Santa Rita Laundromat

RE: Formal complaint letter addressing DACO, the Puerto Rico Department of Justice (Civil Rights Division), US Veterans Administration, and the U.S. Department of Justice (Civil Rights Division) 3/14/25 Apx. 3pm U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Departamento de Asuntos del Consumidor (DACO) Puerto Rico Department of Justice – Civil Rights Division To Whom It May Concern, I am submitting this formal complaint regarding an incident that occurred on 3/14 at approximately. 3pm at the Santa Rita Laundromat Río Piedras, Puerto Rico. This complaint is being submitted to the Departamento de Asuntos del Consumidor (DACO) for consumer rights violations, the Puerto Rico Department of Justice – Civil Rights Division for potential discrimination based on national origin and language, and the U.S. Department of Justice – Civil Rights Division in case the business receives federal funding, which may place it under the jurisdiction of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Incident Summary At approximately [3pm], I was at Santa Rita Laundromat, a public business serving the Río Piedras community. While using the facilities, my personal bag was displaced by airflow from the air conditioning unit, causing it to fall behind a machine. Unable to retrieve it without assistance, I approached the on-duty manager/employee and requested help. Upon engaging the manager, I attempted to communicate in both English and my best Spanish. The manager responded in fluent English but refused to assist unless I spoke only in Spanish. Despite my good faith effort to communicate in Spanish, I was mocked and told, "It’s not good enough." The manager then stated, “I know what ‘behind’ means,” acknowledging comprehension but still refusing assistance. When I informed him that I would retrieve my bag myself, he did not object, and I proceeded to do so without further incident. However, his deliberate refusal to assist, coupled with his discriminatory demand that I speak only in Spanish despite his fluency in English, constitutes a potential denial of safe service and potential language-based discrimination. Legal Basis for Complaint 1. Violation of Consumer Protection Laws (DACO Jurisdiction) - DACO regulations protect consumers from unfair business practices. The refusal to assist a customer despite clear understanding of their request constitutes an unjust denial of service. - Under Puerto Rico’s Ley de Prácticas y Anuncios Engañosos (Law of Deceptive Practices and Advertisements, Act 5 of 1973), businesses must engage in good faith with consumers, and refusal of service based on arbitrary reasons (such as language preference) may violate consumer rights. 2. Potential Violation of Puerto Rico Civil Rights Law (PR DOJ Jurisdiction) - Under Puerto Rico Law 131 of 1943, both English and Spanish are official languages, and Puerto Ricans are entitled to fair and equal access to services regardless of language. - The manager's demand that I speak Spanish despite his fluency in English, coupled with his dismissive attitude toward my efforts, could be construed as a language-based form of national origin discrimination. 3. Potential Violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (U.S. DOJ Jurisdiction – If Federal Funding Applies) - If [Laundromat Name] receives any federal funding (such as COVID-19 relief grants or small business assistance loans), it may fall under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in federally funded programs and services. - Language-based discrimination has been recognized by U.S. courts as a proxy for national origin discrimination, particularly when a business deliberately withholds services despite understanding the customer’s request.

Easy access, great service. Would recommend, 10-10.

The third and last time I visited this laundromat, the washer machine I used was hacked after I put my money in. The first time it said something about a rap ID and the the last time, I put the tokens in and started the machine, 30 minutes later it never completed the wash and when I went to ask the male individual wearing the glasses he kept saying que as if he didn't understand what I was saying in Spanish about the washer machine. After the odd response, I was able to deposit the tokens supplied by the laundromat and it finally went through it's washer cycle without any odd hacked problems. I hope to not ever have to return to this location again

Thanks to this place thy is open Sunday! I’m glad !

Clean facilities and fair pricing