Press Release
☷U S Department of Education s Office for Civil Rights Reminds Schools of Their Legal Obligation to Address Discrimination Against Muslim Arab Sikh South Asian Hindu and Palestinian Students
U.S. Department of Education ( By Press Release office)
Mar 15,2024
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The U . S . Department of Education ' s Office for Civil Rights ( OCR ) has sent a reminder to schools about their duty to address discrimination against Muslim , Arab , Sikh , South Asian , Hindu , and Palestinian students . This reminder , in the form of a Dear Colleague Letter , is part of the Biden - Harris Administration ' s upcoming National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia and Related Forms of Bias and Discrimination . It has been issued ahead of the International Day to Combat Islamophobia on March 15 . U . S . Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona expressed concern about the increasing reports of harassment against these students in schools and emphasized the Department ' s commitment to providing schools with the necessary information and resources to combat discrimination . The letter emphasizes that schools must create an environment free from discrimination based on race , color , or national origin , including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics , as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 . Additionally , schools that receive federal financial assistance have a responsibility to address discrimination against Muslim , Arab , Sikh , South Asian , Hindu , and Palestinian students in cases involving racial , ethnic , or ancestral slurs or stereotypes , appearance reflecting ethnic and religious traditions , or discrimination based on a student ' s country or region of origin , accent , name , limited English proficiency , or use of a language other than English . Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E . Lhamon reiterated OCR ' s commitment to ensuring equal access to educational opportunities free from discrimination for all students , including those from the mentioned communities . This letter is part of the Department ' s efforts to advance the Biden - Harris Administration ' s National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia and Related Forms of Bias and Discrimination , which includes providing resources to promote student safety and engaging with affected communities through site visits and listening sessions . In addition to today ' s letter , OCR has released other resources to help schools meet their obligations under Title VI . These resources include a letter about discrimination and harassment based on ancestry or ethnicity in November 2023 , a fact sheet on protecting students from discrimination based on ancestry or ethnicity in January 2023 , and a letter addressing discrimination against Jewish students in May 2023 as part of an Antisemitism Awareness Campaign . You can find these resources on OCR ' s website under the Shared Ancestry or Ethnic Characteristics page . If you believe a school has discriminated against a student based on race , color , or national origin , you can file a complaint with OCR . To file a complaint , visit this website: https://www2 . ed . gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintintro . html . OCR is also available to offer technical assistance on applying Title VI to race , color , or national origin discrimination mentioned in today ' s letter . If you need training , please contact OCR at OCR@ed . gov .
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