However, OCR didn’t publicly release the letter of findings with more specifics of its findings or a resolution agreement until June 2026.

In its press release, OCR stated DCPS violated Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act and Title II of Americans with Disabilities Act by denying students who have disabilities a free appropriate public education (FAPE). In addition, OCR said it had issued a proposed resolution agreement to DCPS and warned:

“OCR issued a proposed Resolution Agreement to the District that specifies actions to remedy the violation of Section 504 and Title II. If an agreement is reached, OCR will monitor the Agreement to ensure the District fulfills all terms and obligations. As a part of that monitoring, if necessary, OCR may conduct additional interviews, obtain data, or take necessary steps to ensure the noncompliance is remedied. If an agreement is not reached, the U.S. Department of Education may initiate enforcement action.”

(Additional Reading: “Office for Civil Rights Finds District of Columbia Public Schools at Fault for Extensive Discrimination Against Students Who Have Disabilities”)

June 11, 2026—almost three months later—DCPS signed a resolution agreement with OCR.

Those almost three months came on top of a class-action lawsuit involving transportation for students who have disabilities in D.C. That lawsuit, Robertson et al. v. District of Columbia, was filed in federal court and concerns claims that the district failed to provide safe, reliable, and appropriate transportation to students who have disabilities. According to OSSE’s April 2026 notice, the class includes:

“All students with disabilities aged 3–22 who, from March 7, 2022, until judgment is issued in this case, require transportation from the District to attend school and have experienced and will continue to experience unsafe, unreliable, or inappropriate transportation services from the District.”

(Additional Reading: Class-Action Lawsuit Continues Forward; Related Service of Transportation at Core of Suit Against District of Columbia’s OSSE)

Hence DCPS was aware of the problems for a significant amount of time before signing the resolution agreement—and aware of the significant number of students impacted.

This wasn’t a complaint about one student. OCR opened the directed investigation March 5, 2025, to examine whether DCPS was failing to evaluate or reevaluate students in an individualized manner, whether that failure forced parents and guardians to rely on due process complaints, and whether DCPS’s transportation system resulted in the denial of FAPE to students who have disabilities.

What OCR Found

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OCR styled the complaint as OCR Case No. Case No.11-22-1358. Its letter of findings redacts the school's name, but the resolution agreement identifies Murch Elementary School as the school whose staff must receive training.

OCR investigated whether:

• “discriminated against the Student on the basis of disability by failing to evaluate the Student during the 2021-2022 school year despite information that she needed special education or related services . . .

• “discriminated on the basis of disability by failing to respond to the Complainant’s disability discrimination complaint filed on [redacted content]; and . . .

• “discriminated against the Student on the basis of race (Black) by failing to contact the Complainant prior to administering a COVID-19 test on the Student. . .”

Before OCR completed its investigation, DCPS asked to resolve the disability-related concerns under Section 302 of OCR’s Case Processing Manual. OCR agreed because its investigation had identified concerns that could be addressed through a resolution agreement.

DCPS signed the agreement June 4, 2026. The agreement states that it isn’t an admission of a violation of Section 504, Title II, or any other law enforced by OCR.

OCR didn’t issue a final compliance determination on the Section 504 evaluation and grievance allegations. Instead, OCR identified compliance concerns and accepted DCPS’s agreement to resolve them.

OCR found insufficient evidence that DCPS discriminated against the student on the basis of race.

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In its press release, USDOE cites a December 2024 report, District of Columbia Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, which found DCPS had “more complaints per 10,000 students in the special education area than any other state or territory in the U.S.” In addition, the report highlighted serious transportation issues, including long delays, unreliable schedules, and lax oversight—concerns that mirror those in the class-action lawsuit Robertson et al v. District of Columbia.

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