Protect Education Civil Rights Funding
The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is the primary federal agency responsible for enforcing anti-discrimination laws in K-12 schools and universities across the country. This includes investigating complaints of antisemitic harassment and discrimination, Title VI violations, disability discrimination, and other civil rights abuses affecting students. Between March and September 2025 alone, OCR received over 9,000 discrimination complaints and resolved more than 7,000 — a workload that reflects the critical, ongoing demand for this enforcement function.
Recent Congressional budget proposals and administrative actions have significantly cut OCR's staffing and resources, resulting in closed regional offices, fewer investigators, and longer wait times for students and families seeking relief. OCR has also sent letters to 60 universities currently under investigation for antisemitic discrimination and harassment — cases that are now at risk of stalling or being dropped entirely due to resource constraints. Gutting OCR undermines the federal government's ability to protect Jewish students, students with disabilities, and other vulnerable populations from discrimination in educational settings.
Congress must restore full funding to the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights to ensure it can carry out its statutory mandate to investigate and resolve civil rights complaints in a timely and effective manner. Constituents urge their representatives to oppose any budget cuts to OCR and to support appropriations that maintain or increase the office's enforcement capacity.
View Call Scripts
Live Call Script
Hello, I am an assistant calling on behalf of a constituent, {{first_name}} {{last_name}} from {{city}}, {{state}} zip code {{zip_code}}. The constituent is calling to urge {{representative_name}} to oppose any budget cuts to the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, known as OCR, and to support full funding for the office in upcoming appropriations legislation. OCR is the federal government's primary enforcement arm against discrimination in K-12 schools and universities. Between March and September of 2025, the office received over 9,000 discrimination complaints — including cases of antisemitic harassment at 60 universities currently under active investigation. Recent staffing cuts have already led to closed regional offices and significant delays for students and families seeking civil rights protections. The constituent asks that {{representative_name}} take the following actions: first, oppose any appropriations measures that reduce OCR's budget or staffing levels; second, support funding levels that allow OCR to maintain or expand its enforcement capacity; and third, speak publicly in defense of OCR's mandate to protect students from discrimination, including antisemitic harassment, under federal civil rights law. Protecting OCR is not a partisan issue — it is a matter of ensuring that every student in America has access to a safe, discrimination-free learning environment. The constituent respectfully requests {{representative_name}}'s commitment to fully funding OCR.
Voicemail Version
I am calling on behalf of {{first_name}} {{last_name}}, a constituent from {{city}}, {{state}} {{zip_code}}. The constituent is calling to urge {{representative_name}} to oppose budget cuts to the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights and to support full funding for the office in upcoming appropriations legislation. OCR is currently investigating antisemitic harassment and discrimination at 60 universities, and recent cuts have already reduced staff, closed offices, and delayed justice for thousands of students. The constituent asks {{representative_name}} to protect OCR's enforcement capacity and ensure this critical civil rights office has the resources it needs to fulfill its federal mandate. You may contact me at {{phone_number}} to discuss further.