Office for Civil Rights Hits Record Low for Resolutions Released in January; Over 5,000 Disability Discrimination Complaints Remain Pending
Six Weeks Into 2025, OCR Has Release Eight Investigation Findings and/or Resolutions. None Address Disability Discrimination.
For the past 10 years, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has released investigation findings and/or resolutions in January that relate to disability discrimination—with the exception of 2025. Six weeks into 2025, OCR has yet to release one investigation finding and/or resolution related to disability discrimination.
A Decade of January’s
Between 2015 and 2023, OCR released a dozen or more investigation findings and/or resolutions every January related to disability discrimination. In 2024, OCR hit a ten-year low when it released just five investigation findings and/or resolutions related to disability discrimination. That record low was eclipsed by January 2025, when OCR released no findings and/or resolutions related to disability discrimination.
In 2024, OCR hit a record 10-year low with the number of overall findings and/or resolutions released in January. This record low was eclipsed in 2025. In January 2024, OCR released nine investigation findings and/or resolutions, five of which were related to disability discrimination. In January 2025, OCR released eight investigation findings and/or resolutions, none of which focus on disability discrimination.
Spike in Complaints, Rise in Resolutions
Although the number of investigations and/or resolutions OCR released on its site point to a decline in the number of resolutions made over the past decade, OCR’s “2024 Fiscal Year Annual Report” points to a spike in complaints received and in resolutions made.
For fiscal year 2024, OCR received 22,687 complaints, up from 19,201 for fiscal year 2023, and almost triple the amount filed for fiscal year 2009. Of the 22,687 complaints received, 8,457 complaints alleged disability discrimination—almost 40% of all complaints received.
In just the last three months, almost 500 complaints were opened:
November 2024: 208 opened
December 2024: 221 opened
January 2025: 70 opened
OCR claimed it resolved 12% more disability cases during fiscal year 2024, compared with fiscal year 2023. The agency credited its voluntary mediation process and Rapid Resolution Procedure for this increase.
Thousands of Complaints Pending
As of February 12, 2025, OCR’s site lists 12,081 “pending cases currently under investigation” at elementary, secondary, and/or post-secondary schools. Almost half of the cases relate to disability discrimination:
Disability discrimination: 5,825 cases
Race and national origin discrimination: 3,281 cases
Sex discrimination: 2,852 cases
Age discrimination: 122 cases
Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act: 1 case
Of the 5,825, more than 50 have been “pending” for over a decade:
2009: Two cases pending
2011: Three cases pending
2012: Two cases pending
2013: Seven cases pending
2014: 33 cases pending
2015: 103 cases pending
What’s Happening with OCR Staff?
According to its “2024 Fiscal Year Annual Report”, OCR’s number of full-time equivalent staff decreased from 629 to 588. This marks a steady decline since fiscal year 2018, even though the number of complaints has increased.
Over the life of the agency, OCR’s overall staffing level has declined significantly – falling from nearly 1,100 FTE staff in FY 1981 to 588 FTE staff in FY 2024. This reduction comes even as the volume of complaints received has grown significantly, increasing from under 3,000 in FY 1981 to 22,687 in FY 2024.
Although the agency saw a decrease in staff for fiscal year 2024, its annual report indicates a 12% rise in resolution of disability discrimination related cases, compared with fiscal year 2023.
Where are the Investigation Findings and Resolutions?
Between the thousands of complaints pending and the number of findings and/or resolutions OCR historically has released by this time each year, it’s both surprising and concerning that none of the eight resolutions and/or findings released in the last six weeks address disability discrimination.
The 70 complaints opened in January 2025 indicate there is movement at OCR. However, even that number is down from the previous two months.
The question remains: Where are the investigation findings and resolutions related to disability discrimination?