Civil Rights Groups Sue Education Department Over Process for Dismissing Discrimination Claims Without Investigation

Recent changes to the Office for Civil Rights’ (OCR) Case Processing Manual call for dismissal of discrimination complaints if the victim has complained about discrimination in the past. The changes were made without public notice, contradict the Department’s own regulations, and arbitrarily abandon the basic duty of OCR to investigate legitimate complaints of discrimination.  For this reason, the National Federation of the Blind, Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People today filed suit against the U.S. Department of Education, asserting that the changes strip students of their rights in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act.

Eve Hill is representing the plaintiffs in this case.

Download complaint here.

New York Times Article

COPAA’s Press Release

NFB’s Blog

Students Seeking Equal Access To Education May Find Federal Help Harder To Come By,” NPR Ed