Hate has no place in our nation’s classrooms or college campuses. Yet in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attacks in Israel and subsequent conflict, many Jewish, Muslim, Israeli, Arab, and Palestinian students report that they feel unsafe at school or unfairly targeted simply because of who they are.
On Thursday, December 14, 2023, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona hosted two national webinars on how PK-12 schools and institutions of higher education can support students and ensure all are free to learn in a safe, inclusive learning environment. These webinars presented resources from the Department of Education to help respond to the rise in antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-Arab hate, and other forms of discrimination.
Recordings of both programs are now available featuring captioning and ASL interpretation:
Leading Safe, Inclusive, and Nondiscriminatory Learning Environments During the War in the Middle East: PK-12 Schools
Featuring: Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten; Assistant Secretary Catherine E. Lhamon, Office for Civil Rights; Katy Joseph, Acting Director, Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships; Superintendent Joe Gothard, St. Paul Public Schools; Dr. Julie Goldman, Director, Equity Curriculum and Instruction, San Diego County Office of Education; and Christine Moloney, Director, Office for Identity, Culture, and Institutional Equity, Horace Mann School.
Leading Safe, Inclusive, and Nondiscriminatory Learning Environments During the War in the Middle East: Colleges and Universities
Featuring: Assistant Secretary Catherine E. Lhamon, Office for Civil Rights; Assistant Secretary Nasser Paydar, Office of Postsecondary Education; Katy Joseph, Acting Director, Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships; President Sian Beilock, Dartmouth College; President Darryll J. Pines, University of Maryland; and Dr. Najeeba Syeed, Director, Interfaith at Augsburg University.
Below you will also find resources referenced during the webinars.
Resources Available Through the Office for Civil Rights
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin including shared ancestry and ethnic characteristics in federally funded educational programs. OCR can investigate complaints that students were subjected to ethnic or ancestral slurs; harassed for how they look, dress, or speak in ways linked to ethnicity or ancestry (e.g. skin color, religious attire, language spoken); or stereotyped based on perceived shared ancestral or ethnic characteristics.
Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Arab, and Palestinian students are examples of individuals who may be discriminated against based on shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics. Learn more about Shared Ancestry protections, including:
- How to file a discrimination complaint with the Office for Civil Rights
- View open shared ancestry discrimination investigations into PK-12 schools, colleges, and universities, updated weekly
- Read “Dear Colleague Letter: Discrimination, including Harassment, Based on Shared Ancestry or Ethnic Characteristics” (November 2023)
- Read “Dear Colleague Letter: Race and School Programming” (August 2023)
- Fact Sheet: Protecting Students from Discrimination Based on Shared Ancestry or Ethnic Characteristics (January 2023)
- Read “Dear Colleague: The First Amendment and Title VI” (July 2003)
Please contact OCR to request a Title VI training for your school, university, or community organization by emailing OCR@ed.gov.
Resources Available Through the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, Office of the Secretary
The Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships advises the Department of Education on religious inclusion issues and works closely with our colleagues to ensure that students of all religious, spiritual, and secular identities can be their full selves at school. Our team also builds bridges between non-profit organizations, including religious and non-religious groups, and the federal government to better serve our students.
The Center serves as the primary representative for the Department of Education on the Interagency Policy Committee on Countering Antisemitism, Islamophobia and Related Forms of Discrimination and Bias. Since October 7, we have been in close conversation with students, educators, and community partners around how the Israel-Hamas conflict is impacting students’ ability to learn. In confidential listening sessions, roundtables, and visits to schools across the country, the stories we have heard are deeply disturbing.
- Visit gov and click on “Countering Antisemitism and Islamophobia” to learn more about actions undertaken by the Department since the October 7 Hamas attacks in Israel
- Read about how the Center is supporting students of all religious, spiritual, and secular identities
- Explore resources for PK-12 schools from the National Center for Safe and Supportive Learning Environments, “Combatting Antisemitism and Islamophobia While Promoting Religious Inclusion in PK-12 Schools”
- Explore resources for colleges and universities from the National Center for Safe and Supportive Learning Environments, “Combatting Antisemitism and Islamophobia While Promoting Religious Inclusion in Higher Education”
- Request a training or technical support through the Department’s Equity Assistance Centers, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
There is no “one size fits all” approach because no two school communities are the same. But through intentional and consistent engagement, every school can lay a strong foundation for facing times of crisis. Please contact the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partners, Office of the Secretary, to learn more by emailing EDpartners@ed.gov.
