Senator Tim Kaine supports $280M bill for student rights amid rise in discrimination
On Tuesday, Senator Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) cosponsored the Showing Up for Students Act, which provides $280 million in additional funding for the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Education.
The OCR is responsible for protecting the civil rights of students in schools, including incidents related to antisemitism and Islamophobia. Citing an increase in reported incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia in schools across the nation, Kaine said the bill would provide OCR with more resources to help ensure students are free from harassment and discrimination.
“No student should have to worry about whether they’ll be harassed or discriminated against,” Sen. Kaine said. “We have a responsibility to protect our students from antisemitism and Islamophobia. Passing this legislation would provide the Office for Civil Rights with crucial resources to combat discrimination and ensure a safe learning environment for students.”
According to data from the U.S. Department of Education, between October 1, 2023, and February 15, 2024, OCR received 219 complaints involving Title VI shared ancestry investigations, the category under which complaints relating to antisemitic, Islamophobic, and anti-Arab discrimination are classified. This is a staggering increase of 1,360% compared to the same period the year before, according to Kaine.
According to Kaine, funding for OCR has not kept up with the increased need for their services. Through OCR, students can file a complaint against their school administration for failure to prevent or respond to a violation or incident. OCR will then investigate the student’s complaint, and decide on wrongdoing against the school, and potential consequences against the school administration. The Showing Up for Students Act will ensure OCR has the funding to respond appropriately to these cases, hire additional staff, resolve cases promptly, and increase capacity to help schools proactively prevent the discrimination and harassment of students.