Office for Civil Rights Requires DCPS to Address Section 504 Evaluation and Grievance Concerns at Murch Elementary School
OCR identified concerns DCPS didn't hold 504 meeting after a parent requested accommodations for a student and didn’t complete or provide an outcome on parent’s disability grievance.
June 5, 2026, U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a letter of findings to District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), after investigating a complaint filed on behalf of a student during the 2021-2022 school year.
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.
