Office for Civil Rights Releases Updated Case Processing Manual
Manual Updated for the First Time Since 2022
U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released an updated version of its Case Processing Manual (CPM), which last was updated in 2022.
A comparison of the 2025 CPM and 2022 CPM reveals significant updates in language clarity, enforcement procedures, and institutional responsibilities. In addition to stylistic refinements (someone favors the Oxford comma) and reorganization of some of the content, this update eliminates much of the vague or ambiguous phrasing found in the 2022 CPM.
For example:
2022 CPM:
"Where a final agreement is not reached by the 30th calendar day, OCR will immediately resume its investigation."
2025 CPM:
"Where a final agreement is not reached by the 30th calendar day, the investigation will resume no later than on the 31st day after negotiations were initiated."
Previously, “immediately resume” could have been interpreted as within a few days or even a week or longer. The revised wording provides clear expectations: investigations will resume no later than the day after the 30-day deadline.