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Office of Civil Rights Colleges Civil Rights Act

Fisher Phillips

Will My School Face Investigation? Feds Announce Race-Based Investigations Into 52 Higher Education Institutions

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A federal civil rights agency just announced that it will be investigating more than 50 higher ed institutions to determine whether they violated federal law by making race-based decisions in their graduate and scholarship...more

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Mass Layoffs at the U.S. Department of Education: Impacts on Higher Education

Overview - On March 11, 2025, the Department of Education (ED or the Department) effectively fired a substantial portion of its employees, marking a significant step in what Secretary Linda McMahon has called the...more

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

U.S. Department of Education Announces Investigations Demonstrating Continued Scrutiny of DEI-Related Title VI Issues

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Last week, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (the “Department”) announced that it has initiated two sets of investigations against dozens of universities for alleged violations of Title VI....more

Fisher Phillips

So You’re Concerned About Losing Federal Funding: 3 Things Schools Should Do Right Now

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Many K-12 and institutes of higher education are concerned about the potential threat to their federal funding given recent changes to the way the government is interpreting existing federal law to achieve certain policy...more

Paul Hastings LLP

Trump Administration Investigates 60 Universities for Antisemitism Amid Escalating Federal Oversight of Higher Education: Key...

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The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) dispatched letters to 60 colleges and universities warning them of potential enforcement actions if they do not fulfill their obligations under Title VI of the...more

Quarles & Brady LLP

Office for Civil Rights Issues “Dear Colleague” Letter Aimed At Curbing Race-Based Decisions and Benefits At Federally Funded...

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On Friday, February 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) issued a “Dear Colleague” letter advising federally funded schools that it considers any decisions or benefits based on race,...more

Fisher Phillips

Education Department Kicks Off New Era of Title VI Discrimination Enforcement: What Your School Must Know + 5 Steps to Take Now

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Starting today, the U.S. Department of Education will crack down on “overt and covert racial discrimination” in educational institutions receiving federal funding, according to a February 14 “Dear Colleague” letter issued by...more

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

U.S. Department of Education Issues ‘Dear Colleague’ Letter That Reflects an Expansion of Title VI Under Students for Fair...

Overview of the Dear Colleague Letter On February 14, 2025, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Education (ED or the Department) issued a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) regarding the nondiscrimination...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

Jenner & Block

Client Alert: US Department of Education Issues Dear Colleague Letter Interpreting Students for Fair Admissions: What Colleges and...

Jenner & Block on

On February 14, 2025, the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a Dear Colleague Letter about legal obligations for educational institutions under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the...more

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

U.S. Department of Education To Step Up Scrutiny of Any Educational Institution’s Programs Deemed “DEI”

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On February 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights (the “Department”) issued a “Dear Colleague Letter” to “clarify and reaffirm” that schools, colleges and universities receiving “federal financial...more

Bowditch & Dewey

District of Mass. Rules on Title VI Antisemitism Case

Bowditch & Dewey on

On July 30, a Massachusetts federal judge ruled that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was not deliberately indifferent to antisemitism on its campus, and provided some guidance as to how courts may interpret...more

ArentFox Schiff

Back to Campus in Today’s Environment

ArentFox Schiff on

After a year marked by student protests on university campuses nationwide, including encampments and commencement ceremony walk-outs, universities are scrambling to prepare for students’ return to campus the upcoming Fall...more

Bond Schoeneck & King PLLC

OCR Resolves Title VI Complaints Against Two High-Profile Universities

Recent resolution agreements between the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the University of Michigan (U-M) and the City University of New York (CUNY) offer valuable lessons for colleges and...more

Bowditch & Dewey

OCR Provides Examples of Discrimination Based on Shared Ancestry – Colleges Take Note!

Bowditch & Dewey on

On May 7, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) again issued guidance in the form of a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) to educational institutions discussing how Title VI of the Civil Rights Act...more

Womble Bond Dickinson

What We Are Listening for in House Education and Workforce Hearing on Columbia University’s Response to Antisemitism

Womble Bond Dickinson on

On April 17, 2024, the House Education and Workforce Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing to focus on Antisemitism in Higher Education. At the witness table will be the President of Columbia University Dr. Nemat...more

Saul Ewing LLP

The U.S. Department of Education Issues Guidance on Race and School Programming

Saul Ewing LLP on

On August 24, 2023, the United States Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights ("OCR" or the "Department") released a Dear Colleague Letter (the "DCL") regarding "Race and School Programming." This DCL, which surely...more

Venable LLP

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: The Legal Debate Over Preferred Pronoun Usage in the Classroom Continues with Institutions of...

Venable LLP on

In a July 28, 2023 ruling, the Seventh Circuit has signaled that Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) seeking to enforce pronoun policies can expect to face increased scrutiny. Specifically, the Seventh Circuit vacated its...more

Venable LLP

Are Legacy and Donor Admissions Soon to Become a Part of the Past? The Department of Education Strikes Back Following SCOTUS...

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On July 24, 2023, less than a month after the Supreme Court's landmark decision striking down affirmative action practices in college admissions, the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has launched an...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

OCR and DOJ Send A Message to Higher Ed: Make Your Websites Accessible

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A recent “Dear Colleague” letter issued jointly by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Education (OCR) places colleges and universities on notice of recent enforcement...more

WilmerHale

OCR Guidance Could Alter Scope of Pending and Future Civil Rights Investigations

WilmerHale on

A memorandum obtained by ProPublica, if authentic, sets forth substantially revised guidance for civil rights investigations conducted by the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The memorandum,...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

OCR and DOJ Clarify Use of Race in College and University Admissions

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The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently issued a Dear Colleague Letter and related questions and answers about the use of race in admissions following...more

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