Department of Defense Education Activity

DoDEA Hotline

Read before filing a complaint:

Who may file a DoDEA OIG complaint?

Any DoDEA employee, student, or legal guardian of a DoDEA student may file a complaint. Anyone, including those with no affiliation with DoDEA, may file a complaint with the DoDEA OIG regarding DoDEA fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement, or Whistleblower Reprisal.

What types of complaints are appropriate to file with the DoDEA OIG?

Any complaint regarding fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement or Whistleblower Reprisal should be reported to the DoDEA OIG.* Complaints received regarding other types of issues (ex: discrimination, harassment, and conditions of employment) are addressed by other DoDEA programs and will be referred, by the OIG, as appropriate.

*Whistleblower Reprisal complaints may also be filed directly with the DoD OIG or the Office of Special Counsel.  See links under "Resources and Contacts" on the OIG Home page.

Does the OIG guarantee confidentiality?

If you request confidentiality, the OIG will not release your name outside of the OIG unless confidentiality is waived or the OIG determines that such disclosure is unavoidable during the course of the investigation. You are not required to identify yourself when submitting a Hotline complaint.

You may file anonymously (no identifying information is provided) or confidentially (identifying information is provided, but release of the information is not granted), or you may consent to disclosure of your identity.

If you file your complaint anonymously, the OIG will not be able to contact you to request additional information or provide you the open/closed status of your complaint. Complaints alleging Whistleblower Reprisal may not be filed anonymously or confidentially.

Whistleblower Reprisal Protection

If you are a Federal employee, or employee of a contractor, subcontractor, or grantee submitting information to the DoDEA OIG regarding fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement in DoDEA’s programs, resources, or operations, you are probably a whistleblower. Federal law prohibits governmental personnel from retaliating against someone who acts as a whistleblower by reporting suspected fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement to the OIG. See 5 U.S.C. § 2301, “Prohibited Personnel Practices,” or DoDEA Regulation 1400.14, “Prohibited Personnel Practices,” dated September 26, 2018 for more information.

How to Submit a Complaint

Hotline complaints may be filed via one of the following:

  1. In person: Walk in to DoDEA OIG Headquarters in Alexandria, VA or Region Offices at Torii Station, Okinawa, Japan or Sembach Germany*
  2. Mail or courier: Deliverable to DoDEA OIG Headquarters in Alexandria, VA or Region Offices at Torii Station, Okinawa, Japan, or Sembach, Germany**
  3. Hotline telephone: 571-372-7410 or DSN 315-372-7410
  4. Email: Complete and submit a DoDEA Hotline Action Request Form by email to OIGHOTLINE@dodea.edu.  IMPORTANT:  Please download the Action Request Form prior to filling it out.  The information can only be saved in a downloaded form.  Once downloaded, completed, and saved, then the form should be emailed to the OIG Hotline. 

*For physical locations, please contact the applicable OIG location telephone number listed on the OIG Home page under “Resources and Contacts”
**See location addresses on the OIG Home page under “Resources and Contacts”

NOTE:  To contact the HQ OIG for matters other than submitting a complaint/issue, please contact OIG@dodea.edu.