OCR Annual Report Details Special Ed Complaint Resolutions

The recently released Office of Civil Rights (OCR) annual report summarizes its Fiscal Year 2023 activities as it handled the highest volume of complaints in its history. Case resolutions included: requiring a school community to stop segregating its students with disabilities from their general education peers; providing equal access to athletics; protecting civil rights of thousands of students with disabilities in a single district during the pandemic; stopping shortened school days for students with disabilities; addressing civil rights related to restraint and seclusion; and disability rights related to artificial intelligence. In addition, the report highlighted the effective use of the new Rapid Resolution Procedure in resolving 213 cases. An example from March 2023 involved allegations against the New York Department of Education for not providing a nurse for a student with a disability during field trips and swimming classes and not convening a Section 504 team to address this issue. OCR's investigation led the department to comply with Section 504 by developing a protocol for nurse absences, ensuring coverage for students with disabilities, convening a Section 504 team to reevaluate and adjust the student's plan, and training school staff on Section 504 obligations.

Read the full report here.