The Israel-Hamas crisis that started in October of 2023 has led to an increase in hate acts targeted at Jewish and Arab students. In response, the U.S. Department of Education sent a letter reminding educational leaders of their responsibilities to address this behavior. This paper offers examples of the kind of conduct educational leaders are…

Despite the Civil Rights Act and the social revolutions of the era, the term "sex discrimination" was unknown in the 1960s. Discrimination on the basis of sex was rampant in America, especially when it came to women's employment in higher education. After being turned down repeatedly for full-time teaching positions at the University of…

The U.S. Department of Education's (Department's) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) provides this resource to assist school communities with ensuring that artificial intelligence (AI) is used in a nondiscriminatory manner in the nation's elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education consistent with federal civil rights laws.…

The "Bakke" decision marked a turning point in higher education. Tested again most recently in "Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin," affirmative action policy remains in place even as the Roberts Court shakes its foundation by demanding a degree of administrative oversight not pursued by previous Courts. In spite of…

Recent reports on discrimination in private schools have led some observers to decry the fact that private and charter schools receiving public tax dollars selectively exclude some populations from both employment and enrollment; others, however, note that in these and similar instances the schools have broken no laws. Both may be right. How can…

In January, 2014, the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office for Civil Rights in the Department of Education (ED) issued a joint "Dear Colleague Letter" to K-12 schools. The topic discussed in their joint letter is whether administrators are punishing minority children more harshly than white children for…

Presented in this guide are summary descriptions of programs developed by several institutes to: (1) assist educators in examining their personal attitudes, biases, and behaviors vis-a-vis the changing roles of males and females; (2) encourage participants to take responsibility for the consequences of their behavior; (3) assist educators in…

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 assures that no person in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program of activity receiving Federal financial assistance. These requirements, which apply to all…

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination in the assignment of students to schools, classes, ability groups, and tracks in programs or activities that receive federal assistance. These assignments may not be made on the basis of race, color, or national origin. The law does not require schools and activities to be racially…

This article discusses the laws that protect individuals with disabilities and the laws that protect individuals from racial and language discrimination. It explains the important difference between the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504. It also describes practical application of the laws and provides two examples…

Summarizes the historical evolution of both the legal and moral arguments surrounding affirmative action in higher education. Discusses black higher education institutions and black scholars, desegregation and the Civil Rights Movement, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, admissions quotas, and the connection between law and educational policy. (MKA)

Nine case-related policy clarification memoranda issued by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) are summarized in this booklet. Each memorandum deals with issues related to equal educational opportunities. Each summary consists of a question that defines the relevant issue, a statement of pertinent facts, the decision made by OCR regarding the issue,…

A training manual for state education agency (SEA) staff dealing with issues of sex bias and discrimination in the educational system is presented. The manual is designed to achieve the following primary objectives: (1) provide a status report on federal and state roles in promoting educational equity; (2) provide an overview of inequities based…

Legal issues associated with competency testing of teachers are reviewed, with an emphasis on the problem of bias against minority examinees taking standardized tests. The central legislative foci of legal activity in this area are Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII requires employers to show, with validation studies,…