Back To School: Protecting Students And Families From Race And National Origin Discrimination In Schools

A priority of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado (USACO) is protecting the civil rights of all people, including students. As students return to school this fall, USACO is putting a spotlight on the civil rights laws that protect students and families from discrimination based on race or national origin.

A critical area of focus is language access.

Language barriers can unfairly disadvantage students and their parents.  When schools fail to communicate with students and their parents in a language they can understand, this may be unlawful discrimination. 

A recent example of USACO’s commitment to protecting students’ civil rights is the settlement agreement with Cherry Creek School District, one of the largest school districts in the state.  The agreement improves language access for parents with limited English proficiency.  

Acting U.S Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch answered some questions about what it means to students and parents.

Question: Why does protecting the civil rights of students matter to your office?

Acting U.S. Attorney Kirsch: Protecting civil rights of students and parents is part of our core mission of making sure everyone has equal access to government services.

Question: Why does language access matter to parents?

Acting U.S. Attorney Kirsch: Parents want to be able to communicate openly and effectively with their child’s school and school district. When schools deprive parents of that opportunity based on their English proficiency or citizenship status, schools make it harder for parents to support their children in their education.

Question: What do you want parents to know about their rights to meaningful communication with school districts?

Acting U.S. Attorney Kirsch: As a parent who cares about education, I want all parents to know that they have the right to communicate with their child’s school, including with teachers and administrators, in a language they understand. 

Question: What are school districts required to do to provide meaningful communication with parents with limited English proficiency?

Acting U.S. Attorney Kirsch: Our agreement with the Cherry Creek School District is a good example of how we are working to protect students’ equal access to educational opportunities and help all parents to be active participants in their children’s education.  Under that agreement, the school district is required to communicate with parents, and to provide essential documents and information to them, in a language they understand.  The school district must do so at essential points of contact, including initial enrollment in the district and when students are being disciplined. Language assistance is required for other types of essential communication, too, such as when the school district provides information about school programs, including special education and English learner programs, about school and district policies, including codes of conduct, report cards and academic information, and during parent-teacher conferences. 

Question: Where can parents report these kinds of issues?

Acting U.S. Attorney Kirsch: To report a possible civil rights violation to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, you can send an e-mail to usaco.civilrights@usdoj.gov, or call (303) 454-0285. You can also find an optional complaint form and information about other civil rights laws we enforce on our civil rights webpage at www.justice.gov/usao-co/civil-rights-enforcement.