Discrimination

Transgender student Drew Adams speaks with reporters outside of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta on Dec. 5, 2019.
Transgender student Drew Adams speaks with reporters outside a federal courthouse in Atlanta in 2019. The full U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled against him on Dec. 30.
Ron Harris/AP
Law & Courts School District Policy Basing Restroom Access on 'Biological Sex' Upheld by Appeals Court
The sharply divided appellate court rules against transgender student Drew Adams and possibly tees up a major fight in the Supreme Court.
Mark Walsh, January 2, 2023
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5 min read
Image of papers on a desk.
smolaw11/iStock/Getty
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
Eesha Pendharkar, December 30, 2022
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4 min read
Banned books are visible at the Central Library, a branch of the Brooklyn Public Library system, in New York City on Thursday, July 7, 2022. The books are banned in several public schools and libraries in the U.S., but young people can read digital versions from anywhere through the library. The Brooklyn Public Library offers free membership to anyone in the U.S. aged 13 to 21 who wants to check out and read books digitally in response to the nationwide wave of book censorship and restrictions.
Banned books are on diplay at the Central Library, a branch of the Brooklyn Public Library system, in New York City on Thursday, July 7, 2022. Some of these books are among those banned by school districts in Texas.
Ted Shaffrey/AP
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.
Eesha Pendharkar, November 30, 2022
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4 min read
Conceptual illustration of a black boy looking through a dream door at a glowing stairway.
Jorm Sangsom/iStock/Getty
Equity & Diversity Opinion Stop Demonizing Black Boys. Let Them Play, Too
The play of Black boys is judged differently—more dangerous, more violent—than that of peers, writes teacher-educator Altheria Caldera.
Altheria Caldera, November 4, 2022
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4 min read
An Alameda High School student poses for photos wearing ripped jeans on the school's campus in Alameda, Calif., Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018. The relaxed new dress code at public schools in the small city of Alameda, across the bay from San Francisco, is intentionally specific: Midriff-baring shirts are acceptable attire, so are tank tops with spaghetti straps and other once-banned items like micro-mini skirts and short shorts.
An Alameda High School student wears ripped jeans on the school's campus in Alameda, Calif.. The school system recently relaxed its dress codes to lessen their impact on some students.
Jeff Chiu/AP
Equity & Diversity Districts Need Guidance on Designing Dress Codes That Are Fair to All. It Might Be On the Way
The Education Department has said it will develop resources, but experts say school districts also need to examine their own policies.
Eesha Pendharkar, October 28, 2022
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6 min read
Conceptual image of a virtual classroom where some students are on screen and some students are present but not sharing their screen.
E+ and iStock/Getty collage
Teaching Profession Q&A The Surprising Ways Teachers' Biases Play Out in Virtual Classrooms
The less teachers know about students, the more likely they are to judge them based on race and gender.
Arianna Prothero, October 13, 2022
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5 min read
Young girl checking her pregnancy test, sitting on beige couch at home.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
Federal Feds Emphasize Legal Protections for Pregnant or Recently Pregnant Students, Employees
The U.S. Department of Education has released a new resource summary related to pregnancy discrimination in schools.
Libby Stanford, October 4, 2022
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2 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Equity & Diversity Opinion Bigotry Is Bigotry, Even If You Call It Equity
Calling out instances of prejudice is not only a moral imperative. It could also go a long way toward healing some of our frayed trust.
Rick Hess, September 8, 2022
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3 min read
Scales of justice and Gavel on wooden table and Lawyer or Judge working with agreement in Courtroom, Justice and Law concept.
Pattanaphong Khuankaew/iStock
Law & Courts Court Backs Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Clash Over School LGBTQ Bias Policy
A federal appeals court said the San Jose, Calif., school district applied its anti-discrimination policy inconsistently.
Mark Walsh, August 29, 2022
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4 min read
Image of a pregnant professional working on a computer.
Getty
Student Well-Being Schools Must Protect Pregnant Students. Proposed Federal Rules Would Spell Out How
The U.S. Department of Education's proposed Title IX rules clarify the rights of pregnant and parenting students and employees.
Libby Stanford, August 1, 2022
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8 min read
In this photo taken Aug. 8, 2012, Amber Starks braids the hair of family friend Zinnia Rickman, 7, at the Lock Loft in Vancouver, Wash.
Amber Starks braids the hair of family friend Zinnia Rickman at the Lock Loft in Vancouver, Wash.
Katie Currid/The Oregonian via AP
Equity & Diversity Q&A ‘Our Hair Is Our Identity’: What Educators Need to Know About Hair Discrimination Laws
More states are passing versions of the CROWN Act, which forbids race-based hair discrimination in schools.
Ileana Najarro, July 5, 2022
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6 min read
Montgomery County teacher and Kentucky Teacher of the Year, Willie Carver, in downtown Mt. Sterling, Ky., on May 11, 2022.
Montgomery County teacher and Kentucky Teacher of the Year, Willie Carver, in downtown Mt. Sterling, Ky., on May 11, 2022.
Arden Barnes for Education Week
Equity & Diversity Citing Anti-Gay Discrimination, a Teacher of the Year Leaves the Classroom
Kentucky's 2022 Teacher of the Year Willie Carver Jr. said he had been unable to find support from his school administration.
Valarie Honeycutt Spears, Lexington Herald-Leader, June 28, 2022
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3 min read
Monique Lopes, 16, far left, dresses with unidentified football players at Pepin High School prior to practice Monday, Sept. 27, 1999, in Pepin, Wis.
High school girls get ready for football practice at Pepin High School in Pepin, Wis., in a 1999 photo.
Steve Kinderman/The Eau Claire Leader-Telegram via AP
Equity & Diversity 5 Ways Title IX Transformed School Sports (and More)
On the 50th anniversary of the historic civil rights law, here are five ways it transformed sports and schooling and still does.
Apoorvaa Mandar Bichu, June 22, 2022
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4 min read
High school students carry a giant rainbow flag during the Come Out With Pride Festival and Parade in downtown Orlando, Fl., on October 9, 2021.
High school students carry a rainbow flag during the Come Out With Pride Festival and Parade in downtown Orlando, Fla.
Ronen Tivony/Sipa via AP Images
Equity & Diversity Biden's Order on LGBTQ Equality: What Educators Need to Know
President Joe Biden's latest executive order takes a stance against "discriminatory" state laws and bolsters support for LGBTQ students and families.
Libby Stanford, June 16, 2022
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5 min read
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