U.S. Department of Education

Customer Service Team/Office of Civil Rights
550 12th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20202-1100
Phone (800) 421-3481
Fax (202-245-6840
TTY (877) 521-2172
Email: ocr.ed.gov
Website: www.ed.gov

The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) in the U.S. Department of Education is a law enforcement agency charged with enforcing the federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in educational programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance. OCR helps resolve complaints filed by students, parents, and others. Generally, OCR will only take action with respect to those complaints that have been filed within 180 calendar days of the last act of alleged discrimination, or in which the complaint alleges a continuing discriminatory policy or practice.

U.S. Department of Justice

Civil Rights Division/Educational Opportunities Section
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530
Phone (202) 514-4092
Fax (202) 514-8337
Toll Free (877) 292-3804
Website: www.usdoj.gov/crt/crt-home.html

The Educational Opportunities Section (EOS) of the U.S. Department of Justice enforces federal statutes that prohibit school officials from engaging in discriminatory practices. It is responsible for protecting any individual who states that he or she has been denied admission to, or been dismissed from, a public college, university, or post-secondary vocational or technical school. Federal legislation and court decisions mandate that school officials not discriminate against students on the basis of gender or language barriers. Thus, their work also covers a variety of legal issues involving elementary and secondary schools in addition to institutions of higher education.

Appleseed Foundation

727 15th Street, NW, 11th Floor
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 347-7960
Fax: (202) 347-7961
Website: www.appleseeds.net

The Appleseed Foundation’s mission is to effect and enable constructive systemic change leading to a more just, equitable, and sustainable society. It focuses primarily on immigration, health care, education, and employment discrimination. To carry out this purpose, Appleseed is building a national network of locally-based law centers known as Appleseed Centers.

Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

Education Project
1401 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 662-8600
Fax: (202) 783-0857
Website: www.lawyerscomm.org

The Education Project vigorously advocates equal educational opportunities for minority and poor youth within our nation’s public schools and institutions of higher education. In collaboration with private law firms and community advocates, the Project challenges discriminatory tracking programs, the disproportionate placement of minority students in special education and “dead end” courses, and the biased administration of student discipline.

National Women’s Law Center

11 Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 588-5180
Fax: (202) 588-5185
Website: www.nwlc.org

NWLC is a national advocacy organization promoting gender equality. It does no casework except cases pertaining to education. It primarily focuses on education, health care, social security, affirmative action, and child support.