The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced today that the Ann Arbor Public Schools in Michigan (district) entered into a resolution agreement to remedy compliance concerns OCR identified with the district’s fulfillment of its obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to respond to notice of a hostile environment for students based on shared Muslim/Arab Palestinian ancestry.
OCR’s investigation confirmed that a school counselor responded to a request from a student, who is Muslim and of Palestinian ancestry, by saying “I don’t negotiate with terrorists.” The district appears not to have assessed whether a hostile environment followed from the incident, even after the district received notice, including at its board meetings, that the student himself no longer felt welcomed or safe at school and that district community members perceived the incident as reflecting an escalation of animus directed at Muslim, Palestinian, and Arab students.
OCR also learned in its investigation that the district’s Title VI grievance procedure limits who can file a complaint and only requires the district to respond to written complaints rather than requiring the district to satisfy its obligation under Title VI to respond promptly and effectively to any hostile environment about which it has actual or constructive knowledge.
Prior to the completion of OCR’s investigation, the district requested to voluntarily resolve these compliance concerns. In addition to providing specific supports for the targeted student, the district commitments to resolve the complaint include:
- Conducting a climate assessment of district students, parents/guardians, and staff with respect to race, color, and national origin, including shared Muslim/Arab ancestry, and the extent to which students are subjected to, or witness discrimination, including harassment, based on race, color, and/or national origin;
- Analyzing the results of the climate assessment and developing an action plan to address any concerns identified;
- Drafting a policy for OCR’s review and approval that governs how the district will meet its Title VI obligations, including the obligation to respond to notice of a hostile environment; And,
- Providing training to district students, staff, members of the school board, and parents/guardians on Title VI’s prohibition of discrimination and harassment (including on the basis of shared ancestry), and retaliation, and on the newly drafted policy.
“Through today’s resolution, Ann Arbor Public Schools takes the steps necessary to safeguard the rights of each and every student, regardless of race, color or national origin, to attend school free from discriminatory harassment,” said Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon. “OCR looks forward to working with the district to ensure full access to a harassment-free education for every student going forward.”
The letter to Ann Arbor Public Schools and the resolution agreement are available on OCR’s website.