Educational Opportunities Section Overview

In Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court held that the intentional segregation of students on the basis of race in public schools violates the Fourteenth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution. Subsequent federal legislation and court decisions also mandate that school officials not discriminate against students on the basis of sex, national origin, color, language, religion, or disability. The Educational Opportunities Section enforces these statutes and court decisions in a diverse array of cases involving elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education.  

Specifically, the Section enforces Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974 (EEOA), and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  The Section also enforces Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act where the Department of Justice provides federal funding to the recipient or upon referral from other governmental agencies. The Section may intervene in private suits alleging violations of education-related anti-discrimination statutes and the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. The Section also represents the Department of Education in lawsuits.

The Section is always interested in receiving complaints and information from students, parents, interested individuals, and organizations regarding possible unlawful discrimination in public educational institutions, as well as information about ongoing lawsuits involving alleged discrimination in educational institutions, to determine whether Section participation is warranted. If you would like to file a complaint alleging discrimination in an education program or activity on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or religion, submit a report using our online form.