Discrimination claims from people across Connecticut led the U.S. Attorney’s Office to announce that it would form a working group to investigate possible civil rights violations by public and private schools and childcare programs.
Deirdre M. Daly, Connecticut’s U.S. Attorney, stated in a press release that the her office regularly receives complaints from parents and caregivers alleging that their children were discriminated against by schools, after-school programs, and summer camps, because of the child’s disability, gender, gender identity, or status as an English language learner.
From the release:
Civil rights violations in educational and camp settings undermine the well-being of our most vulnerable citizens – our children. Through aggressive outreach and enforcement initiatives, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our working group partners strive to eliminate these violations to improve the health and welfare of all children and young adults. In addition, the office has received an increasing number of complaints about bullying, sexual harassment and school segregation in public and private schools. Over the last several months, the office has settled cases against schools, after school programs and day care centers for violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974. These settlements have resulted in monetary settlements to parents, comprehensive training for providers, and sweeping policy changes to entire educational programs and systems.
Quinnipiac University recently settled a case with the U.S. attorney’s office after allegations surfaced that the college placed a student with depression on mandatory medical leave without considering other options.
The office has set up the Educational Opportunities Civil Rights Working Group to investigate these claims with the participation of several agencies.
Attorneys Jonathan Orleans and Mark Sommaruga noted on their blog that the dynamics of this group seems to be weighted toward enforcement instead of education and training school personnel to prevent violations.
From the blog:
We hope the working group will prove to be a source of guidance (rather than confrontation) for administrators in Connecticut’s public and private schools, colleges, and universities who are increasingly squeezed between aggressive private and government enforcement efforts on the one hand, and the threat of suit by those who claim they have been wrongfully accused of discrimination or harassment on the other.
The government’s press release indicated that the working group is “developing and implementing a strategic action plan to address civil rights violations through educational outreach programs as well as law enforcement actions.”
To contact the Educational Opportunities Civil Rights Working Group, call (203) 821-3836.
