• A description of the alleged discriminatory act(s) 

in sufficient detail to enable ODEO to understand 

what occurred, when it occurred, and the basis for 

the alleged discrimination (race, sex, color, national 

origin, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation, and 

status as a parent).

Other Important Information on 

Complaint Filing

NASA may not retaliate against any person who has 

made a complaint, testified, assisted, or participated 

in any manner in an investigation or proceeding 

under the Executive Order. Any individual filing a 

complaint under Executive Order 13160 or any of its 

implementing rules may be represented and assisted 

in all stages of these proceedings by an attorney 

or representative of his or her own choosing. An 

individual has a responsibility to promptly inform 

the agency if legal counsel is retained. In addition, 

an individual has an obligation to notify ODEO if 

he or she wishes to have any other representative 

included in these proceedings. It is the responsibility 

of the complainant to provide ODEO with the name, 

address, and phone number of any attorney or 

other representative. In addition, it is an ongoing 

responsibility of the complainant to advise the ODEO 

as to any changes with respect to the status of his 

or her legal and/or nonlegal representation in any 

proceeding under the Executive Order or any of its 

implementing rules.

Where To Send Your Complaint 

You may send a discrimination complaint letter to the 

NASA Agency Diversity and EO office at:

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Executive Order 13160

Nondiscrimination and Equal Opportunity and 

in NASA Conducted Education and Training 

Programs and Activities:

education

Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity

www.nasa.gov 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 

Headquarters

Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity

300 E St., SW

Suite 4W39

Washington, DC 20546

202-358-2167

TDD: 202-358-3748

You also may send a discrimination complaint letter 

to any of the following NASA Component Facilities:

NASA Ames Research Center

Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity

Mail Code 19-5

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

650-604-6510

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center

Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity

Mail Code D-1023

P.O. Box 273

Edwards, CA 93523-0273

621-276-3033

NASA Glenn Research Center

Office of Equal Opportunity Programs

Mail Stop 500-311

21000 Brookpark Rd.

Cleveland, OH 44135

216-433-2323

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Office of Equal Opportunity Programs

Mail Code 120

Greenbelt Rd.

Greenbelt, MD 20771-0001

301-286-7348

NASA Headquarters

Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management

300 E St., SW

Suite 4F39

Washington, DC 20546-0001

202-358-1098

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Employee Relations Office

Mail Code T1720-D

4800 Oak Grove Drive

Pasadena, CA 91109

818-354-5789

NASA Johnson Space Center

Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity

Mail Code AJ

Houston, TX 77058-3696

281-483-1098

NASA Kennedy Space Center

Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity

Mail Stop AJ

Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899

321-867-9175

NASA Langley Research Center

Office of Equal Opportunity Programs

Mail Code 378

Hampton, VA 23681

757-864-3290

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

Equal Opportunity Office

Mail Code CE01

Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812

256-544-2411

NASA Stennis Space Center

Office of Equal Opportunity

Mail Code AAOO

Stennis Space Center, MS 39529

228-688-2079

NASA Wallops Flight facility

Equal Opportunity Programs Office

Mail Stop 120

Wallops Island, VA 23337

757-824-1412

Obtaining Further Information on 

Executive Order 13160

The U.S. Department of Justice has issued a policy 

guidance document on Executive Order 13160. 

Copies of this document may obtained by contacting 

the Department’s Coordination and Review Section at 

202-514-1000 or by accessing its Web site on the 

Internet at http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/cor/13160.htm.
Examples of Prohibited Discrimination

Prohibited discrimination under Executive Order 13160 

may take many different forms including, but not limited 

to, the following:

• Selecting or failing to select an individual to 

participate in a Federally conducted education or 

training program covered under the Executive Order 

because of his 

or her protected status (the term “protected status” 

refers generally to the nine protected characteristics 

which are the subject of the Executive Order: race, 

sex, color, national origin, disability, religion, age, 

sexual orientation, and status as a parent).

• Denying an individual any aid, benefit, or service 

offered in connection with a Federally conducted 

education program because of his or her 

protected status.

• Assigning an individual to a particular education or 

training program or activity, or a particular project, 

because of his or her protected status.

• Sexual harassment (a form of discrimination on 

the basis of sex).

• Failure to take reasonable steps to ensure 

meaningful program participation for individuals

who are limited English proficient (form of 

discrimination of national origin).

• Failure to provide reasonable accommodation for an 

individual’s religious beliefs (a form of discrimination 

on the basis of religion).

Relationship with Legal Authorities 

Covering Federal Employment

Executive Order 13160 covers all individuals involved in 

Federally conducted education and training programs. 

Federal employees covered by the Executive Order 

by virtue of their employment-related participation 

in Federally conducted educational programs are 

already protected under a number of existing Equal 

Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws, regulations, 

and Executive Orders. 

As a practical matter, the application of Executive Order 

13160 to a Federal employee will depend on whether 

his or her participation in the education program at 

issue is employment-related or not. If participation is 

employment-related, then the employee will be covered 

by existing law as well as the Executive Order. If the 

program is not employment-related, then the employee 

will be covered under the Executive Order but not 

existing laws. 

For example, if an employee of NASA participates in 

a training program conducted by the Department of 

Justice (DOJ), the employee may choose to file an 

Executive Order 13160 claim directly against DOJ if he 

or she chooses not to, or is not able to, invoke existing 

EEO laws and regulations at NASA.

NASA’s Office of Diversity and 

Equal Opportunity

Within NASA, the Office of Diversity and Equal 

Opportunity (ODEO) is charged with enforcing civil 

rights statutes, regulations, and Executive Orders to 

protect the rights of NASA employees and beneficiaries 

of programs or activities assisted or conducted by 

NASA. Under Executive Order 13160, ODEO’s charge 

is to receive, investigate, and adjudicate complaints 

alleging discrimination in NASA-conducted education 

and training activities and to ensure that all individuals 

involved in Federally conducted education and training 

programs are aware of the antidiscrimination mandate 

of Executive Order 13160. 

Filing a Complaint of Discrimination

Who May File A Complaint?

Any person who believes himself or herself to be 

aggrieved by a violation of the Executive Order or 

its implementing rules may, personally or through a 

representative, file a written complaint with the 

What is Executive Order 13160?

Executive Order 13160, “Nondiscrimination on the 

Basis of Race, Sex, Color, National Origin, Disability, 

Religion, Age, Sexual Orientation, and Status as a 

Parent in Federally Conducted Education and Training 

Programs,” was issued on June 23, 2000. 

The purpose of the Executive Order is to ensure equal 

opportunity in all Federally conducted education and 

training programs. It is premised upon the notion that 

the Federal government should hold itself to at least 

the same principles of nondiscrimination in educational 

opportunities as it applies to the educational programs 

and activities of recipients of Federal financial 

assistance, such as universities and colleges. 

The mandate of Executive Order 13160 is clear: to 

ensure that all individuals, notwithstanding race, sex, 

color, national origin, disability, religion, age, sexual 

orientation, and status as a parent, have an equal 

opportunity to participate in, enjoy the benefits of, and 

be free from discrimination in Federally conducted 

education and training programs.

What are “Federally Conducted 

Education and Training Programs”?

Federally conducted education and training programs 

covered by Executive Order 13160 would include longterm, formal academic institutions sponsored by the 

government as well as short-term training programs. At 

NASA, examples of Federally conducted education and 

training programs and activities may include the NASA 

Administrator’s Fellowship Program and the NASA 

Headquarters summer internship program.

agency that the person believes is in violation of 

the Executive Order or its implementing rules. A 

complaint must be filed within 180 days of the alleged 

discrimination. ODEO may extend this time limit for the 

following reasons:

a. If the complainant can demonstrate that he or 

she had no notice of the time limit and was not 

otherwise aware of it; or

b. If the complainant can demonstrate that he or she 

was prevented by circumstances beyond his or her 

control from submitting the complaint in a timely 

fashion; or

c. For other reasons, or under other circumstances, 

considered sufficient by ODEO.

It should be noted that NASA employees filing 

complaints of discrimination relating to NASA 

employment should follow filing requirements under the 

applicable statutory authority (i.e., Title VII, Section 501, 

the Age Discrimination in Employment Act).

What To Include in Your Complaint?

Anyone wishing to file a formal complaint with ODEO 

should submit in writing the following information:

• Your name, address, and signature (a telephone 

number where you can be reached during business 

hours is helpful, but not required);

• Whether the alleged discriminatory act occurred in a 

Federally conducted education or training program 

and whether the alleged discriminatory act was 

related to Federal employment; 

• The name and location of the NASA installation that 

committed the alleged discriminatory acts; and 

Executive Order 13160