Shifting Focus: The Education Department's New Priorities

The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights has traditionally been a strong advocate for disability services in schools across America. However, under the current administration, its priorities have shifted dramatically. Instead of focusing on its core mission, the office has been redirected to align with the president's political agenda. This shift has led to a significant backlog of cases involving students with disabilities and those facing racial discrimination. The office has paused thousands of pending cases while initiating new investigations that reflect the president's campaign promises. Career staff members have been sidelined, pressured to quit, or ordered to refocus their priorities. The new focus includes antisemitism, transgender issues, and complaints against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. A recent memo from the civil rights office's chief highlighted antisemitism cases as the top priority, targeting colleges where pro-Palestinian protests have led to accusations of anti-Jewish bias. This shift comes after the decision to cut $400 million in federal funding to Columbia University, where a Palestinian activist was arrested during a student protest. The transition has been more rigid and prolonged than usual. While it's common for new administrations to pause civil rights cases temporarily, the freeze under the current administration has been unusually long. The freeze was lifted for disability cases in February, and all cases were allowed to resume last week. However, the impact of the freeze is still being felt. During the first month of the administration, the office resolved only about 50 cases, compared to over 3, 000 during the same period in the previous administration. Even urgent cases were left idle, and staff lawyers were instructed not to respond to external communications, leaving families in the dark. Parents have expressed frustration and desperation. Many have reached out to the office for help with schools refusing to accommodate their children's disabilities. The office has been accused of ignoring these emails, leaving families without support. One parent, Tylisa Guyton, filed a complaint in January over her son's repeated suspensions from a suburban Detroit school district. Her son has been out of school since December, and despite the resumption of investigations, she has not heard from the civil rights agency. The memo from the civil rights office's chief stated that the focus on antisemitism would not "deprioritize" other enforcement activities. However, staffers fear that the increased workload and dwindling ranks of employees will inevitably lead to a decline in other areas of enforcement. On Monday, the Education Department sent a letter to 60 colleges, including Harvard and Cornell, warning them of potential loss of federal funding if they fail to ensure campus safety for Jewish students. Politics have always played a role in the office's priorities, but this is the first time cases tied to political agendas have overshadowed everyday work. The current administration has called for a shutdown of the Education Department, labeling it a "con job" infiltrated by leftists. The civil rights office might be better served if it moves to the Justice Department. The office has continued to open new "directed investigations, " proactive inquiries that differ from the office's typical complaint-driven work. These investigations often target universities, pressuring them to stop allowing transgender athletes or to take a harder stance against pro-Palestinian protesters. This adds to the workload for the office's approximately 500 workers, many of whom have been put on leave or taken buyouts due to the administration's orders against diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Minor policy changes can have significant impacts. For instance, complaints to the office can't move forward unless the filer signs a consent form allowing their name to be disclosed during the investigation. The office used to send reminders if the form was not submitted, but the updated case manual from the administration has dropped these reminders. Staffers worry that this will lead to more cases being dismissed on technicalities. Special education advocates have started filing more cases with state agencies. At a recent conference, disability advocates expressed uncertainty and anxiety about the future. They fear that students may lose their rights due to the shifting priorities and policy changes.