Updated resources from the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 16, 2024) — The U.S. Department for Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has shared an up-to-date collection of resources to support postsecondary education institutions in fulfilling obligations to protect students’ civil rights.
The resources include fact sheets, Dear Colleague Letters and other policy documents to guide institutions’ efforts related to three federal civil rights laws: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin, including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex; and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability.
There are also videos included among the resources that educate viewers about the OCR and its work enforcing these civil rights law as well as a video specifically focusing on Title VI protection.
The resources are accompanied by a letter from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon about the importance of upholding and enforcing these civil rights laws. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 70th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in the Brown v. Board of Education case, which struck down as unconstitutional the racial segregation by law of children in public schools.
More resources and guidance are available on the OCR website.
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