Demand Restoration of Dept. Of Ed. Civil Rights Investigations and Staff

Today I take pen in hand to write and urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to demand that the U.S. Department of Education restore thousands of civil rights investigations into discrimination and harassment claims against students. MacMahon and her department’s recent actions to abandon these cases are unacceptable and violate students' Constitutional rights to equal protection under the law. The purposeful gutting the Office for Civil Rights through mass layoffs and office closures has deprived countless families and students of their lawful avenue to seek justice and accountability when facing discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability, or other protected characteristics. This abdication of the Department's core responsibility to protect students' civil rights will only perpetuate ongoing harm and marginalization of our nation's most vulnerable children. And many are vulnerable! We don’t have to look far into our nation’s history to find many, many cases of threats, harassment, and discrimination — leading to murder in hate crimes like Matthew Shepard. These kinds of I ask that you ally immediately with appropriate civil rights groups and have them seek immediate court intervention to halt this unlawful rollback and compel the Department of Education to fully restore the Office for Civil Rights' capacity and staffing to robustly investigate civil rights complaints as mandated by law. Failing to do so leaves students across the country without recourse against discriminatory policies and practices that impede their access to educational opportunities. Upholding students' civil rights and ensuring equal access to education must be prioritized as a fundamental American value and constitutional guarantee. The Department's current dismantling of civil rights enforcement mechanisms is stripping thousands of their voice and protections - a travesty that cannot be allowed to persist. Get your civil rights ally groups to file court injunctions. Press for hearings, and bring in witnesses. Denounce these actions publicly: These are children and students being put at risk by the demented leadership in the White House, and Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education. Thank you for your attention to this serious matter: The safety of students and schoolchildren.