District Of Columbia Public Schools Violated The Civil Rights Of Students With Disabilities

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has determined that the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) violated the civil rights of students with disabilities, citing systemic failures in evaluation, service delivery, and access to supports.

The findings, issued following an investigation launched in March 2025, concluded that DCPS violated Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

OCR identified multiple areas of noncompliance affecting students with disabilities:

Students experienced significant delays in evaluation, with some waiting four months or longer, delaying access to . . .