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Section III – Department of Justice Role Under Title VI

This is just a section of the larger revised Title VI Legal Manual.  Please click here to see the complete revised Manual.

Title VI Legal Manual

III:      Department of Justice Role under Title VI

Title VI authorizes and directs federal departments and agencies that extend financial assistance to issue rules, regulations, or orders that effectuate the prohibition on discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin. Title VI assigns the Department of Justice (DOJ) two key government-wide roles: coordinator of federal agency implementation and enforcement, and legal representative of the United States.[1]

A.        Ensuring Consistent and Effective Enforcement Across the Federal Government

Under Executive Order 12250, 28 C.F.R. pt. 41, app. A, the President tasked the Attorney General to “coordinate the implementation and enforcement by Executive agencies” of Title VI, Title IX, and Section 504. Executive Order 12250 further provided that the Attorney General coordinate

any other provision of Federal statutory law which provides, in whole or in part, that no person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, national origin, handicap, religion, or sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimina­tion under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

 

Exec. Order No. 12250 § 1-201. Accordingly, DOJ is charged with ensuring the consistent and effective implementation of Title VI across the federal government.

Initially, the Title VI coodination responsibility was assigned to a President’s Council on Equal Opportunity, which was created by Executive Order 11197, 3 C.F.R. 1964-1965 Comp. 278 (Feb. 5, 1965). The Council was abolished after six months and the responsibility was reassigned to the Attorney General pursuant to Executive Order 11247. 3 C.F.R. 1964-1965 Comp. 348 (Sept. 24, 1965). Executive Order 11247 provided that the Attorney General was to assist federal departments and agencies in coordinating their Title VI enforcement activities and in adopting consistent, uniform policies, practices, and procedures. During this period, DOJ issued its “Guidelines for the Enforcement of Title VI, Civil Rights Act of 1964,” 28 C.F.R. § 50.3, which are still in force today.

In 1974, the President signed Executive Order 11764, designed “to clarify and broaden the role of the Attorney General with respect to Title VI enforcement.” Exec. Order No. 11764, 3A C.F.R. § 124 (1974 Comp.). The Order gave the Attorney General broad power to ensure the effective and coordinated enforcement of Title VI. In 1976 and pursuant to this Executive Order, DOJ promulgated its Coordination Regulations describing specific implementation, compliance, and enforcement obligations of federal funding agencies under Title VI. See 28 C.F.R. §§ 42.401-42.415.[2]  Every agency that extends Title VI covered federal financial assistance is subject to the Coordination Regulations as well as Title VI guidelines and directives issued by DOJ.

On November 2, 1980, the President signed Executive Order 12250, which directed the Attorney General to oversee and coordinate the implementation and enforcement responsibilities of the federal agencies pursuant to Title VI. For the first time, and notwithstanding that no rules, regulations, or orders of general applicability “shall become effective unless and until approved by the President,” 42 U.S.C. § 2000d-1, the President delegated approval power over regulations to the Attorney General. Exec. Order No. 12250, at § 1-1. This Executive Order further charges the Attorney General with specific Title VI oversight responsibilities, which, with the exception of the approval of agency regulations implementing Title VI and the issuance of coordinating regulations, the Attorney General has delegated to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights:

  • Review existing and proposed rules, regulations, and orders of general applicability of the Executive agencies in order to identify those that are inadequate, unclear, or unnecessarily inconsistent (§ 1-202);
  • Develop specific standards and procedures for taking enforcement actions and for conducting investigations and compliance reviews (§ 1-203);
  • Issue guidelines for establishing reasonable time limits on efforts to secure voluntary compliance, on the initiation of sanctions, and for referral to DOJ of enforcement where there is noncompliance (§ 1-204);
  • Establish and implement a schedule for the review of the agencies’ regula­tions that implement Title VI and related statutes (§ 1-205);
  • Establish guidelines and standards for the development of consistent and effective recordkeeping and reporting requirements for Executive agencies; for the sharing and exchange of agency compliance records, findings, and supporting documentation; for the development of comprehensive employee training programs; and for the development of cooperative programs with state and local agencies, including sharing of information, deferring of enforcement activities, and providing technical assistance (§ 1-206);
  • Initiate cooperative programs between and among agencies, including the development of sample memoranda of understanding, designed to improve the coordination of Title VI and related statutes (§ 1-207).

Under the Attorney General’s delegation, the Civil Rights Division is responsible for reviewing and providing clearance of subregulatory guidance interpreting Title VI. While each federal agency extending federal financial assistance has primary responsibility for implementing Title VI with respect to its recipients, overall coordination in identifying legal and operational standards, and ensuring consistent application and enforcement, rests with DOJ’s Civil Rights Division. The section within the Civil Rights Division that provides Title VI assistance and oversight to agency civil rights offices is the Federal Coordination and Compliance Section (FCS).

The Civil Rights Division employs a variety of strategies for meeting its coordina­tion mandate, some of which are discussed in more detail below.

1.         Department of Justice Clearance Authority

Executive Order 12250 provides that the Attorney General must approve federal regulations that effectuate Title VI (and other civil rights statutes, including Title IX and Section 504). 42 U.S.C. § 2000d-1; Exec. Order No. 12250 at § 1-1. This includes the provisions of comprehensive regulations that govern, in part, a federal agency’s Title VI implementation or enforcement. For example, if a federal agency drafts a rule governing adminis­trative complaints, the rule is subject to DOJ clearance requirements to the extent it affects how Title VI may be enforced.

In addition, federal implementing directives (whether in the nature of regulations or implementing guidance) that agencies issue under any of the laws covered by Executive Order 12250 are “subject to the approval of the Attorney General, who may require that some or all of them be submitted for approval before taking effect.” Id. § 1-402. These documents include regulations issued to effectuate statutes that “provide in whole or in part, that no person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, national origin, handicap, religion, or sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” Id. § 1-201(d). The authority to review such guidance documents has been delegated to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. 28 C.F.R. § 0.51(a) (“The Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Civil Rights Division shall, except as reserved herein, exercise the authority vested in and perform the functions assigned to the Attorney General by Executive Order 12250 (‘Leadership and Coordination of Nondiscrimination Laws’”)).

The DOJ clearance role is critical to its responsibility to ensure consistent and effective enforcement. Agencies should contact FCS early in the development of documents encompassed within the DOJ clearance requirements.

2.         Legal and Policy Guidance

DOJ develops formal and informal guidance regarding implementation of Title VI, including legal interpretations of the statute and regulations. DOJ, including the Civil Rights Division, has issued guidance in a range of formats, including notice-and-comment rulemaking; directives; frequently asked questions; tips and tools documents; promising practices documents; and correspondence to federal agencies, recipients, or . beneficiaries. These documents generally are sent directly to interested stakeholders and also made available online. Because of DOJ’s unique government-wide coordination function, such interpretations of Title VI are entitled to special deference from the courts. See, e.g., United States v. Maricopa Cty., 915 F. Supp. 2d 1073, 1080 (D. Ariz. 2012) (citing Consol. Rail Corp. v. Darrone, 465 U.S. 624, 634 (1984); Andrus v. Sierra Club, 442 U.S. 347, 357-58 (1979)).[3]

DOJ’s legal guidance review function plays a particularly important role in ensuring consistency of legal interpretation across the federal government. For example, where two agencies have conflicting interpretations of what constitutes federal financial assistance under Title VI, DOJ’s coordination role authorizes it to determine the final government-wide position on the matter.

3.         Legal Counsel and Technical Assistance

DOJ, through the Civil Rights Division’s FCS, provides ongoing technical assistance, including legal and policy review, to federal funding agencies. On an almost daily basis, the FCS staff answers questions from staff working in other federal agencies. FCS also provides direct assistance to individual agencies, including legal or technical assistance on novel or complex investigations.

FCS also conducts periodic in-depth reviews of agency Title VI enforcement programs, including both Case Assistance Reviews (CAR) and Technical Assistance Reviews (TAR). Section 1-302 of Executive Order 12250 directs the Attorney General periodically to evaluate the implementation of the nondiscrimination provisions of the laws the Executive Order covers, including Title VI; advise the heads of the agencies concerned on the results of those evaluations; and provide recommendations for needed improvement in implementation or enforcement. A Title VI CAR involves a holistic assessment of an agency’s administrative case docket in order to identify the critical enforcement matters requiring legal assistance and potential preparation for judicial enforcement, identify and develop solutions to any recurring barriers to effective enforcement, and inform the development of DOJ’s technical assistance and training programs. A Title VI TAR is a focused assessment of selected aspects, functions, or issues concerning an agency’s Title VI implementation and enforcement. A TAR is designed to yield helpful and practical recommendations to strengthen and improve an agency’s Title VI enforcement. FCS undertakes both types of reviews cooperatively with the agency.

4.         Coordination and Clearinghouse

When a complainant files a complaint either with multiple funding agencies that fund a particular recipient or a complaint that implicates multiple agencies, FCS sometimes coordinates the investigation. FCS’s role may involve bringing together representatives from the various agencies to ensure that they approach and conduct their investigations in a consistent manner. In other instances, FCS may partner with an agency in an investigation. In addition, FCS has significant government-wide coordination responsibilities to act as a clearinghouse for review and referral of mail from the public; non-governmental organizations; federal, state, and local agencies; and others concerning civil rights matters. Agencies should contact FCS when they receive complaints as to which they do not have jurisdiction and do not know where the complaint should be forwarded.

DOJ also leads the Title VI Interagency Working Group, a forum for federal civil rights leadership, staff, and counsel to leverage resources, training, promising practices, and problem-solving opportunities with the goal of creating more effective and consistent Title VI enforcement programs across government.

5.         Oversight and Coordination

In implementing Executive Order 12250, DOJ periodically evaluates Title VI implementation as well as the implementation of the other nondiscrimination provisions of the laws that the Order covers. DOJ does this in a variety of ways, including requiring agencies that administer federal financial assistance to submit reports to FCS describing their past year’s performance and upcoming plans to implement Title VI. DOJ also can request information on the major components of an agency’s civil rights enforcement program, including budget and staffing for external civil rights activities, complaint investigations, pre-award and post-award compliance reviews, regulatory and policy development, outreach and technical assistance, and training. Pursuant to Executive Order 12250, Section 1-401, agencies must cooperate with any such requests. Information gathered in these reports plays an essential role in refining DOJ’s coordination and compliance activities.

B.        Judicial Enforcement of Title VI

DOJ also serves as the federal government’s litigator. Title VI authorizes DOJ to enforce Title VI through the filing of civil actions. DOJ, on behalf of Executive agencies, may seek injunctive relief, specific performance, or other remedies when agencies have referred determinations of recipients’ noncompliance to DOJ for judicial enforcement. DOJ may also file statements of interest and amicus briefs regarding Title VI issues in private litigation. Litigation is assigned to DOJ’s Civil Rights Division. In addition, DOJ is responsible for representing agency officials should they be named as defendants in private Title VI litigation.

A 1965 guidance, now codified at 28 C.F.R. § 50.3, specified that court enforcement may be obtained through the following:

(1) a suit to obtain specific enforcement of assurances, covenants running with federally provided property, statements of compliance, or desegregation plans filed pursuant to agency regulations; (2) a suit to enforce compliance with other titles of the 1964 Act, other Civil Rights Acts, or constitutional or statutory provisions requiring nondiscrimina­tion; and (3) initiation of or intervention or other participation in, a suit for other relief designed to secure performance.

 

31 Fed. Reg. 5292, 5292 (Apr. 2, 1966).[4]  In subsequent regulations, agencies were directed, upon failure to obtain voluntary compliance from a noncomplying program or activity, to “initiate appropriate enforcement procedures” in accordance with the 1965 Title VI guidelines. 41 Fed. Reg. 52,669 (Dec. 1, 1976) (now codified at 28 C.F.R. § 42.411). In this regard, the Coordination Regulations direct agencies to advise DOJ if they are unable to achieve voluntary compliance and to request that DOJ assist in seeking resolution of the matter. Id. § 42.411(a). Agencies should submit Title VI and other civil rights matters for litigation if they cannot be resolved administratively (that is, when the agency determines that informal resolution or fund termination is not a viable solution). FCS provides assistance to agencies in making determinations of noncompliance, including providing pre-enforcement legal counsel when it appears it may be difficult to obtain a voluntary resolution.

 

 

[1] The DOJ has a third role, of course: ensuring that its own recipients of funding abide by their Title VI (and other federal funding statute) obligations.  This Manual chapter focuses on the Department’s unique Title VI obligations.

[2] These regulations were amended slightly after the signing of Executive Order 12250 in 1980 to identify correctly the applicable Executive Order, but in substance they have not been changed since being issued in 1976.

[3] Federal civil rights agency interpretations of their own Title VI regulations are entitled to “substantial deference” where they “reflect its ‘fair and considered judgment on the matter in question.’” Biediger v. Quinnipiac Univ., 691 F.3d 85, 96-97 (2d Cir. 2012) (affording deference to U.S. Department of Education policy guidance interpreting Title IX); see also Thomas Jefferson Univ. v. Shalala, 512 U.S. 504, 512 (1994) (agency’s permissible interpretation of its own regulation normally “must be given controlling weight unless it is plainly erroneous or inconsistent with the regulation”); T.E. v. Pine Bush Cent. Sch. Dist., No. 12-CV-2303 KMK, 2014 WL 5591066, at *18 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 4, 2014) (“agency interpretations of ambiguities in an agency’s own regulation merit ‘substantial deference’”).  Because multiple agencies provide federal financial assistance to a wide variety of recipients, many of which issue guidance and other similar documents, the coordination role delegated to the Civil Rights Division under 28 C.F.R. § 0.51(a) seeks to ensure consistent federal government interpretation of Title VI and other federal financial assistance statutes.

[4] In the 1965 guidance, the Department identified three alternative measures that could be undertaken to secure compliance: (1) court enforcement, including “initiation of or intervention or other participation in, a suit for other relief designed to secure performance;” (2) administrative action; and (3) other efforts to induce voluntary compliance.  Id.