Sikh Coalition Statement on Removal of Civil Rights Offices from the Department of Education

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: media@sikhcoalition.org 

Sikh Coalition Statement on Removal of Civil Rights Offices from the Department of Education

June 18, 2026 (Washington, DC) — In reaction to recent harmful structural changes at the Department of Education, Sikh Coalition Senior Federal Policy Manager Mannirmal Kaur (she/her) offered the following response:

“On Tuesday, June 16, the Department of Education announced that it would move its Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and its Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Both of these offices were established in 1979 by Congress via the Department of Education Organization Act—the same statute that created the Department of Education itself. This announcement marks the latest in a series of agreements the Department of Education has made reassigning its responsibilities across various other federal agencies, including the Department of State, Department of Labor, and Department of the Treasury.” 

“For Sikh students and others, OCR in particular has been critical in ensuring equal access to education, including by investigating and resolving cases of religion-based bullying. We are deeply concerned that transferring this office to an agency that does not have the appropriate resources or infrastructure to absorb the associated responsibilities will leave our students with limited opportunity to seek justice and relief. Based on 25 years of direct legal and advocacy work on behalf of specific Sikh students in heinous bullying cases, we know that bias-based discrimination involving students and schools requires unique, specialized attention and care. Unilaterally shifting these duties to a department that was not designed to meet those needs, and that continues to abandon its own civil rights enforcement responsibilities, will only create confusion and additional barriers for families seeking assistance.” 

“In 2024, the Sikh Coalition surveyed more than 2,000 Sikh students as part of our report titled “Where Are You Really From?” 77.5 percent of surveyed students reported experiencing bullying. Even more alarmingly, nearly 11 percent said that they were bullied by school staff, including those that said that staff bullied them for their accents, or mocked or disrespected their articles of faith. OCR plays a critical role in ensuring that the rights of students like these are protected, and that local education agencies and school administrators fulfill their obligations in addressing and preventing this unacceptable behavior.”  

“Our students do not deserve to be shuffled from one agency to the next. They deserve for federal agencies like the Department of Education to demonstrate steadfast commitment to their statutorily-established responsibilities, and to pursuing equal access to education for all. In keeping with our longstanding call to maintain the organizational integrity and unique value-add of the Department of Education, we urge the Department to retain OSERS and OCR, and call on Congress to reject the Department’s attempt to abandon its duties.”  

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For more information about the Sikh Coalition’s work on bullying cases and policy and broader efforts to support inclusive education, please email media@sikhcoalition.org.