On March 5, 2018, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a revised Case Processing Manual, setting forth OCR’s procedures for conducting civil rights’ investigations, monitoring enforcement actions, and initiating compliance reviews. In this 30-minute briefing, which is complimentary for NACUA members, Lucy France, General Counsel at the University of Montana, and James Keller, Co-Chair of the Higher Education Practice Group at Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr will brief NACUA members on significant changes in the Case Processing Manual, including:
- The right of recipients to receive a copy of OCR complaints,
- New grounds for dismissal of OCR complaints,
- The difference between “letters of finding” and “resolution letters,”
- The narrowed scope of OCR investigations and remedies, and
- The impact of the revised manual’s March 5th effective date on existing investigations.
The presenters will also offer thoughts on how recipients can best collaborate with OCR for meaningful and efficient resolution of civil rights complaints, consistent with the procedures set forth in the revised Case Processing Manual.