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by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.

U.S. Department of Education

Office for Civil Rights

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THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

OFFICE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS
Page 1 — Dear Colleague Letter

U.S. Department of Justice U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Division Office for Civil Rights 

 

July 3, 2018

Dear Colleague:

The purpose of this letter is to inform you that the Department of Justice and the 

Department of Education are withdrawing the following documents:

• December 2, 2011 Dear Colleague Letter Regarding the Use of Race by 

Educational Institutions;

• 2011 Guidance on the Voluntary Use of Race to Achieve Diversity in 

Postsecondary Education dated December 2, 2011;

• 2011 Guidance on the Voluntary Use of Race to Achieve Diversity and Avoid 

Racial Isolation in Elementary and Secondary Schools dated December 2, 2011;

• September 27, 2013 Dear Colleague Letter on the Voluntary Use of Race to 

Achieve Diversity in Higher Education After Fisher v. University of Texas at 

Austin [Fisher I];

• September 27, 2013 Questions and Answers About Fisher v. University of Texas 

at Austin [Fisher I];

• May 6, 2014 Dear Colleague Letter on the Supreme Court Ruling in Schuette v. 

Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action; and

• September 30, 2016 Questions and Answers About Fisher v. University of Texas 

at Austin [Fisher II].

These documents purport to explain the legal framework that governs the use of race by

elementary, secondary, and postsecondary schools under the Constitution, Title IV of the 

Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title IV), 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000c et seq., and Title VI of the Civil 

Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d et seq. The documents advocate 

specific policies and procedures for educational institutions to adopt, analyze a number of 

hypotheticals, and draw conclusions about whether the actions in those hypotheticals 
Page 2 — Dear Colleague Letter

would violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the 

Constitution or Title IV or Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

The Departments have reviewed the documents and have concluded that they advocate 

policy preferences and positions beyond the requirements of the Constitution, Title IV, 

and Title VI. Moreover, the documents prematurely decide, or appear to decide, whether 

particular actions violate the Constitution or federal law. By suggesting to public 

schools, as well as recipients of federal funding, that they take action or refrain from 

taking action beyond plain legal requirements, the documents are inconsistent with 

governing principles for agency guidance documents. 

Accordingly, the Department of Education and the Department of Justice have decided to 

withdraw the documents. The protections from discrimination on the basis of race 

guaranteed by the Constitution, Title IV, and Title VI remain in place. The Departments 

are firmly committed to vigorously enforcing these protections on behalf of all students. 

This guidance does not add requirements to applicable law. If you have questions or are 

interested in commenting on this letter, please contact the Department of Education at 

ocr@ed.gov or 800-421-3481 (TDD: 800-877-8339); or the Department of Justice at 

education@usdoj.gov or 877-292-3804 (TTY: 800-514-0383). 

Sincerely,

/s/ /s/

Kenneth L. Marcus John M. Gore

Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Acting Assistant Attorney General

U.S. Department of Education U.S. Department of Justice