Education Department closes thousands of civil rights complaints within months
The U.S. Department of Education has dismissed more than 3,000 civil rights complaints in about three months, effectively ending investigations into alleged discrimination in schools across the country. The department confirmed the dismissals in a July 1 court filing, raising questions about how federal civil rights laws are being enforced and whether students and families are receiving a fair review of their claims.
Mass dismissals raise questions about fairness and enforcement
The cases had been under review by the department’s Office for Civil Rights, which is responsible for investigating discrimination based on race, color, sex, disability and national origin.
The wave of dismissals followed the March shutdown of seven regional offices within the Department of Education’s civil rights division, leaving just five open nationwide. The closures were accompanied by significant staffing cuts, resulting in the layoff of hundreds of Office for Civil Rights employees. A Massachusetts judge later ruled the department must reinstate those workers to help handle the volume of complaints.
Civil rights and justice advocates argue the administration is applying a narrower interpretation of federal civil rights laws, especially in relation to race, national origin, shared ancestry and sex-based discrimination when compared to former President Joe Biden.
“The sheer volume of cases that have been dismissed in the last few months is just unprecedented and egregious, and it begs the question of who is making these decisions and under what guidance or what part of the case-processing manual are they using to justify it?” said Tracey Vitchers, executive director of It’s On Us, to Inside Higher Ed.
First reported by Politico, between March 11 and June 27, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights received 4,833 complaints. Of those, 3,424 were dismissed. The remaining cases were either resolved through voluntary agreements, closed due to lack of evidence or led to formal investigations, which all follow their case processing manual.
Department defends strategy amid growing demand
In a statement to Politico, agency spokesperson Julie Hartman said the department is committed to protecting the civil rights of all Americans and is taking steps to streamline its operations to meet growing demand.
“For example, amid a growing volume of Title IX complaints, OCR partnered with the Department of Justice to expeditiously investigate sex-based discrimination claims,” she said.
In the last three months of the Biden administration, the Office for Civil Rights closed 2,527 complaints. Another 449 led to formal agreements requiring policy changes, 146 were settled through mediation, and 119 were closed after investigators found no evidence of civil rights violations.
Focus shifts from inclusion to compliance
Since Trump’s return to the White House, the Department of Education has shifted its civil rights priorities, placing a focus on combating antisemitism on college campuses, rolling back rules allowing transgender student athletes to compete in women’s sports and dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in schools.
Colleges and universities that fail to align with the administration’s directives have faced steep consequences. Some have had federal funding frozen, come under federal investigation or become targets of public criticism from President Trump and Republican congressional leaders.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
