[T]he Education Department has decided to postpone protections for student loan borrowers and withdraw Obama-era protections for survivors of campus sexual assault.
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All this and more has prompted the start of a new coalition - the Education Civil Rights Alliance [ECRA]- to pool time, skills, and resources to defend students' civil rights. It launched last week, and members say they're aiming to fill a void the Trump administration has helped create.
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[C]oncerns were elevated further last month when the Education Department's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services sent out a newsletter announcing it had eliminated 72 special education guidance documents related to IDEA enforcement. The department gave no explanation beyond saying the documents were "outdated, unnecessary or ineffective."
Advocates felt confused and blindsided. After further investigation, they discovered the Education Department had quietly scrapped the documents over two weeks earlier. Parents of students with disabilities took to social media in protest - the hashtag #ThisIsMyChild became their rallying cry.
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Going forward, the new Education Civil Rights Alliance says it will focus on protecting students - especially students with disabilities, students dealing with sexual assault, and transgender, immigrant, and Muslim students. The alliance says it is hearing lots of anecdotal reports about increases in school bullying and harassment and wants to help push for better data collection on these trends.
And to add to the stellar group already running the Education Department,
In October, the White House announced its nomination of Kenneth L. Marcus to lead the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights, replacing Candice Jackson, who has served as acting assistant secretary since April. Marcus worked as the staff director of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights for four years under George W. Bush and before that, worked in the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights.
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But, as The Intercept previously reported, Marcus has a history of campaigning for laws to punish people who support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, which encourages economic pressure against Israel for its violation of Palestinian human rights. Advocates worry that if Marcus is confirmed, he will push for similar measures in his new role, silencing pro-Palestinian voices. That would have a chilling effect on free speech -- yet another attack on students' civil rights.
