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Equal Protection › Educational Institutions › Civil Rights Act

The Equal Protection Clause is a section of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution that provides that "no state shall...deny to any citizen within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the... more +
The Equal Protection Clause is a section of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution that provides that "no state shall...deny to any citizen within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." Essentially, the Equal Protection Clause provides that the government must treat an individual the same way that it treats other individuals in the same circumstances. The 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause applies only to state governments, but the requirements of the clause apply to the federal government through the Due Process Clause of the 5th Amendment. less -
Foley & Lardner LLP

Achieving DEI Compliance…On Your Website

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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) efforts, and the term itself, have become increasingly scrutinized and subjected to legal challenges by both government and private actors, making an understanding of the current DEI...more

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

U.S. Department of Education’s Guidance Clarifies Discriminatory Activities Subject to Investigation and Funding Consequences

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Following its February 14, 2025, “Dear Colleague Letter,”outlining DEI programs that could result in a loss of federal funding by February 28, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights (the “Department”)...more

Pullman & Comley - School Law

OCR, DEI and Connecticut Schools – Sorting Through a Legal Minefield

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If nothing else, the early days of the Trump administration 2.0 have been a whirlwind of legal activity.  Diversity, equity and inclusion efforts have of course been at the forefront and on February 14, 2025 the federal...more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

A New Chapter for Educational Institutions: DOE Prohibits Use of Race in All Aspects of Student, Academic, Campus Life

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The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) directing educational institutions that they are prohibited from using race in decisions pertaining to admissions, hiring,...more

Dentons

Iowa 2025 Legislative Session – Week 7

Dentons on

Last week, Iowa Republicans fast-tracked legislation related to civil rights and gender identity in Iowa, and hundreds of protesters convened at the Capitol each day. New bills continued to be introduced ahead of the first...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

OCR’s Directive on Race-Conscious Policies in Higher Education

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On February 14, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (DOE) issued a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), which calls for educational institutions to immediately cease race-conscious practices in student...more

Saul Ewing LLP

Department of Education’s February 14 Dear Colleague Letter on Title VI and Equal Protection: Overview, Open Issues, and...

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INTRODUCTION - On February 14, 2025, the Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (the “Assistant Secretary”) at the United States Department of Education (the “Department”) circulated a Dear Colleague Letter (the “DCL”)...more

Morgan Lewis

US Department of Education Issues Sweeping Guidance on Race-Conscious Practices By Academic Institutions

Morgan Lewis on

The US Department of Education’s (the Department’s) Office for Civil Rights issued a sweeping “Dear Colleague” letter on February 14, 2025 outlining a new zero-tolerance policy for the consideration of race in any regard by...more

Whiteford

Employment Law Update: What Employers and Educational Institutions Need to Know about the Attorney General’s February 5th Memo on...

Whiteford on

On February 5, 2025, the U.S. Attorney General (“AG”) Pam Bondi issued a memorandum to all Justice Department employees titled “Ending Illegal DEI and DEIA Discrimination and Preferences,” outlining the Department of...more

Bond Schoeneck & King PLLC

OCR Issues Dear Colleague Letter Addressing DEI Programs Under Title VI

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On Jan. 21, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO), “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.” Broadly speaking, the EO purported to prohibit what it characterized as unlawful...more

Roetzel & Andress

U.S. Department of Education Releases Guidance on DEI Programs in Schools Receiving Federal Funds

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The legality of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (“DEI”) Programs has come under immense scrutiny beginning with the change in presidential administration. On January 21, 2025, President Trump issued executive order 14173...more

Littler

U.S. Department of Education’s New “Dear Colleague” Letter Targets DEI Programs and Signals New Era of Title VI Enforcement

Littler on

On February 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released a “Dear Colleague” Letter (DCL) and emailed it to K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions around the country. The DCL...more

Miller Nash LLP

Challenges for Education Institutions Continue: New “Dear Colleague Letter” Targets Educational Equity Efforts

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On Friday, February 14, 2025, the United States Department of Education (DOE) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) setting out its interpretation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,...more

Warner Norcross + Judd

The U.S. Department of Education Issues Dear Colleague Letter: Clarifies Guidelines for Title VI Compliance

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On Feb. 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights issued a “Dear Colleague” Letter providing compliance guidelines to educational institutions receiving federal funding and subject to Title VI of the...more

McGuireWoods LLP

Federal Court Declines to Extend SFFA Decision Into Military Academy Admissions

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As McGuireWoods explained in previous alerts, the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. President & Fellows of Harvard College (SFFA) left open several questions on its impact on higher...more

Pullman & Comley - School Law

Connecticut State Department of Education Issues New Transgender Student Guidance

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Late last week the Connecticut State Department of Education (“CSDE” or “Department”) issued new guidance addressing the rights of transgender students in Connecticut schools.  Entitled Guidance on Civil Rights Protections...more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

New Texas Law Prohibiting Institutions of Higher Education From Establishing or Maintaining DEI Offices Is Now Effective

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Effective January 1, 2024, a new Texas law prohibits public institutions of higher education from, among other things, establishing or maintaining diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices or hiring or assigning...more

Conn Kavanaugh

Supreme Court Decision May Impact Your Company’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives

Conn Kavanaugh on

The U.S. Supreme Court recently held that it is illegal to consider race in college admissions decisions. While the decision did not apply to employers, employers should be aware that the decision is being used as a roadmap...more

Fisher Phillips

6 Steps for Private and Independent Schools in the Wake of the SCOTUS Affirmative Action Ruling

Fisher Phillips on

Seeing the barrage of lawsuits following the United States Supreme Court’s recent decision regarding the use of race in admissions in higher education has left many in K-12 independent and private schools scratching their...more

Epstein Becker & Green

#WorkforceWednesday: The Ripple Effect of the Supreme Court’s SFFA Ruling for Diversity in the Workplace - Employment Law This...

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This week, we’re focused on how the U.S. Supreme Court’s Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) ruling could impact workplace diversity efforts: Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) investment has been a strong strategy for...more

Fisher Phillips

Department of Education Provides DEI Guidance After SCOTUS Affirmative Action Ruling: 4 Things Colleges and Universities Need to...

Fisher Phillips on

Colleges and universities can still take steps to foster diverse and inclusive campuses — even after the Supreme Court’s decision severely limiting race-conscious admissions in education, according to the latest guidance from...more

WilmerHale

Biden Administration Provides Guidance on Advancing Diversity in Higher Education Following the Supreme Courts Decision in...

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On August 14, 2023, the Biden Administration released its first guidance on how institutions of higher education may lawfully pursue efforts to recruit and admit diverse student bodies in light of the Supreme Court’s recent...more

Mitratech Holdings, Inc

Supreme Court Strikes Down Affirmative Action in College Admissions

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On Thurs. June 29, 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that race-conscious admissions policies are unconstitutional and invoked the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, stating that Harvard’s and UNC’s admissions programs...more

Jenner & Block

Client Alert: Biden Administration Releases Anticipated Guidance on College Admissions After Supreme Court’s Decision in Students...

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On August 14, 2023, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights issued joint guidance directed at colleges and universities in the wake of the Supreme Court’s...more

Kelley Drye & Warren LLP

Did the Supreme Court Put All DEI Programs at Risk?

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It has been less than a month since the Supreme Court’s June 29 decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College (SFFA), and the decision is already creating controversy....more

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