Title VI Shared Ancestry Harassment: What is it, How Does it Affect the School Environment, and What are School Obligations to Respond?

Former Regional Director (Beth Gellman-Beer) and Chief Attorney (Amy Niedzalkoski) of the Philadelphia Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education will provide a presentation on Title VI Shared Ancestry Harassment. The presentation will address the definition for a hostile environment under Title VI, and what are the school obligations in responding to reports of Title VI Shared Ancestry harassment. The presenters will provide detailed examples from recent case resolutions, including a description of the incidents, evidence obtained, legal findings and recommended action steps for addressing the hostile environment from an individual and systemic perspective. Last, the presenters will provide a brief overview of the current landscape for OCR enforcement and relevant court filings, and the reasons why Title VI compliance is still in the best interests of all schools even in light of reduced OCR enforcement.