Dive Brief:
- Last year, a total of 10,392 grievances were filed with the U.S. Education Department alleging civil rights violations in American schools; around half are reportedly related to discrimination against students with disabilities.
- The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) within the Education Department said that 4806 of the complaints are related to disability, which comprises a 58% increase from 2014.
- Overall, the number of civil rights complaint stemming from schools has risen 50% since 2010; last year, 28% of complaints were related to sexual discrimination.
Dive Insight:
Earlier this year, the Obama administration's proposed budget for the U.S. Department of Education for fiscal year 2017 requested a total 164 new staff positions created in the Office of Civil Rights to address the increasing number of civil rights complaints filed with the department. In fiscal year 2016, 589 positions at the Office of Civil Rights existed, compared to a proposed 753.
The surge of alleged discrimination against students with disabilities has been discussed with some regularity, especially in regards to certain charter schools, like NYC's Success Academy. There, 13 parents of current and former Success Academy students filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights against the 34-school charter network, claiming it denied accommodations to students with disabilities.
That uptick has been in full swing for over a year. Education Week reported in May 2015 the increase "likely stems from ramped-up outreach efforts and broader awareness of the agency's willingness to address such complaints, according to advocacy organizations, school administrators, and department officials."