Statement by Wade Henderson on the Department of Education’s Enforcement of Civil Rights Laws

Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement today in response to a recent AP story chronicling a spike in civil rights complaints at the Department of Education:

“The Department of Education’s commitment to enforcing long-neglected civil rights laws is obviously resonating with students and their families and tapping into a deep well of pent-up demand for quality education. Education is a civil and human right for all our children. But 50 years after Brown v. Board of Education, more than 40 percent of African-American and Latino students still don’t graduate from high school on time and approximately 2,000 schools are responsible for about 75 percent of minority drop outs.

By following through on their pledge to make civil rights enforcement a top priority, Secretary Duncan and Assistant Secretary Ali are helping to bring to light many of the problems that undermine our educational system and deny our children the future they deserve.”