CCSD Under Federal Investigation For ‘Possible Civil Rights Violations’

Clark County School District (CCSD), the fifth largest school district in the country, has been added to a growing list of school districts and colleges under federal investigation for “possible civil rights violations,” according to the Department of Education.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights added CCSD to the list on November 21 noting that educational institutions are being investigated for possible “discrimination involving shared ancestry.” According to the Department of Education, Title VI prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin against students of any religion,

On Nov. 16, 2023, the Dept. of Education announced earlier this month that it would be investigating “a handful of antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents” at colleges and school districts across the country.

“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,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said. “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.”

These investigations were spurred by the rise in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents occurring across campuses after the October 7th, 2023 Hamas massacre in Israel which has lead to an ongoing war between the Israeli Defense Forces and Hamas.

According to the Israeli-American Council, 20 reports of antisemitism have been recorded in charter, private and public schools across CCSD since October 7th. Prior to October 7th, the IAC notes that one incident a month, on average, was reported.

Yesterday, the Department of Education announced Harvard was added to the list over the University’s response to allegations of antisemitism on campus.

CCSD did not return our request for comment at the time of publishing.