DCL Withdrawing DOJ’s and ED’s Guidance on Fisher and Schuette

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THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
OFFICE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS

Page 1 — Dear Colleague Letter
U.S. Department of Justice 	U.S. Department of Education
Civil Rights Division 	Office for Civil Rights
July 3, 2018
Dear Colleague:
The purpose of this letter is to inform you that the Department of Justice and the
Department of Education are withdrawing the following documents:
• 	December 2, 	2011 	Dear Colleague Letter Regarding the Use of Race by
Educational Institutions;
• 	2011 	Guidance 	on 	the 	Voluntary 	Use 	of 	Race 	to 	Achieve 	Diversity 	in
Postsecondary Education dated December 2, 2011;
• 	2011 Guidance on the Voluntary Use of Race to Achieve Diversity and Avoid
Racial Isolation in Elementary and Secondary Schools dated December 2, 2011;
• 	September 27, 2013 Dear Colleague Letter on the Voluntary Use of Race to
Achieve Diversity in Higher Education After Fisher v. University of Texas at
Austin [Fisher I];
• 	September 27, 2013 Questions and Answers About Fisher v. University of Texas
at Austin [Fisher I];
• 	May 6, 2014 Dear Colleague Letter on the Supreme Court Ruling in Schuette v.
Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action; and
• 	September 30, 2016 Questions and Answers About Fisher v. University of Texas
at Austin [Fisher II].
These documents purport to explain the legal framework that governs the use of race by
elementary, secondary, and postsecondary schools under the Constitution, Title IV of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title IV), 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000c et seq., and Title VI of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d et seq. 	The documents advocate
specific policies and procedures for educational institutions to adopt, analyze a number of
hypotheticals, and draw conclusions about whether the actions in those hypotheticals

Page 2 — Dear Colleague Letter
would 	violate the Equal 	Protection 	Clause of 	the 	Fourteenth 	Amendment 	to 	the
Constitution or Title IV or Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The Departments have reviewed the documents and have concluded that they advocate
policy preferences and positions beyond the requirements of the Constitution, Title IV,
and Title VI. Moreover, the documents prematurely decide, or appear to decide, whether
particular actions violate the Constitution or federal law. 	By suggesting to public
schools, as well as recipients of federal funding, that they take action or refrain from
taking action beyond plain legal requirements, the documents are inconsistent with
governing principles for agency guidance documents.
Accordingly, the Department of Education and the Department of Justice have decided to
withdraw the documents. 	The protections from discrimination on the basis of race
guaranteed by the Constitution, Title IV, and Title VI remain in place. The Departments
are firmly committed to vigorously enforcing these protections on behalf of all students.
This guidance does not add requirements to applicable law. If you have questions or are
interested in commenting on this letter, please contact the Department of Education at
ocr@ed.gov or 800-421-3481 (TDD: 800-877-8339); or the Department of Justice at
education@usdoj.gov or 877-292-3804 (TTY: 800-514-0383).
Sincerely,
/s/ 	/s/
Kenneth L. Marcus 	John M. Gore
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 	Acting Assistant Attorney General
U.S. Department of Education 	U.S. Department of Justice