The new Dear Colleague Letter noted schools’ legal duty under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to ensure a discrimination-free environment for all students, regardless of their race, color, or national origin.
The new Dear Colleague Letter noted schools’ legal duty under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to ensure a discrimination-free environment for all students, regardless of their race, color, or national origin.
The United States’ Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has issued anew a direct reminder to schools in response to a notable increase in antisemitic, Islamophobic, and bias-related incidents on school campuses following the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The new Dear Colleague Letter noted schools’ legal duty under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to ensure a discrimination-free environment for all students, regardless of their race, color, or national origin.
In a government press release, the Biden-Harris Administration said it is actively implementing the US National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism and has announced plans to develop a national strategy to Counter Islamophobia.
“The rise of reports of hate incidents on our college campuses in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict is deeply traumatic for students and should be alarming to all Americans,” said Education Secretary Miguel Cardona.
“Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and all other forms of hatred go against everything we stand for as a nation,” he said.
The department’s actions included site visits to address antisemitism, with recent discussions at the Baltimore Hebrew Institute involving Cardona and White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden.
OCR’s updated complaint form now explicitly includes protection for students perceived to be Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, or Sikh, among others.
Moreover, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine Lhamon urged school communities to be vigilant, noting the right of all students to learn free from discrimination.
The OCR is available to provide technical assistance webinars on the application of Title VI, and individuals can file discrimination complaints through the OCR website.
Title VI’s protection extends to discrimination based on shared ancestry, ethnic characteristics, citizenship, residency, or religious identity. Schools receiving federal assistance must address discrimination involving slurs, stereotypes, skin color, physical features, or dress that reflects ethnic and religious traditions.
As of November 6, the Palestinian death toll has surpassed 10,000, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza, with no distinction between fighters and civilians. On the Israeli side, around 1,400 lives have been lost, primarily civilians, during the initial Hamas incursion on October 7.
The ongoing conflict marks the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in 75 years since the establishment of Israel, with no clear resolution in sight.
Amid the escalating tensions, US college campuses have become arenas for intense protests and counter-protests.
Differing viewpoints on the conflict have fueled clashes on various campuses. One example is Cornell University, where classes were temporarily suspended due to “extraordinary stress” following federal charges against a junior, Patrick Dai. Dai faces accusations of making death threats, specifically targeting Jewish students.
“It is such a helpless feeling to know that you can’t stop someone from coming into your house and shooting you point-blank in the face,” said Talia, one of the students at Cornell, in an interview with CNN.
In May, the US Department of Education initiated its Antisemitism Awareness Campaign, following the Biden-Harris Administration’s introduction of the first-ever US National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism.
The campaign, a key outcome of this strategy, aims to utilize the Department’s resources to ensure discrimination-free and harassment-free environments for all students, with a specific focus on Jewish students.
As part of the campaign, the Department’s Office for Civil Rights also released a Dear Colleague Letter, reminding schools of their legal obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The letter stressed the responsibility of schools to provide a discrimination-free environment for all students, including those who are or are perceived to be Jewish. It highlighted the importance of addressing discrimination based on race, color, national origin, shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, or citizenship or residency in a country with a dominant religion or religious identity.
The letter is part of a set of resources released by the OCR to assist schools in meeting their obligations under Title VI. Additional resources include a fact sheet released in January, titled “Protecting Students from Discrimination Based on Shared Ancestry or Ethnic Characteristics.”
