The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has announced that Ann Arbor Public Schools in Michigan has entered into a resolution agreement to address compliance concerns identified by OCR. These concerns relate to the district's obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, specifically regarding its response to a hostile environment for students based on shared Muslim/Arab Palestinian ancestry.
OCR's investigation found that a school counselor responded to a request from a student, who is Muslim and of Palestinian ancestry, with the remark, "I don’t negotiate with terrorists." The district did not assess whether this incident created a hostile environment, even after receiving notice at board meetings that the student no longer felt welcomed or safe at school. Community members also perceived the incident as reflecting increased animus towards Muslim, Palestinian, and Arab students.
The investigation also revealed that the district’s Title VI grievance procedure limits who can file complaints and only requires responses to written complaints. This does not fulfill the district's obligation under Title VI to respond promptly and effectively to any hostile environment it knows about or should know about.
Before OCR completed its investigation, the district requested to resolve these compliance concerns voluntarily. The resolution includes specific supports for the targeted student and commitments such as:
- Conducting a climate assessment involving students, parents/guardians, and staff concerning race, color, and national origin.
- Analyzing results from this assessment and developing an action plan to address identified concerns.
- Drafting a policy for OCR review that outlines how the district will meet its Title VI obligations.
- Providing training on Title VI’s prohibition of discrimination and harassment to students, staff, school board members, and parents/guardians.
“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.
