CRD Closed Your Complaint: Intake Closure, Appeal, and Court Deadlines Are Different

Read the CRD complaint and closure-appeal instructions.

A CRD closure letter is not the same as choosing an immediate right-to-sue notice at the outset. If the department has closed an existing complaint, read the title and instructions on that particular letter before deciding whether to appeal or pursue a court action. CRD distinguishes a Notice of Intake Closure from a Notice of Case Closure after investigation. Confusing them can send a response through the wrong route.

Identify which kind of closure letter you received

For a Notice of Intake Closure, CRD directs the person to follow the appeal instructions in that letter. Its general Appeals Unit instructions instead concern cases investigated and later closed. Do not copy another person’s appeal form or deadline without checking whether the same process applies to your letter.

CRD also says it will not accept appeals for cases settled, withdrawn, or closed at the department’s discretion, and cautions that its list is not exhaustive. Identify what the letter says occurred rather than assuming every closure can be appealed through one uniform process. If the reason or category is unclear, seek prompt clarification.

An investigated-case appeal uses its own instructions

For an investigated-case closure covered by its instructions, CRD says to submit a completed Appeal Request Form within ten calendar days of the date on the Notice of Case Closure. That is the notice date, not an assumed date when you first opened the email. The department gives email and postal submission options on the current page. Confirm the current destination there and retain the completed form and proof of submission.

The department says a letter will state whether the appeal was accepted for review or rejected. If accepted, an appeal reviewer reviews the file and may contact you for more information. Acceptance does not establish discrimination or guarantee that CRD will reverse the closure. Review order and timing depend on agency resources, not a promised completion date.

Do not treat an agency appeal as a court filing

CRD warns against waiting until the appeal ends to consider a civil lawsuit or speak with an attorney. The Notice of Case Closure identifies the court filing deadline. Its guidance says a timely CRD appeal may pause that deadline; do not treat that qualified statement as a guarantee that every deadline in every related claim stops. Have counsel evaluate the actual notice, appeal, and claims while the agency review is pending.

An immediate right-to-sue election is different: CRD says it will not investigate that complaint even if you later decide not to sue. It is not a way to obtain a new investigation after taking the immediate route. For the preparation and consequences of that initial election, see the immediate right-to-sue request guide.

Keep the appeal acknowledgment and court advice separate

Keep the closure letter, envelope or electronic delivery details, appeal form, attachments, transmission proof, and agency acknowledgment together. Note any difference between the stated notice date, submission date, and acceptance date. These records let counsel assess which event matters without reconstructing it from memory.

Use the assigned CRD case number when asking about appeal status, as the agency instructs. Track any request for additional information and any separate court-related task assigned by counsel. A status inquiry is not a substitute for the required appeal submission or a lawsuit.