UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office for Civil Rights

March 16, 2020 

Fact Sheet:

Addressing the Risk of COVID-19 in Schools 

While Protecting the Civil Rights of Students 

The U.S. Department of Education (Department) has established a working group to provide information and 

resources to parents, students, teachers, schools, and school personnel related to the possible outbreak of COVID-19 

(“coronavirus”) in school districts and postsecondary schools. Schools play an important role in disseminating 

information about and limiting the spread of the coronavirus. In addressing the possible risk of an outbreak of 

coronavirus in school districts and postsecondary schools, school officials must keep students safe and secure. In 

doing so, school officials should keep in mind federal civil rights requirements and respond appropriately to 

allegations of discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability. Additional information is 

available at: www.ed.gov/coronavirus. 

Schools and school administrators should use guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 

to determine, in close consultation with public health authorities, what actions to take to further reduce the potential 

risk of coronavirus transmission in schools, and should check the CDC website at “Coronavirus Disease 2019 

(COVID-19)” (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html) periodically for any updated guidance. 

Compliance with CDC’s recommendations should not create civil rights concerns. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation 

Act of 1973 (Section 504) prohibits disability discrimination by schools receiving federal financial assistance. Title II 

of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Title II) prohibits disability discrimination by public entities, 

including schools. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) prohibits race, color, and national origin 

discrimination by schools receiving federal funds. 

This document provides information representing the interpretation of the Department of the applicable statutory or 

regulatory requirements in the context of the specific facts presented here and is not legally binding. The information 

in this document is not intended to be a replacement for the careful study of Section 504, Title II, or Title VI and 

their implementing regulations. Information regarding these federal civil rights laws and regulations and other 

important documents can be found at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html. 

School districts and postsecondary schools have significant latitude and authority to take necessary actions to protect 

the health, safety, and welfare of students and school staff. School officials have discretion to make educational 

decisions based on local health needs and concerns, and OCR recognizes this decision-making authority. As school 

leaders respond to evolving conditions related to coronavirus, they should be mindful of the requirements of 

Section 504, Title II, and Title VI, to ensure that all students are able to study and learn in an environment that is safe 

and free from discrimination. 
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office for Civil Rights

2

Responding to Discrimination in Schools

Bullying or Harassment 

Both Section 504 and Title VI require that every postsecondary, secondary, or elementary school that receives federal 

funds take appropriate action to investigate or otherwise determine what occurred when responding to reports of 

bullying and harassment of students based on actual or perceived disability, race, color, or national origin. If a 

school’s investigation reveals that bullying or harassment based on actual or perceived disability, race, color, or 

national origin limited or denied a student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or 

opportunities offered by a school, then the school must take prompt and effective steps reasonably calculated to end 

the bullying or harassment, and restore access to the educational program. The failure to do so could be a violation 

of Section 504 or Title VI. 

Denial of Access on the Basis of Race, Color, or National Origin

In addressing the possible risk of an outbreak of coronavirus in school districts and postsecondary schools, school 

officials must keep students safe and secure. At that same time, school officials have an obligation to avoid 

discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin while cooperating with public health authorities to ensure 

that individuals are assessed and treated appropriately based on their actual risk status. School officials may not rely 

on assumptions or stereotypes related to race, color, or national origin in identifying students who may have recently 

traveled to a country with widespread transmission of coronavirus or who may otherwise be at risk of coronavirus

infection. For example, a practice of only inquiring about the recent travel of students or family members of a 

particular race or national origin, rather than screening students based on recent travel, could raise civil rights 

concerns. For information that schools can share to protect against any misinformation that might lead to 

discriminatory behavior, please see the CDC’s “Share Facts About COVID-19,” at 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/share-facts.html. 

Students with Disabilities at Elementary and Secondary Schools

School officials have an obligation to avoid discrimination on the basis of disability under Title II and Section 504, 

while cooperating with public health authorities to ensure that students with disabilities have access to the school’s 

education program. School officials should acknowledge the expertise and role of public health authorities, as well 

as parental concerns, to determine whether students should stay home. 

If a student who has an individualized education program (IEP) through the Individuals with Disabilities Education 

Act, or is receiving services under Section 504, is required or advised to stay home by public health authorities or 

school officials for an extended period of time because of COVID-19, provision should be made to maintain education 

services. This also applies if the student is absent from school as advised by the student’s treating physician, 

consistent with school policy and documentation requirements. During such absences, if the school is open and 

serving other students, the school must ensure that the student continues to receive a free appropriate public education 

(FAPE), consistent with protecting the health and safety of the student and those providing that education to the 

student. If feasible, the student’s IEP Team, or the personnel responsible for ensuring FAPE to a student for the 

purposes of Section 504, can be utilized to assist with the effort to determine if some, or all, of the identified services 

can be provided through alternate or additional methods. Accessible technology may afford students, including 

students with disabilities, an opportunity to have access to high-quality educational instruction during an extended 

school closure, especially when continuing education must be provided through distance learning. 
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office for Civil Rights

3 

If a school district closes its schools and does not provide any educational services to the general student population, 

then a school would not be required to provide services to students with disabilities during that same period of time. 

Once school resumes, the school must return to providing special education and related services to students with 

disabilities in accordance with the student’s IEP or, for students entitled to FAPE under Section 504, consistent with 

any plan developed to meet the requirements of Section 504. 

The Department understands that there may be exceptional circumstances that could affect how a particular service 

is provided. If a student does not receive services after an extended period of time, the student’s IEP Team, or 

appropriate personnel under Section 504, must make an individualized determination whether and to what extent 

compensatory services are needed consistent with the respective applicable requirements, including to make up for 

any skills that may have been lost. 

Additionally, IEP Teams are not required to meet in person while schools are closed. If an evaluation of a student 

with a disability requires a face-to-face assessment or observation, the evaluation would need to be delayed until 

school reopens. Evaluations and re-evaluations that do not require face-to-face assessments or observations may take 

place while schools are closed, so long as a student’s parent or legal guardian consents. These same principles apply 

to similar activities conducted by appropriate personnel for a student with a disability who has a plan developed under 

Section 504, or who is being evaluated under Section 504. 

For more information on providing services to students with disabilities during the coronavirus outbreak, see: 

https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/qa-covid-19-03-12-2020.pdf

Students with Disabilities at Postsecondary Schools 

Officials at postsecondary schools should consult with public health officials in determining how to respond when 

there are cases of coronavirus in the community. Whatever decisions are made by the school (such as decisions to 

temporarily suspend classes), schools must continue to comply with their non-discrimination obligations under

federal civil rights laws, including Section 504 and Title II. 
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office for Civil Rights

4 

Resources for Communicating about Coronavirus

Accurate information is an important tool in protecting the civil rights of students while addressing the risk of 

coronavirus. 

 Assistant Secretary Kenneth L. Marcus’ letter concerning reports of stereotyping, harassment, and bullying 

specifically related to coronavirus is available at

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/correspondence/stakeholders/20200304-covid-19-outbreakstatement.pdf. 

 The Department of Education’s Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical 

Assistance Center offers a variety of resources related to infectious disease planning, available at

rems.ed.gov/Resources_Hazards_Threats_Biological_Hazards.aspx. 

 The CDC’s coronavirus general information page can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-

ncov/community/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F201

9-ncov%2Fpreparing-individuals-communities.html. 

Effective Communication and Language Assistance: When school officials provide information to students, 

parents, and the community about any aspect of coronavirus or actions the schools are taking in response to 

coronavirus, they generally need to provide meaningful access to such information to English learner students and 

adults with limited English proficiency. School officials also must ensure equally effective communications with 

persons with disabilities (such as persons who are deaf, deaf-blind, or blind). Thus, the information and materials 

must be provided, as appropriate, in alternate formats to facilitate effective communication for individuals with 

disabilities.

Privacy Concerns: For information about the federal law that protects the confidentiality of students’ records

maintained by public elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education, you may visit the 

website of the Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO) which administers the Family 

Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), at www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/index.html, contact SPPO at 1-

855-249-3072, or submit questions at https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/contact.

* * * * * 

If you have questions, need additional information or technical assistance, or believe that a school is violating federal 

civil rights law, you may visit the website of the Department of Education’s OCR at www.ed.gov/ocr, contact OCR 

at (800) 421-3481 (TDD: 800-877-8339) or at ocr@ed.gov, or contact OCR’s Outreach, Prevention, Education and 

Non-discrimination (OPEN) Center at OPEN@ed.gov. You may also fill out a complaint form online at 

www.ed.gov/ocr/complaintintro.html.