U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR)
“The mission of the Office for Civil Rights is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation through vigorous enforcement of civil rights.”
The Office for Civil Rights enforces several Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance from the Department of Education.
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability.
Age Discrimination Act of 1975 prohibits age discrimination.
These civil rights laws enforced by OCR extend to all state education agencies, elementary and secondary school systems, colleges and universities, vocational schools, proprietary schools, state vocational rehabilitation agencies, libraries, and museums that receive U.S. Department of Education funds.
OCR’s Core Work: Preventing, identifying, ending, and remedying discrimination against America’s students. For more information about OCR, visit their website.
Areas covered by OCR may include, but are not limited to:
Admissions, recruitment, financial aid, academic programs, student treatment and services, counseling and guidance, discipline, classroom assignment, grading, vocational education, recreation, physical education, athletics, housing, and employment.
Additional Responsibilities of OCR:
OCR also has responsibilities under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which prohibits disability discrimination by public entities, whether or not they receive federal financial assistance.
As of January 8, 2002, OCR enforces the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act (Section 9525 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001). Under the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act, no public elementary school or State or local education agency that provides an opportunity for one or more outside youth or community groups to meet on school premises or in school facilities before or after school hours shall deny equal access or a fair opportunity to meet to, or discriminate against, any group officially affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America, or any other youth group listed in Title 36 of the United States Code as a patriotic society.
