What civil rights enforcement cuts mean for students with disabilities – fewer staff, closed offices, longer waits
- The Office for Civil Rights has helped address cases in which schools failed to meet federal disability standards.
- In March 2025, the Education Department cut nearly half of its workforce, including an estimated 299 of OCR’s 575 positions.
- Seven of OCR’s 12 regional branches permanently closed, including offices in Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, and San Francisco.
- The Government Accountability Office found that about 90% of disability complaints labeled resolved were dismissed by the Education Department.
39 Articles
39 Articles
What civil rights enforcement cuts mean for students with disabilities – fewer staff, closed offices, longer waits
The Department of Education has undergone various changes, including closing regional offices of its Office for Civil Rights, since 2025. J. David Ake/Getty ImagesFelicita Piñón weighed just 1 pound at birth. She was later diagnosed with cerebral palsy that requires her to use a power wheelchair, and she also has learning and emotional challenges. Yet despite these obstacles, Felicita, now an eighth grade student, is just like any other happy, a…
Civil rights enforcement cuts mean fewer staff, closed offices, longer waits for students with disabilities
Filing a civil rights complaint with the Office of Civil Rights can be parents' last stop. Following cuts and restructuring, this federal office is no longer serving that same resource.
What civil rights enforcement cuts mean for students with disabilities – fewer staff, closed offices, longer waits
by David Edward DeMatthews, The University of Texas at Austin, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] Felicita Piñón weighed just 1 pound at birth. She was...
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