Two separate discrimination investigations have been opened against Hillsborough County Public Schools and the University of Tampa by the U.S. Department of Education.
The Biden-Harris administration has taken aggressive action to address the alarming nationwide rise in reports of antisemitism, anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, and other forms of discrimination and harassment on college campuses and in K-12 schools since the October 7th Israel-Hamas conflict. As part of those efforts, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released a list of the higher education and K-12 institutions under investigation for alleged shared ancestry violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That act prohibits race, color, or national origin discrimination, including harassment based on a person’s shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics.
The Central Florida additions to the list show that Hillsborough County Schools investigation was opened on November 21st, and the University of Tampa investigation was opened November 20th. Other Florida schools outside of the Tampa Bay area on the list include Naples Classical Academy which had an investigation opened in September, and Florida State University in Tallahassee which had an investigation opened in June.
“Hate has no place in our schools, period. When students are targeted because they are—or are perceived to be—Jewish, Muslim, Arab, Sikh, or any other ethnicity or shared ancestry, schools must act to ensure safe and inclusive educational environments where everyone is free to learn,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “These investigations underscore how seriously the Biden-Harris Administration, including the U.S. Department of Education, takes our responsibility to protect students from hatred and discrimination.”
“We at the Department of Education, like the nation, see the fear students and school communities experience as hate proliferates in schools,” said Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon. “As we continue our active enforcement, the Office for Civil Rights is increasing transparency into our investigations for public awareness. As always, I emphasize that the Office for Civil Rights reaches conclusions at the end of investigations and that a school’s appearance on this list does not reflect a conclusion that the law has been violated.”
Releasing this list advances President Joe Biden’s promise to protect students, engage school and university leaders, and foster safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environments. The Biden-Harris Administration said they are committed to putting an end to discrimination including on schools and college campuses.
As part of that work, the Education Department released a Dear Colleague Letter reminding schools of their legal obligations under Title VI and its implementing regulations to provide all students a school environment free from discrimination based on race, color, or national origin, including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics. The letter provides greater clarity about the requirements of the law on discrimination based on shared ancestry, as requested by institutions and students. All colleges, and universities and K-12 schools receiving federal funds must comply with Title VI. Schools that violate the law and refuse to address the problems identified by OCR can ultimately lose federal funding or be referred to the U.S. Department of Justice for further action.
The national list of K-12 schools and institutions of higher education that are under investigation for possible discrimination based on shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, which includes Hillsborough and Tampa investigations, will be updated weekly on the OCR website.
Title VI’s protection from race, color, or national origin discrimination extends to students who experience discrimination, including harassment, based on their actual or perceived: (i) shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics; or (ii) citizenship or residency in a country with a dominant religion or distinct religious identity. Schools that receive federal financial assistance have a responsibility to address discrimination when the discrimination involves racial, ethnic, or ancestral slurs or stereotypes; or is based on a student’s skin color, physical features, or style of dress that reflects both ethnic and religious traditions, to name a few characteristics. Likewise, schools have a responsibility to address discrimination against students based on the region of the world they come from or are perceived to come from.
OCR is responsible for enforcing federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination by educational institutions on the basis of disability, race, color, national origin, sex, and age, as well as the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act of 2001. OCR’s investigations typically include collecting and analyzing relevant evidence from the complainant, the institution, and other sources; conducting interviews of the complainant, the institution’s personnel, and other witnesses; and conducting site visits, if appropriate.
