State will expand investigations of discrimination and harassment in schools as federal enforcement shrinks

New Jersey is creating a dedicated unit to investigate discrimination and civil rights violations involving students, Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced Thursday.

The Education and Public Accommodations Enforcement Section will operate within the state Division on Civil Rights and handle cases involving K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and other places covered by the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination.

The section will investigate bias-based harassment and bullying, discrimination in school discipline, failures to accommodate physical disabilities, and language barriers affecting students learning English.

Curriculum disputes and issues involving students’ individualized education programs will remain under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey Department of Education.

Davenport said the state is expanding its enforcement efforts as the Trump administration reduces federal civil rights enforcement. The U.S. Department of Education has closed seven of the 12 Office for Civil Rights regional offices, including the office responsible for New Jersey.

From March through September 2025, the federal office received 9,269 complaints but dismissed more than 90% without review, state officials said.

“Every student in New Jersey deserves the chance to learn free from discrimination and harassment,” Davenport said.

The new section will be led by Deputy Director Michael Campion, Chief Legal Specialist Chiqueena Lee, and Chief of Investigations Justin Hoffer. Its staff will include legal specialists and investigators.

The state also is partnering with the National Center for Youth Law to train the section’s staff to identify, investigate, and address civil rights violations involving children and schools. The organization’s team includes former senior officials from the U.S. departments of Justice and Education.

The announcement follows a recent Division on Civil Rights finding that there was probable cause to suspect Ridgewood Public Schools violated state law in its treatment of a 4-year-old student with Down syndrome. A teacher allegedly wrapped packing tape around the child’s ankles and shoes and mocked the student. The state found probable cause to suspect that the district violated New Jersey’s anti-discrimination law. The finding is preliminary and is not a final ruling.