DOE issues race-neutral discipline guidance and launches Title VI probes
The Department of Education released new rules urging schools to discipline students without regard to race and opened investigations into three districts accused of using race-based policies.
On Tuesday, the Department of Education issued a "Dear Colleague" letter that directs federally funded schools to adopt discipline systems that do not treat students differently based on race, color, or national origin, overturning guidance from the previous administration. Kimberly Richey, the assistant secretary for civil rights, said the update aligns with Title VI and ends practices she described as harmful to safety and learning.
The guidance follows President Donald Trump's April 2025 executive order calling for "commonsense" school discipline. Concurrently, the Office for Civil Rights launched three Title VI investigations into districts in Fayetteville, Arkansas; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Seattle, Washington, each accused of incorporating racial considerations into disciplinary actions. The investigations target policies that purportedly aim for "restorative justice" or "equity" but may violate federal nondiscrimination rules.
The department pledged vigorous enforcement of the revised standards. These moves signal a shift toward race-neutral discipline policy at the federal level.
Why it matters
Federal schools must now enforce discipline without racial bias, affecting millions of students and prompting investigations of district practices.
In this story
