U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights investigating Maize Unified School District

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is investigating the Maize Unified School District.

According to the USDE, they opened an investigation on Thursday, Nov. 16, into the Maize Unified School District “for alleged shared ancestry violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), which prohibits race, color, or national origin discrimination, including harassment based on a person’s shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics.”

This is a part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s continued efforts to take aggressive action to address the alarming nationwide rise in reports of antisemitism, anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, and other forms of discrimination and harassment on college campuses and in K-12 schools since the Oct. 7 Israel-Hamas conflict, the UDSE says.

“Hate has no place in our schools, period. When students are targeted because they are—or are perceived to be—Jewish, Muslim, Arab, Sikh, or any other ethnicity or shared ancestry, schools must act to ensure safe and inclusive educational environments where everyone is free to learn,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “These investigations underscore how seriously the Biden-Harris Administration, including the U.S. Department of Education, takes our responsibility to protect students from hatred and discrimination.”

“We at the Department of Education, like the nation, see the fear students and school communities experience as hate proliferates in schools,” said Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon. “As we continue our active enforcement, the Office for Civil Rights is increasing transparency into our investigations for public awareness.  As always, I emphasize that the Office for Civil Rights reaches conclusions at the end of investigations and that a school’s appearance on this list does not reflect a conclusion that the law has been violated.”

The USDE says releasing the list advances President Biden’s promise to protect students, engage school and university leaders, and foster safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environments.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to putting an end to discrimination, including on schools and college campuses,” said the USDE.

The USDE says as a part of that work, last week, the Education Department released a Dear Colleague Letter reminding schools of their legal obligations under Title VI and its implementing regulations (Title VI) to provide all students a school environment free from discrimination-based on race, color, or national origin, including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics.

“The letter provides greater clarity about the requirements of the law on discrimination based on shared ancestry, as requested by institutions and students,” said the USDE. “All colleges, and universities and K-12 schools receiving federal funds must comply with Title VI. Schools that violate the law and refuse to address the problems identified by OCR can ultimately lose federal funding or be referred to the U.S. Department of Justice for further action.”

Additional resources in this area include a fact sheet, Protecting Students from Discrimination Based on Shared Ancestry or Ethnic Characteristics, released in January 2023, and a Dear Colleague Letter issued in May 2023 as part of the Department’s launch of an Antisemitism Awareness Campaign.

The USDE has shared the list below, which they say reflects institutions that are currently under investigation for possible discrimination based on shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics in Fiscal Year 2024 as of November 16, 2023.

According to USDE, five of the complaints allege antisemitic harassment, and two allege anti-Muslim harassment. It does not state which complaint is against Maize USD 266.

List of Open Title VI Shared Ancestry Investigations, Fiscal Year 2024 (beginning 10/1/2023):

InstitutionLocationDate Investigation OpenedMaize Unified School DistrictMaize, KansasNovember 16, 2023Lafayette CollegeEaston, PANovember 16, 2023Cornell UniversityIthaca, NYNovember 16, 2023Columbia UniversityNew York, NYNovember 16, 2023Wellesley CollegeWellesley, MANovember 16, 2023University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PANovember 15, 2023The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and ArtNew York, NYNovember 15, 2023

“Title VI’s protection from race, color, or national origin discrimination extends to students who experience discrimination, including harassment, based on their actual or perceived: (i) shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics; or (ii) citizenship or residency in a country with a dominant religion or distinct religious identity,” said the USDE. “Schools that receive federal financial assistance have a responsibility to address discrimination when the discrimination involves racial, ethnic, or ancestral slurs or stereotypes; or is based on a student’s skin color, physical features, or style of dress that reflects both ethnic and religious traditions, to name a few characteristics. Likewise, schools have a responsibility to address discrimination against students based on the region of the world they come from or are perceived to come from.”

The USDE says the OCR  is responsible for enforcing federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination by educational institutions on the basis of disability, race, color, national origin, sex, and age, as well as the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act of 2001.

“OCR’s investigations typically include collecting and analyzing relevant evidence from the complainant, the institution, and other sources; conducting interviews of the complainant, the institution’s personnel, and other witnesses; and conducting site visits, if appropriate,” said the USDE.

KSN News has reached out to the Maize Unified School District. We have yet to hear back.