Following significant staff reductions, the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is grappling with how to maintain its functions. Originally established to uphold equal educational access by investigating discrimination claims, the OCR has pivoted towards prioritizing the Trump administration's agendas, including contentious policies regarding transgender athletes and allegations of discrimination against white students. This has resulted in halted investigations for specific complaints, especially those related to race and sex, drawing parallels to past administration practices that left thousands of cases unresolved.
When Trump took office, more than 12,000 cases were open with OCR, including over 3,000 at institutions of higher education, according to a database of open OCR cases.
Tracey Vitchers reflects on the previous administration's approach, stating, 'That was the playbook during the first administration, and it was just that they just sat on shelves, essentially-digital shelves.'
OCR was founded to ensure equal access to education for all students and is responsible for investigating claims that schools and institutions of higher education failed to protect their students from discrimination.
Under the current administration, the office has shifted gears to focus on President Donald Trump's top priorities, pivoting from broader civil rights to specific issues.
#office-for-civil-rights #department-of-education #civil-rights #discrimination #trump-administration
Collection
[
|
...
]