Category: Education
FOURTH CIRCUIT STAYS INJUNCTION PENDING APPEAL IN DEI CASE
The legal developments related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”) continue to evolve. On March 14, 2025, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued an Order granting the government’s motion for a stay of the preliminary injunction entered by a Maryland district court in February. Nat’l […]
HMBR LEGAL ALERT: U.S. Department of Education January 14, 2025 Dear Colleague Letter re: Misrepresentation by External Service Providers
We write to provide HMBR’s perspective on the Dear Colleague Letter issued on January 14, 2025 (“January 2025 DCL”) by the U.S. Department of Education (“Department”), shortly before the end of the Biden Administration. A. Introduction The January 2025 DCL sets forth the Department’s “[n]otice of interpretation regarding misrepresentation by […]
Understanding Title VI Enforcement Amidst Columbia University Action
Last week, the Trump Administration announced the cancellation of $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University, citing alleged violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VI”) related to antisemitism on campus. This action represents a significant departure from the established regulatory enforcement […]
U.S. Department of Education Issues FAQ On Title VI Enforcement and Racial Preferences
The U.S. Department of Education (“Department”) has issued a set of frequently asked questions (“FAQs”) related to the Dear Colleague Letter (“DCL”) released by the Department’s Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) on February 14, 2025. The February 14th DCL stated that federal antidiscrimination law broadly prohibits education institutions from the […]
New Resources and Website Updates from OCR in Biden Administration’s Final Days
During President Biden’s last few weeks in office, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) published a series of new guidance documents and updated its website to align with the recent court decision vacating the Department’s 2024 Title IX Final Rule. Last week, OCR made various website […]
Federal Court Vacates 2024 Title IX Regulations: What’s Next for Educational Institutions?
With less than two weeks left in President Biden’s term, a federal court has vacated the Biden administration’s overhaul of the regulations implementing Title IX (“Final Rule”). On January 9, 2025, Chief Judge Danny Reeves of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky entered an order declaring […]
U.S. Department of Education Releases New Resource on Retaliation Under Federal Civil Rights Laws
On December 10, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) published a new resource addressing retaliation under the federal civil rights laws that OCR enforces, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Age Discrimination […]
Validating High School Diplomas: A Reminder to Institutions to Review Your Admissions Policies and Procedures
With the flurry of activity from the recently released Free Application for Federal Student Aid and upcoming Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment reporting, it’s understandable that some institutions may have overlooked a lesser-known regulation on validating high school diplomas. The new regulation, which was tucked into the U.S. Department […]
Thomas (Tommy) Screen joins HMBR
Hogan Marren Babbo & Rose Ltd., is pleased to announce Thomas (Tommy) Screen has joined us as a Partner of the firm. Mr. Screen specializes in higher education law and brings extensive experience, having served as general counsel at two institutions of higher education. With nearly twenty years dedicated to […]
CLIENT ALERT: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ISSUES NEW TITLE IX REGULATIONS
The U.S. Department of Education has issued its much-anticipated Final Rule on Title IX, which will go into effect on August 1, 2024. In a press release, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona described the Final Rule as furthering Title IX’s 50-year legacy and promise of “an equal opportunity to learn and thrive in our nation’s schools free from sex discrimination.”