U.S. Attorney Graves Announces New Affirmative Civil Rights and Environmental Justice Unit in the District of Columbia

WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves announced today the formation of an Affirmative Civil Rights and Environmental Justice Unit (the Unit) in the Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia. The new civil unit will focus on investigating and enforcing federal civil rights and environmental laws within the District, as well as conducting regular community outreach regarding civil rights and environmental justice concerns.

“Protecting civil rights within our district is a high priority for both the Department and our Office,” said U.S. Attorney Graves.  “We recognize that communities of color and low-income communities too often feel the greatest effects of environmental contamination and pollution, so we are also committed to addressing those issues as part of this new unit, and we generally want to hear from our fellow community members when they believe their rights have been violated and legal action is needed.”

The unit will work to enforce federal civil rights laws regarding discrimination, housing, disability access, environmental justice, sexual harassment, and other matters. Coordinating the activities of the unit will be Deputy Civil Chiefs John Truong, the division’s Civil Rights Coordinator, and Diana Valdivia, the office’s Environmental Justice Coordinator. The unit will primarily be staffed with three Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Carlos Andino, Christopher Hair, and Sean Tepe. The unit will work closely with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and Environmental and Natural Resources Division and coordinate its activities with other Justice Department components and local, state, and federal agencies as appropriate.

The creation of the unit is part of the Justice Department’s initiative to confront discrimination through modern, comprehensive methods, prioritize community outreach, and make better use of civil enforcement mechanisms. Advancing environmental justice is also a priority for the Justice Department, which recently created the Office of Environmental Justice within the Environmental and Natural Resources Division with a mandate to engage all Justice Department bureaus, components, and offices in the collective pursuit of environmental justice.  These efforts will promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty for all District residents by working to ensure that they live and work in environmentally safe conditions and enjoy their full panoply of civil rights guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. 

The Office’s Civil Division welcomes information from the public regarding possible civil rights violations and concerns related to environmental, health, and climate impacts on individuals and communities in the district. You may submit information or concerns to USADC_CivilRights@usdoj.gov, and learn more at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/affirmative-civil-rights-and-environmental-justice.