The Education Department is moving significantly slower on discrimination complaints, with new data showing a sharp drop in case resolutions this year. Discrimination complaints resolved in 2025 fell 30 percent compared with 2024, according to records obtained by The New York Times.
The decline marks a substantial slowdown in the agency's civil rights work, leaving a growing pile of pending cases. The timing coincides with a major restructuring at the department, raising questions about staffing, priorities, and how long complainants can expect to wait for resolution.
Discrimination complaints at the Education Department typically involve allegations of bias based on race, gender, disability, or national origin in schools and educational programs receiving federal funding. The agency's Office for Civil Rights is responsible for investigating these claims and enforcing federal protections.
A 30 percent reduction in resolved cases suggests either fewer investigators on the job, less aggressive case processing, or both. The backlog effect is immediate: students and families waiting for action on their complaints face indefinite delays.
The decline comes as the Trump administration has signaled plans to reshape how federal agencies handle civil rights enforcement. Education Secretary nominees and officials have indicated a shift toward a narrower interpretation of federal civil rights law, particularly on issues like transgender student protections and affirmative action in college admissions.
Department officials have not publicly detailed the reasons for the slowdown or outlined a timeline for clearing the backlog. Advocacy groups and civil rights lawyers have expressed alarm that the resolution delays could effectively neutralize protections for students facing discrimination.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "A 30 percent drop in resolved cases doesn't happen by accident, and families caught in this backlog will pay the real price."
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