Civil Rights
Law & Courts
Court Upholds School Resource Officer's Use of a Taser on a Student With a Disability
A federal appeals panel upheld qualified immunity for the SRO and rejected the student's disability-discrimination and civil rights claims.
Equity & Diversity
Race-Based Affinity Groups Should Be Open to All Students, Biden Admin. Tells Schools
In new guidance, the Education Department cites examples of school policies or programs that violate civil rights law.
Equity & Diversity
How a Federal Office Investigates and Resolves Discrimination Complaints Against Schools
What is OCR, how do you file a complaint, and what relief can it offer for students or staff whose civil rights may have been violated?
Law & Courts
Biden Administration Outlines How Colleges Can Pursue Racial Diversity After Court Ruling
The U.S. Departments of Education and Justice say universities may partner with schools on outreach and recruitment of minority students.
Equity & Diversity
District Failed to Protect Nonbinary Student From Harassment, Federal Investigation Finds
A Wisconsin district may owe compensatory instruction to a nonbinary student for excluding them from some in-person instruction.
School Climate & Safety
Biden Administration Asks Districts to Investigate Their Discipline Disparities
A new letter marks the latest salvo in a years-long debate over school discipline.
Reading & Literacy
A School District's Book Removals May Have Violated Students' Civil Rights
A Georgia district’s removal of books about LGBTQ+ and racial minorities may have violated students’ civil rights, OCR determined.
Equity & Diversity
Schools Are Part of the Biden Administration's Plan for Combating Antisemitism
The call to action for schools is part of a first-of-its-kind federal strategy.
Equity & Diversity
The Ed. Dept. Received the Most Civil Rights Complaints in History Last Year
The Office of Civil Rights within the Department of Education received 18,804 complaints in 2022, but over 7,300 came from a single person.
School & District Management
Better Principal Data Is Critical to Close Equity Gaps, Groups Tell Feds
Advocates argue that the data will help state policy makers, preparation programs, and advocates make better decisions.
Privacy & Security
Why Student Data Privacy Is a Civil Rights Issue
Data privacy problems in schools could be disproportionately hurting specific groups.
Equity & Diversity
With No Action From Biden, House GOP Seeks to Ban Trans Girls From School Sports
The Biden administration last June proposed protections for LGBTQ students, but hasn't said those protections apply to trans athletes.
Equity & Diversity
What Researchers Learned From Analyzing Decades of Civil Rights Complaints Against Schools
Large, segregated districts are more likely to have OCR complaints filed against them, a new report shows
School & District Management
ACLU Texas Files OCR Complaint Over a District's Anti-Trans Book Ban
The group claims the Keller school district's new policy to remove books about gender fluidity from library shelves violates federal law.