equal Opportunity Specialist 706-530-3350 Ralph.Deleon@usda.gov
    Elizabeth Messervey    Equal Opportunity Specialist    618-998-6141   Elizabeth.Messervey@usda.gov      
    Craig Stroman    Equal Opportunity Specialist    302-358-4244 craig.stroman@usda.gov
    Ivelisse Valentin    Equal Opportunity Specialist    202-690-4767    Ivelisse.Valentin@usda.gov      
    Michele Witt Equal Opportunity Specialist 859-224-7324 michele.witt@usda.gov
    Brenda Woolard    Equal Opportunity Specialist    919-873-2012  brenda.woolard@usda.gov  
    Railly McDaniel  Equal Opportunity Specialist 505-807-3576 Railly.McDaniel@usda.gov
     
    Carmita Collins Equal Opportunity Specialist 785-271-2750 Carmita.Ragan-Thompson@usda.gov
    Sy Waldon Equal Opportunity Specialist 805-984-2358 ext 112 Sy.Waldon@usda.gov

     

     

     

  • Browse the USDA E-Forms site to find forms 400-1, 400-4, 400-6, 400-8. 

    • Equal Opportunity Agreement Form RD 400-1
    • Assurance Agreement Form RD 400-4
    • Compliance Statement Form RD 400-6
    • Compliance Review Form RD 400-8

  • Types of Programs

    • Assisted – Multi-Family Housing (MFH); Rural Utilities Service (RUS); Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS), Community Facilities (CF)
    • Guaranteed – (*interest credit only*)
    • Conducted – Single-Family Housing (SFH); Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS)
    • Guaranteed Loans

    Discrimination by Type

    Learn about the various types of discrimination prohibited by the laws enforced by RD Instruction 1901-E and 7 CFR Part 15 Subpart A. We also provide links to the relevant laws, regulations and policy guidance, and also fact sheets, Q&As, best practices, and other information.

    • Age
    • Disability
    • Income Derived From Public Assistance
    • National Origin
    • Race
    • Color
    • Religion
    • Retaliation
    • Sex
    • Language Barriers
    • Familial Status
    • Marital Status
    • Sexual Orientation