July 9, 2025
More than 3,000 civil rights complaints have been dismissed between March and June
The Education Department has dismissed civil rights complaints at such a rapid rate that it’s raising concerns among former officials and civil rights advocates. The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is responsible for investigating discrimination based on race, color, sex, disability, and national origin.
As first reported by POLITICO, the Education Department’s OCR dismissed more than 3,000 civil rights complaints between March 11 and June 27. The department confirmed the dismissals in court documents, which have raised questions about fairness and enforcement.
OCR received 4,833 complaints, opened 309 for investigation, and opened 26 directed investigations. Court documents reveal that nearly 100 of the complaints were resolved due to insufficient evidence during the investigation. An additional 290 complaints were resolved through voluntary agreements, settlements, or technical assistance.
What Has Changed Within The OCR
The dismissed cases come amid the shutdown of seven regional offices within the Department of Education’s Civil Rights Division. Subsequently, mass shutdowns led to mass layoffs as the Trump administration continues to prioritize reducing the federal workforce. There are only five offices open nationwide.
“The nation’s students and schools deserve a robust federal civil rights enforcement office that is fully equipped and prepared to enforce the full range of rights Congress guaranteed in law,” Catherine Lhamon, the department’s civil rights chief under former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, told POLITICO in a statement. “The Trump Administration’s own data reporting shows it has decimated its ability to fulfill its statutory duties, to the detriment of rights in school.”
During the Biden administration, the OCR closed approximately 2,527 complaints in the last three months of the administration alone. Over 400 cases led to formal agreements that required policy changes, 146 were settled through mediation, and more than 100 were closed after investigators found no evidence of violations.
Civil rights advocates say they are concerned about what the Trump administration’s priorities are and claim that the Trump administration interprets federal civil rights laws that address sex-based discrimination, discrimination based on race, national origin, and shared ancestry differently than his predecessor.
A spokesperson from the OCR, however, says its recent actions align with federal laws.
“OCR has taken unprecedented steps to streamline its functions according to demand: for example, amid a growing volume of Title IX complaints, OCR partnered with the Department of Justice to expeditiously investigate sex-based discrimination claims,” agency spokesperson Julie Hartman told POLITICO. “OCR’s daily accomplishments under the Trump Administration disprove the rampant fear-mongering by irresponsible media, and evince that OCR is vigorously upholding its responsibilities to protect all Americans’ civil rights.”
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