Administrative Procedure  Supreme Judicial Court and Appeals Court Grievance Procedure under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Date:	07/23/2021
Referenced Sources:	Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

This Grievance Procedure is established to provide for the prompt and equitable resolution of complaints by members of the public alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. It may be used by any member of the public claiming discrimination on the basis of disability in the provision of services, programs, or benefits of the Supreme Judicial Court or the Appeals Court.

Grievance Procedure

Complaints by members of the public alleging discrimination on the basis of disability should be filed within 30 days after the action complained of. Complaints are not required to be in writing but may be submitted on the Complaint Form, which is available on request from either of the ADA Coordinators identified below. Complaint forms are also available at each of the Clerk's Offices and online at Massachusetts Court System under the tab "ADA accessibility at the courts."

Completed complaints should be sent to the ADA Coordinator for the court against whom the claim of discrimination is being made (see contact information below). If you are unsure of which court to direct your complaint to, send it to either of the ADA Coordinators identified below and he or she will forward it to the appropriate court. Upon receiving the complaint, the ADA Coordinator shall coordinate with the appropriate staff to promptly investigate the complaint by interviewing appropriate staff and the complainant to determine whether it can be resolved. Within 30 days of receiving the complaint, the ADA Coordinator or the ADA Coordinator's designee will respond in writing, explaining the position of the Court and offering options, if any, for resolution of the complaint.

If the response by the ADA Coordinator or the ADA Coordinator's designee does not satisfactorily resolve the issue, the complainant and/or the complainant's designee may appeal the decision within 15 calendar days after receipt of the response to the Executive Director of the Supreme Judicial Court or the Court Administrator of the Appeals Court, depending on where the alleged violation occurred. Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the appeal, the Executive Director or the Court Administrator, or a designee, will contact the complainant to discuss the complaint and possible resolutions, if any. Within 15 calendar days after such contact, the Executive Director or the Court Administrator, or designee, will respond in writing and in an accessible format, where appropriate, stating the Court's position and offering options, if any, for resolution of the complaint.

The decision of the Executive Director or the Court Administrator, or assigned designee, shall be final for purposes of this Grievance Procedure. 

The ADA Coordinator shall maintain all records related to an ADA complaint for 3 years. 

The Supreme Judicial Court has designated as its ADA Coordinator:

Timothy Maguire
ADA Coordinator
Supreme Judicial Court
John Adams Courthouse
Boston, Massachusetts 02108
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

The Appeals Court has designated as its ADA Coordinator:

Maggi Farrell
ADA Coordinator
Massachusetts Appeals Court
John Adams Courthouse
Boston, Massachusetts 02108
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]