Between March 11 and June 27, the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights dismissed over 3,400 complaints. Following significant layoffs, including half of OCR’s staff, advocates expressed concern over the agency’s ability to protect civil rights. The department stated that the layoffs aimed to cut waste, while OCR continued to manage complaints. OCR received 4,833 total complaints during this period, opened 309 investigations, and began 26 directed investigations, dismissing many complaints according to its Case Processing Manual for various reasons.
OCR has taken unprecedented steps to streamline its functions according to demand: for example, amid a growing volume of Title IX complaints, OCR partnered with the Department of Justice to expeditiously investigate sex-based discrimination claims.
Advocates, students and families have argued that the layoffs hollowed out OCR and left the agency unable to protect students' civil rights.
Since March 11, OCR received 4,833 complaints and opened 309 investigations, according to the filing from Rachel Oglesby, the department's chief of staff.
According to the manual, complaints can be dismissed if they fail to state a violation of the law or if they lack sufficient evidence.
Collection
[
|
...
]