Department of Education To Host Stakeholder Briefing: New Civil Rights Guidance on Title VI Discrimination

Overview
At the end of the day yesterday the U.S. Department of Education shared with interested parties an email notification highlighting a new Dear Colleague Letter (www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-202405-shared-ancestry.pdf) (DCL) (www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-202405-shared-ancestry.pdf) from the Office of Civil Rights and information on a briefing to be held TODAY from 3:30 – 4:00 ET.

The intent of the DCL and briefing are to provide all institutions with “concrete examples of unlawful discrimination under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.” The email goes on to share that, “Title VI prohibits discrimination based on shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, including discrimination against students and school community members who are or are perceived to be Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Arab, Sikh, South Asian, Hindu, or Palestinian.”

Office of Civil Rights Announcement

Stakeholder Briefing: New Civil Rights Guidance
on Title VI Discrimination
Dear partners,

Every student deserves to feel a sense of belonging at school. Yet, in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel and the subsequent conflict, many students from Jewish, Muslim, Israeli, and Arab communities have told us that they felt unsafe or unfairly targeted simply because of who they are.

As President Biden said in his remarks at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Annual Days of Remembrance ceremony today, “No one should have to hide just to be themselves.”

As the 2023-2024 school year comes to a close, we remain concerned by reports of discrimination and harassment on some campuses. Over the last seven months, the U.S. Department of Education has taken over 100 actions to counter the dramatic rise in antisemitism, anti-Muslim, and anti-Arab hate. Senior members of the Biden-Harris Administration have visited schools and campuses across the country and met with educators, community leaders, and students to identify and disseminate resources for fostering safe and inclusive learning environments for all.

Today, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released a new
Dear Colleague Letter (www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-202405-shared-ancestry.pdf) to every school in the country offering concrete examples of unlawful discrimination under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VI prohibits discrimination based on shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, including discrimination against students and school community members who are or are perceived to be Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Arab, Sikh, South Asian, Hindu, or Palestinian.

We invite you to join Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine Lhamon tomorrow (Wednesday) May 8, 2024, from 3:30 – 4:00 pm ET for a stakeholder briefing on the new Dear Colleague Letter.

Register Now (ed-gov.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJItfuGtpzwrG8FLlW9aKrfrOjLMZWnMyCs#/registration)

Today’s Dear Colleague Letter follows a message Secretary Cardona sent to college and university leaders (www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/secletter/240503.html) on Friday, May 3, 2024, uplifting further resources to help our nation’s institutions of higher education foster a culture of safety and inclusion while fulfilling their obligations under federal civil rights law. Visit ED.gov (sites.ed.gov/cfbnp/actions-undertaken-by-the-u-s-department-of-education-since-the-october-7-2023-hamas-attacks-in-israel/) to learn more about resources to keep students safe in P-12 schools and institutions of higher education.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership to ensure that every student has the freedom to learn.

Sincerely,

Maggie Siddiqi

Director, Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Education

What’s Next
CSPEN will review the new DCL and participate on this afternoon’s briefing and provide a summary on tomorrow’s CSPEN Federal Legislative & Regulatory Update webinar.