Which agency handles civil rights complaints in educational settings?

• A. Office for Civil Rights
• B. Department of Education
• C. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
• D. National Labor Relations Board

Answer: (A)

The Office for Civil Rights is the agency that handles civil rights complaints in educational settings. OCR is the civil rights arm of the U.S. Department of Education and is specifically tasked with enforcing federal laws that protect students and staff from discrimination in schools, such as Title VI (race, color, and national origin), Title IX (sex), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (disabilities). When a student, parent, or employee believes a school has violated these rights, they can file a complaint with OCR, which investigates, seeks voluntary compliance, and coordinates remedies to restore equal access and prevent ongoing discrimination. The Department of Education oversees education policy overall, but OCR is the dedicated body within it that handles these civil rights complaints in education. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission focuses on workplace discrimination, the National Labor Relations Board handles labor relations, and these do not address education-specific civil rights complaints in the same way OCR does.