Letter of assurance department of education

Dear Colleague Letter: Protecting Students from Discrimination, such as Harassment, Based on Race, Color, or National Origin, including Shared Ancestry or Ethnic Characteristics

The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) today issued a new Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) to share resources about federal civil rights obligations of schools and other recipients of federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education (Department) to ensure nondiscrimination based on race, color, or national origin under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its implementing regulations, specifically with respect to students and school community members who are or are perceived to be Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Arab, Sikh, South Asian, Hindu, or Palestinian or students of any other faith or whose families come from any other region of the world. This guidance responds to recent increases in complaints filed with OCR raising these issues as well as to public reports of discrimination on these bases in schools serving students in preschool through grade 12 and colleges and universities throughout the country.

Dear Colleague Letter on Addressing Discrimination Against Muslim, Arab, Sikh, South Asian, Hindu, and Palestinian Students

The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a new Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) reminding schools of their obligations to address discrimination against Muslim, Arab, Sikh, South Asian, Hindu, and Palestinian students. This letter is one component of the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia and Related Forms of Bias and Discrimination and is issued ahead of the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, which will be observed on March 15, 2024.

Dear Colleague Letter on Discrimination, including Harassment, Based on Shared Ancestry or Ethnic Characteristics

The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) today issued a new Dear Colleague Letter to remind schools of their legal obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to provide all students, including students who are or are perceived to be Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Arab, or Palestinian, a school environment free from discrimination based on race, color, or national origin, including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, or citizenship or residency in a country with a dominant religion or distinct religious identity. OCR is releasing this Dear Colleague Letter in response to increased public reports of harassing conduct in colleges, universities, and P-12 schools related to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Dear Colleague Letter on Race and School Programming

This resource clarifies the circumstances under which recipients of federal financial assistance from the Department can – consistent with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) and its implementing regulations – develop curricula and programs or engage in activities that promote racially inclusive school communities. It explains that schools may be in violation of Title VI when they separate students based on race even if programming for each group is identical. Schools also may be in violation of Title VI when they create, encourage, accept, tolerate, or fail to correct a racially hostile educational environment.

Resources on Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina et al. (SFFA cases)

The Departments of Education and Justice jointly released resources to help colleges and universities understand and comply with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the SFFA cases. The Dear Colleague Letter reaffirms our commitment to ensuring that colleges and universities remain open to all, regardless of race. The Q&A distills the Court’s core holding and offers examples of steps colleges and universities can lawfully take to achieve a student body that is diverse across a range of factors, including race and ethnicity, such as: targeted outreach, recruitment, and pathway programs; collection and consideration of demographic data; evaluation of admission policies; and retention strategies and programs.

Resource on Confronting Racial Discrimination in Student Discipline

The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division jointly released a Resource on Confronting Racial Discrimination in Student Discipline. The resource highlights examples of the Departments' investigations of discrimination in student discipline on the basis of race, color, or national origin under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Departments’ Title VI regulations.

Dear Colleague Letter on Addressing Discrimination Against Jewish Students

The Office for Civil Rights issued a new Dear Colleague Letter reminding schools of their legal obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to provide all students, including students who are or are perceived to be Jewish, a school environment free from discrimination based on race, color, or national origin, including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics. OCR is releasing this Dear Colleague Letter as part of the Department’s launch of an Antisemitism Awareness Campaign.