EEOC REOPENS NEW ORLEANS OFFICE

New Downtown Office a Few Blocks from Former Site

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today reopened its New Orleans office, shut by Hurricane Katrina, in a downtown tower a few blocks from the office's former Loyola Avenue site. The new address is 1555 Poydras Street, Suite 1900, near City Hall and the Louisiana Super Dome.

"The Commission today reopened its New Orleans office in the heart of downtown," said Commission Chair Cari M. Dominguez.  "We commend our dedicated staff who, despite trying personal situations, voluntarily reported to EEOC offices in other states or teleworked after Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.  We want the people of Louisiana to know that they once again have an EEOC office right in New Orleans where they can go to ensure their rights to discrimination-free workplaces."

Initially, the public's physical access to the new office may be limited as the space continues to be configured.  Until the office can fully reopen to the public in January 2006, the EEOC asks the public and customers in Louisiana to continue to call its National Contact Center at (800) 669-4000 voice or (800) 669-6820 (TTY) for charge filing information and status of complaints previously filed.

Keith Hill, Acting Director of the New Orleans office, said: "Staff have been eager to get back to work and to contribute to the agency's mission.  Tenacity and creativity have already brought us this far, and we'll soon be operating again in full strength and at full speed."

The EEOC's New Orleans office has jurisdiction for all of Louisiana.  Since Hurricane Katrina, the agency has provided online updates on status and procedural information for New Orleans-area potential charging parties, current charging parties, respondents, parties to the federal complaint process, and its own employees, at www.eeoc.gov.  The EEOC's Houston District Office has been handling many administrative functions which gradually now will be transferred back to the New Orleans office.

The EEOC is the federal government agency responsible for enforcing the nation's anti-discrimination laws in the workplace based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age and disability. Further information about the Commission is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.