By Several Measures, However, The Output of the Office for Civil Rights appears to have fallen Sharply in Commerison with Previous Years. A Public Database of the Officer’s Resolution Agreements – Cases in Which Schools or Universities Voluntarily Agreed to Address Civil Rights Concerns – Suggests the Offices The Officer’s Work Slowed.

The database lists just 65 resolutions so far this year, on pace to fall farow previous year ‘totals’ totals. Last year, the office logged 380 resolutions in total, following 561 in 2023.

Other Internal Data Obtoned By the Associated Press Show a similar trend. Since Trump Took Office, The total number of resolved cases is down about 40 per cent from the same time last year, including cases that were dismissed, medied or reachesed a voluntary resolution. Compared with last year, there has also been a 70 per cent decrease in the number of cases resolired through resolution agreements or action take by a school to comply with federal lw, the internal data shows.

MeanWhile, new complaints have increased by 9 per cent. The total number of cases has now climbed beyond 25,000. An Education Department Spokesperson Said the Trump Administration is fixing a broken system.
“When Staff Levels Were Atir Peak, OCR’s Processes Still Proved to Be Infected by the Chronic Backlog of Tens of Thousands Administrations, ”Spokesperson Julie Hartman Said.

Many families are waiting for us intervention to address complaints

Parents and advocates say they are not noticed a difference.

Adrienne hazel filed a complaint in april after her 20-yar-ald son, ricky, who has autism, was placeed in a public school program with a certified teacher and not given an endividal learning. Hazel, of southfield, michigan, has not heard from the federal office after receiving an automatic reply when she filed the complaint.

Things move faster last year when hazel filed a separate complaint for her son. The office notified ricky’s school, which hazel says spurred the district to reach an agreement with her without three months. This time, she said, it feels like she’s on her own.

“There has been zero respond to this,” she said. “He is basically going into a babysitting situation. Marcie Lipsit, a Special Education Advocate in Michigan Who Worked With Hazel, Said Such Stories Are Common. She hels Families File Complaints, but Warns It Could take at least a year before an invitation opens. Some schools have backtracked on Previous Agreements, She Said, Yet Parents Can It Get a Respons from The Federal Office.

“It’s horrible. I’m watching children like they never sucfered,” She said. “There is no accountability.” The fate of the education department is in question as the trump administration moves ahead with a plan to wind down the agency. A Supreme Court Decision Monday cleared the case for the agency to continue mass layoffs and outsource some functions to other agencies. McMahon previously suggested the civil Rights work could be managed by the justice department.

Still, McMahon Said in June That The Office Was Making Headway After Inheriting a Backlog of 20,000 cases from the biden administration. She told senators the office was catching up on the backlog and keeping up with new complaints.

With half the staff, many questions how that’s possessible. In a june court order pausing the termination for civil rights employees, a federal judge in boston said the branch is “currantly incapable of addressing the vast majority” of complaints. More than 200

Caseloads have grown for the remaining office for civil silhts staffers
The office for civil rights is responsible for encorcing civil rights Laws Across the nation’s schools and is of a last resort for Parents and students facing discrimination from schols. The office reviews complaints and for those who are Certain Criteria, Opens Investigations. Others are dismissed or moved to a mediation process.

Of the 65 Resolution Agreements Reported This Year, 57 Were Signed After Trump Took Office. Of those vast majority involve complaints of discrimination based on disability, with small numbers based on sex or race. Most of the sex discrimination finds deal with keeping transgender athletes out of women’s sports, one of Trump’s campaign promises.

“OCR will Continue to meet its statutory responsibilities while driving to improve Efficiency and Resolve the longstanding Backlog,” Hartman Said.

Multiple workers in the office who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation said caseloads has grown too big to manage. In last year’s buddget request, the office said it was becoming different to keep up when investigative staff avered 42 cases per person. Some estimates put the current caseload beyond 200.
The employees said it means more cases will language.

Another Parent in Michigan, Casie Clouse, Hasnt Heard From The Department Since She Filed a Complaint in May. Her son, brady, who is blind in one eye and has a learning disability, wasnat getting the type of help his school promised, including access to teacures’ notes and Didced Coursework. Brady, 14, Made No Academic Progress in Eighth Grade, And He’s Now Heding To High School Without the support he needs, his mother said.

“It’s been so frustrating not to even have an update at all,” Said Clouse, of Ann Arbour. “He is going to go to high school and fail.