Complaint Procedures

To file a complaint with the New Mexico Signed Language Interpreters Board, download the complaint form and fill it out, answering all the questions to the best of your ability. Include dates, locations, and the nature of the violations. Sign the completed complaint form and have it notarized.

These are the steps followed in the evaluation and investigation of a complaint:

  1. An initial evaluation will be conducted to determine if you provided all the information and documentation referenced in your complaint, which includes release of records, names, addresses, and phone numbers of witnesses.
  2. The Board Administrator, Board's Complaint Committee, and the Complaint Liaison will conduct an initial evaluation of the allegations. This may entail requesting additional information and/or clarification from you, requesting a response from the Respondent(s), or initiating an investigation.
  3. If an investigation is conducted, an Investigator may contact you for additional information and/or clarification. In addition, the Investigator may need to obtain documents from different sources, and conduct interviews of the parties (Complainant and Respondent) and other witnesses.
  4. If an investigation is conducted, once it is completed, the Compliance Liaison meets with the Board Administrator and/or Complaint Committee of the Board to determine if the complaint is ready to be presented to the full Board. If the complaint is ready to be presented to the full Board, it will be presented to the Board in Executive Session, which is not open to the public. The Board will be provided with redacted information in order to preserve the integrity of the complaint. The information that will be redacted includes the names, addresses, phones numbers, and locations of the parties involved.
  5. If the Board believes, based on the information submitted, that a violation of the statute or rules has occurred, it may request from the Attorney General's Office that a Notice of Contemplated Action (NCA) against the Respondent(s) be initiated. The NCA outlines the nature of the alleged violation(s) and requires that the Respondent(s) request a hearing within a specified period. The Board may also authorize the offer of other informal resolution of the complaint in lieu of an NCA.
  6. If an NCA is issued to the Respondent(s), the Board will convene a hearing in conformance with the Uniform Licensing Act (ULA), render a decision, and issue an order. Disciplinary actions available to the Board range from "no violation", to letters of reprimand, up to and including license revocation. The Board may assess administrative hearing costs, and may order the Respondent(s) to take continuing education credit hours above and beyond the hours required for license renewal. The Board may at any time enter into a stipulated agreement to resolve a complaint without a formal hearing and may hold a complaint in abeyance pending the resolution of civil or criminal litigation arising from the same set of facts. If a case is held in abeyance, the two-year statute of limitations imposed by the ULA on issuing an NCA is tolled, or suspended, pending resolution of the litigation. After the litigation is resolved, the Board may proceed with the case.

You are welcome to contact Cynthia Graystone, Compliance Officer (505) 476-4667 at any time to inquire about the status of your complaint. The entire length of time of the complaint process varies based on complexity of the issues, the availability of witnesses, and other issues; therefore, your patience is required and appreciated.