Civil Rights Groups to OCR Head Ken Marcus: Enforce Civil Rights for All Students

WASHINGTON — The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and 23 civil rights groups today sent a letter to Kenneth Marcus, the irresponsibly confirmed assistant secretary for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Education.

Throughout the confirmation process for assistant secretary, Marcus gave troubling statements that demonstrated his unwillingness and inability to enforce civil rights law and protect all students in the United States from discrimination. For that reason, civil rights groups wrote to urge him to enforce the law on behalf of marginalized communities, to preserve (and reinstate recently rescinded) policy and enforcement guidance, and to maintain the scope, frequency, and public accessibility of the Civil Rights Data Collection.

The groups write:

“[Y]ou have the opportunity to demonstrate a commitment to core American values of equal opportunity, nondiscrimination, and diversity as well as a respect for the rule of law. You also have the opportunity to endorse and facilitate an agenda of discrimination, disrespect, and bias. We hope that you will make a decision guided by a commitment to justice, the requirements of our laws, and the interests of our children.”

The letter can be read in its entirety here.

Prior to Marcus’ confirmation, civil rights and education groups urged Congress to oppose his confirmation. Those letters can be read here and here.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.