U.S. Department
of Justice
Guidance and Resources
Fact Sheet: Confronting Discrimination Based on Religion in Schools
On March 15, 2024, the Civil Rights Division (the Division) of the U.S. Department of Justice issued a resource for families and students on confronting discrimination based on religion in public schools. The document recognizes that in schools around the country, students have reported unfair treatment, bullying, and harassment because of their perceived or actual religious beliefs and practices. The document provides examples of the kinds of incidents the Division can investigate and reminds students and parents of specific actions that they can take when schools fail to respond to reports of harassment or other forms of discrimination. It also provides information on how to file a complaint with the Division.
Fact Sheet (PDF) | العربية (Arabic)
Resources: Advancing Diversity and Opportunity in Higher Education following the Students for Fair Admissions Decision
On August 14, 2023, the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education jointly issued resources to aid colleges and universities in understanding the Supreme Court’s recent decision in 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. The resources, a Dear Colleague Letter and attached Questions and Answers, will help institutions of higher education continue to pursue campuses that are racially diverse and that include students with a range of viewpoints, talents, backgrounds, and experiences.
Remarks by ASG Vanita Gupta | Speech
Continuing to Advance Diversity and Opportunity in Higher Education | Blog Post
Fact Sheets: Protecting Access to Education for Unaccompanied Children and Migratory Children
In June 2023, the Civil Rights Division (the Division) of the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Education jointly issued two resources for families and educators on protecting access to education for unaccompanied children and migratory children in K-12 schools. In both fact sheets, the Departments highlight specific challenges faced by unaccompanied children and migratory children, explains to families where to go for help, and aims to help public schools understand their responsibilities to serve unaccompanied children and migratory children under federal law.
Fact Sheet: Protecting Access to Education for Unaccompanied Children | PDF
Available in: Español (Spanish) | Kreyòl ayisyen (Haitian Creole) | Tagalog (Tagalog) | Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
Fact Sheet: Protecting Access to Education for Migratory Children | PDF
Available in: Español (Spanish) | Kreyòl ayisyen (Haitian Creole) | Tagalog (Tagalog) | Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
Resource: Confronting Racial Discrimination in Student Discipline
In May 2023, the Civil Rights Division (the Division) of the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Education jointly released this Resource on Confronting Racial Discrimination in Student Discipline. The Resource demonstrates the departments’ ongoing commitment to the vigorous enforcement of laws that protect students from discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin in student discipline. The Resource provides examples of the departments’ investigations over the last 10 years, reflecting the long-standing approach and continuity in the departments’ enforcement practices over time and the continuing urgency of assuring nondiscrimination in student discipline in our nation’s schools. The Resource describes how the departments resolved investigations of 14 school districts in 10 states nationwide and demonstrates ways school districts can take steps to proactively improve their administration of student discipline.
Resource (PDF): English | Español (Spanish)
Fact Sheet: Confronting Discrimination Based on National Origin and Immigration Status
On August 19, 2021, the Civil Rights Division (the Division) of the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Education jointly issued an updated resource for families and educators on confronting discrimination based on national origin and immigration status. The document recognizes that children sometimes face barriers to enrolling or participating in school because of limited English proficiency or because they or their parents or guardians are not U.S. citizens or lack immigration documentation. The document reminds parents that schools may not prohibit or discourage such children from enrolling in school and must offer them language assistance services and provide their parents with school-related information in a language they can understand. The resource also includes examples of the types of incidents the Division and OCR can investigate as well as information on how to file a complaint with the Division and OCR.
العربية (Arabic) | 简体字 (Chinese - Simplified) | 簡體字 (Chinese – Traditional) | Kreyòl ayisyen (Haitian Creole) | Soomaali (Somali) | Español (Spanish) | Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
Fact Sheet: Confronting LGBTQI+ Harassment in Schools
On June 23, 2021, the Civil Rights Division (the Division) of the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Education jointly issued a resource for students and families on confronting LGBTQI+ discrimination in schools. The document recognizes that in schools around the country, LGBTQI+ students have reported bullying and harassment by classmates because of their perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender identity. The document provides timely examples of the kinds of incidents the Division and OCR can investigate and reminds parents of specific actions that can be taken by families when schools fail to respond to reports of harassment or other forms of discrimination based on sex, including sexual orientation and gender identity. It also provides information on how to file a complaint with the Division and OCR. The resource is available in Spanish.
Fact Sheet: Confronting COVID-19-Related Harassment in Schools
On May 10, 2021, the Civil Rights Division (the Division) of the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Education jointly issued an updated resource for students and families on confronting COVID-19 related bullying and harassment against Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students. The document recognizes that in schools around the country, AAPI students have reported bullying and harassment by classmates because of their race or national origin, including their ethnicity, ancestry, and language. The document provides timely examples of the kinds of incidents the Division and OCR can investigate and reminds parents of specific actions that can be taken by families when schools fail to respond to reports of harassment based on race or national origin. It also provides information on how to file a complaint with the Division and OCR. The resource is available in twelve AAPI languages.
မြန်မာစကား (Burmese) | 简体字 (Chinese - Simplified) | 簡體字 (Chinese – Traditional) | Hakha Chin (Hakha Chin)| 日本語 (Japanese) | ကညီကျိာ် (Karen) | ខ្មែរ (Khmer) | 한국어 (Korean) | ພາສາລາວ (Lao) | Tagalog (Tagalog) | ไทย (Thai) | Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
Fact Sheet: Combating Discrimination Against AANHPI and MASSA Students
On June 6, 2016, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, and the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders issued a fact sheet that includes examples of forms of discrimination that members of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) and Muslim, Arab, Sikh, and South Asian (MASSA) communities commonly face. This fact sheet is intended to help parents understand what types of harassment and other forms of discrimination may violate federal civil rights laws that the Departments of Justice and Education enforce. The applicable federal civil rights law include, among others: Titles IV and VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000c-6, 2000d-d-7; Title VI’s implementing regulations, 34 C.F.R. Pt. 100, 28 C.F.R. Pt. 42; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. § 1681a; and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1701-1758.
العربية (Arabic) | বাঙালি/বাঙ্গালী (Bengali) | မြန်မာစကား (Burmese) | ខ្មែរ (Cambodian) | 简体字 (Chinese - Simplified) | 簡體字 (Chinese - Traditional) | Hakha Chin | Hmoob (Hmong) | 한국어 (Korean) | ਪੰਜਾਬੀ (Punjabi) | Soomaali (Somali) | Tagalog (Tagalog) | اُردُو (Urdu) | Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
Department of Justice and Department Education Release Joint Guidance to Ensure English Learner Students Have Equal Access to a High-Quality Education
On January 7, 2015, the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice issued a joint guidance reminding states, school districts and schools of their obligations under federal law to ensure that English learner students have equal access to a high-quality education and the opportunity to achieve their full academic potential. The applicable federal laws include, but are not limited to: Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000c-6, 2000d-d-7; the Departments’ Title VI’s regulations, 34 C.F.R. Pt. 100 and 28 C.F.R. Pt. 42; and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1701-1758.
View additional information about the Dear Colleague Letter | Vea información adicional sobre la carta a los estimados colegas sobre los alumnos que aprenden inglés y padres de familia con dominio limitado del inglés
Department of Justice and Department of Education Dear Colleague Letter on the Rights of All Children to Enroll in Public Schools
On May 8, 2014, the Departments of Justice and Education issued an updated set of guidance documents to all public school districts reminding them of their obligation under federal law to provide equal educational opportunities to all children residing in their districts, and to offer assistance to ensure they are complying with the law. The applicable federal statutes, regulations, and judicial precedent include, among others: Titles IV and VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000c-6, 2000d-d-7; Title VI’s implementing regulations, see, e.g., 34 C.F.R. Pt. 100, 28 C.F.R. Pt. 42; the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1701-1758; and Plyler v. Doe, 457 U.S. 202 (1982).
Hoja informativa sobre los derechos de todos los niños a matricularse en la escuela | Español PDF
Questions & Answers for States, School Districts, and Parents and Community Members | PDF
Preguntas y respuestas para los estados, distritos escolares, padres y la comunidad | Español PDF