The purpose of this part is to establish a procedure for the filing, investigation, and administrative determination of allegations of discrimination (including harassment) based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age (40 or over), disability or other bases provided for in applicable statutes, regulations or the Peace Corps Manual or history of participation in the Peace Corps discrimination complaint process which arise in connection with the recruitment, selection, placement, service, or termination of applicants, trainees, or volunteers. In addition, any Peace Corps applicant, trainee, or volunteer may submit an allegation of discrimination to the Peace Corps Office of Inspector General at any time, and the allegation will be processed in accordance with policy and procedures of the Office of Inspector General.

(a) In the recruitment, selection, placement, service, and termination of Peace Corps Trainees and Volunteers, it is the policy of the Peace Corps to provide equal opportunity for all persons and to prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age (40 or over), disability, and other bases provided for in applicable statutes, regulations or the Peace Corps Manual, or history of participation in the Peace Corps discrimination complaint process.

(b) It is the policy of the Peace Corps, upon a determination that such prohibited discrimination has occurred, to take appropriate corrective action to remedy the discrimination and to prevent its recurrence.

(c) It is the policy of the Peace Corps that all agency staff must cooperate in the investigation of a complaint. Volunteers and trainees are strongly encouraged to cooperate.

Unless the context requires otherwise, in this part:

Applicant means a person who has submitted a completed application required for consideration of eligibility for Peace Corps Volunteer service. “Applicant” may also mean a person who alleges that the actions of agency personnel precluded them from submitting such an application or any other information reasonably required by the appropriate personnel as necessary for a determination of the individual's eligibility for Volunteer service.

Complainant means an aggrieved applicant, trainee, or volunteer who believes they have been subject to prohibited discrimination and files a formal complaint.

Complaint means a written statement signed by a Complainant alleging prohibited discrimination and submitted to the OCRD Director, as described in § 306.9(a).

Counselor means an official designated by the OCRD Director to perform an informal inquiry focused on possible resolution as detailed in this Part.

Director means the Director of the Peace Corps.

File(d) Date means the date a Complaint is received by the appropriate agency official.

Final Agency Decision (FAD) means the Peace Corps' final written determination on a complaint.

OCRD Director means the Director of the Peace Corps' Office of Civil Rights and Diversity.

Prohibited discrimination means discrimination (including harassment) on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age (40 or over), disability, or other bases provided for in applicable statutes, regulations or the Peace Corps Manual, or history of participation in the Peace Corps discrimination complaint process.

Trainee means a person who has accepted an invitation issued by the Peace Corps and has registered for Peace Corps staging.

Volunteer means a person who has taken the oath of service and been sworn in for Peace Corps service, whether or not this person is still in Peace Corps service.

(a) Except as set out below, these procedures apply to all Peace Corps applicants, trainees, and volunteers.

(1) To the extent that a trainee or volunteer makes a complaint containing an allegation of prohibited discrimination in connection with conduct that constitutes sexual misconduct as defined in the Peace Corps' policy on volunteer sexual misconduct.

(2) When an applicant, trainee, or volunteer makes a complaint which contains an allegation of prohibited discrimination in connection with an early termination or other administrative procedure of the agency, only the allegation of prohibited discrimination will be processed under this part. At the discretion of the OCRD Director, additional allegations or claims material to the complaint may be consolidated with the discrimination complaint for processing under these regulations. Any issues which are not so consolidated will continue to be processed under those procedures pursuant to which they were originally raised.

(3) Complaints of retaliation in connection with allegations made under the Peace Corps Volunteer Confidentiality Protection policy shall be handled in accordance with that policy.

(b) The OCRD Director has the discretion to consolidate complaints from different applicants, Trainees, or Volunteers that allege common underlying facts and similar claims.

(c) These regulations do not create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. Coverage under these rules does not constitute acceptance by the agency or the United States Government of jurisdiction for judicial review.

Any aggrieved party may be assisted in all stages of these procedures under this Part by an attorney or non-staff representative of his or her own choosing at his or her own expense. An aggrieved party must immediately inform the agency if representation is retained.

Aggrieved parties, their representatives, and witnesses will be free from retaliation at any stage in the presentation and processing of a complaint under this section, including the counseling stage described in 306.8 of this Part, or any time thereafter.

(a) An aggrieved party, his or her representative, or a witness who alleges retaliation in connection with the presentation of a complaint under this part, may, if covered by this Part, request in writing that the allegation be reviewed as an act of discrimination subject to the procedures described in subpart B or that the allegation be considered as an issue in the complaint at hand. The determination whether to consider the complaint in the same or a separate proceeding is within the discretion of the OCRD Director.