Of Education

U.S. Department

Releases Fact Sheet Protecting Students From Discrimination Based On Shared Ancestry Or Ethnic Characteristics.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently released a fact sheet titled “Protecting Students from Discrimination Based on Shared Ancestry or Ethnic Characteristics.” OCR enforces Title VI, which prohibits discrimination in any school or education program that receives funding from the federal government. The fact sheet describes ways Title VI protects students who are or are perceived to be Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Buddhist, or of another religious group.

The OCR recognizes that some students may face discrimination based on their physical appearance, skin color, foreign accent, foreign names, and other ethnic characteristics. Additionally, because Title VI does not protect students from discrimination based only on religion, such as a school’s denial of a student’s request to miss class for a religious holiday, OCR refers complaints of discrimination based exclusively on religion to the U.S. Department of Justice, which has jurisdiction on this issue. Ultimately, if a student makes a complaint that they were discriminated against because of their ancestry or ethnic characteristics, and the school does not take effective action to address the reports, the school may be in violation of Title VI.

Anyone who believes that a school has discriminated against a student based on race, color, national origin, shared ancestry, or ethnic characteristics has the right to file a complaint against the educational institution. Complaints of discrimination must be filed within 180 days of the alleged discrimination to the U.S. Department of Education’s OCR.