**Introduction**
Educational institutions have a responsibility to  protect every student's right to learn in a safe environment free from unlawful  discrimination and to prevent unjust deprivations of that right. 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. It is 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.                          Discrimination on the basis of race,  color, and national origin is  prohibited by *Title VI of the **Civil**Rights Act of 1964*.  This includes  discrimination based on a person’s limited English  proficiency or English learner status; and actual  or perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, including  membership in a religion that may be perceived to exhibit such characteristics  (such as Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh  individuals).

Discrimination on the basis of sex is prohibited by  Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.   This includes discrimination based on pregnancy,   parental status, and sex stereotypes (such as  treating persons differently because they do not conform to sex-role  expectations or because they are attracted to or are in relationships with  persons of the same sex).

Discrimination against persons with disabilities is prohibited by *Section  504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973* and *Title II of the **Americans**with Disabilities Act of 1990* (Title II prohibits discrimination on  the basis of disability by public entities, whether or not they receive federal  financial assistance).  This includes  discrimination against individuals currently  without an impairment that substantially limits of a major life activity, but who have a record of or are regarded as having a disability.                          
Discrimination on the basis of age is prohibited by *Age Discrimination Act of 1975.*

These civil rights laws 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 federal financial assistance from  ED. These include all public schools and  most public and private colleges and universities. 

Programs or activities that receive ED funds  must provide aids, benefits or services in a nondiscriminatory manner in an  environment free from discriminatory harassment that limits educational  opportunities. Such aids, benefits or services 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, and housing.  Some of the  civil rights laws enforced by OCR also extend to employment.

OCR also enforces the *Boy  Scouts of America Equal Access Act*. Under this Act, OCR can investigate  complaints involving the denial of equal access or a fair opportunity to meet  to, or discrimination against, any  youth group officially affiliated with a group or organization listed  in title 36 of the United States Code (as a patriotic society) that is  intended to serve young people under the age of 21 that requests to conduct a  meeting at a public elementary school, a public  secondary school, or a state or local education agency that receives funds from  ED.

**How To File a Complaint ( Available in Other Languages)**
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**Who Can File a Discrimination Complaint**

Anyone may file a complaint. The person or organization filing  the complaint need not be a victim of the alleged discrimination but may  complain on behalf of another person or group. A complainant filing on behalf  of or pertaining to another person(s) is responsible for securing any necessary  written consent from that individual, including when a parent files for a  student over the age of 18.

**Timeliness**

A complaint must ordinarily be filed within 180 days of the last  act of discrimination. If your complaint involves matters that occurred longer  ago than this and you are requesting a waiver, you will be asked to show good  cause why you did not file your complaint within the 180-day period. 

**Institutional Grievance Procedures**

Prior to filing a complaint with OCR against an institution, a  potential complainant may want to find out about the institution’s grievance  process and use that process to have the complaint resolved. However, a  complainant is not required by law to use the institutional grievance process  before filing a complaint with OCR. If a complainant uses an institutional  grievance process and also chooses to file the complaint with OCR, the  complaint must be filed with OCR within 60 days after completion of the  institutional grievance process.

**How to File a Complaint**

**Online:**You may file a complaint  with OCR using OCR’s electronic complaint form at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintintro.html.

**Mail or Facsimile:** You may mail or send by  facsimile information to the address or phone number available at this link.  You may use OCR’s Discrimination  Complaint Form or write your own letter.   If you write your own letter, please include:- The complainant’s name, address and, if possible (although not required), a telephone number where the complainant may be reached during business hours;
- Information about the person(s) or class of persons injured by the alleged discriminatory act(s) (names of the injured person(s) are not required);
- The name and location (city and state) of the institution that committed the alleged discriminatory act(s); and
- A description of the alleged discriminatory act(s) in sufficient detail to enable OCR to understand what occurred, when it occurred, and the basis for the alleged discrimination.

**Email:**You may email OCR’s Discrimination  Complaint Form or your own signed letter to ocr@ed.gov.  If you write your own letter, please include the information identified above.

For those without current email accounts, Internet access may be  freely available from your local public library, and free email accounts are  available from several large providers.

**Note:** A recipient of federal financial  assistance may not retaliate against any  person who has made a complaint, testified, assisted or participated in any  manner in an OCR matter or to  interfere with any right or privilege protected by the laws enforced by OCR.  If you believe that you have been retaliated against for any of these reasons,  you also may file a complaint with OCR.

**Where to Write or Call for Further Information**

See our "Contact Us"  page

**How to Submit a CRDC Data Quality Concern with OCR**

The Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) is a mandatory biennial collection of district-and school-level data. The CRDC is administered by OCR, which uses the data to enforce civil rights statutes that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, national, origin, sex, and disability. The data are collected from public-school districts and public schools in the 50 states, Washington, D.C., and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The CRDC collects data on civil rights indicators at the early childhood through grade 12 levels. It measures factors that impact education equity and opportunity for students, including student access to courses, programs, resources, instructional and other staff – and school climate factors, such as student discipline and harassment. The CRDC data can be accessed at https://ocrdata.ed.gov. To submit a CRDC data quality concern with OCR, please contact us by emailing ocrdata@ed.gov. Please include “CRDC Data Quality Concern” in the subject heading. 
Top           Last Modified: 03/08/2023