TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey is expanding its civil rights enforcement efforts with the creation of a new state unit that will investigate complaints of language-based discrimination in public schools and other places covered under state law.
Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights (DCR) announced Thursday the formation of the Education and Public Accommodations Enforcement Section, a specialized team that will handle cases involving discrimination in K-12 schools, colleges, and other public accommodations.
Among its priorities, the new section will investigate language-access barriers affecting English Language Learners (ELLs), along with allegations of bias-based harassment, disability accommodation failures, and unequal school discipline.
State officials said the unit will enforce the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD), which prohibits discrimination based on protected characteristics, including national origin. The new section will have legal specialists and investigators dedicated to handling education-related civil rights complaints.
The announcement comes as New Jersey officials argue that federal civil rights enforcement has declined in recent years. According to the Attorney General’s Office, changes at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights have left states with greater responsibility for investigating discrimination complaints.
“Every student in New Jersey deserves the chance to learn free from discrimination and harassment,” Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said in a statement announcing the initiative.
In addition to investigating complaints, the Division on Civil Rights is partnering with the National Center for Youth Law to develop training programs for investigators handling cases involving schools and children.
Officials emphasized that the new section will not oversee curriculum decisions or Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Those responsibilities will remain with the New Jersey Department of Education. Instead, the unit will focus on alleged violations of the state’s anti-discrimination law, including complaints involving language access for students who are not proficient in English.
The announcement also highlighted a recent Ridgewood Public Schools case as an example of the types of discrimination investigations handled by the Division on Civil Rights, although that matter remains unresolved.
The new enforcement section is expected to expand New Jersey’s capacity to investigate complaints involving language-based discrimination and other civil rights issues affecting students across the state.
