Civil Rights

The Tennessee Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (TOCR) is responsible for investigating and ensuring compliance with civil rights laws (Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX))—both within the department and in programs that receive federal funding as subrecipients from the department including public school districts and public charter schools.

Within applicable areas, TOCR offers technical assistance and resolves complaints. TOCR does not bring lawsuits on behalf of parents or school districts and does not provide monetary compensation.

Please find general information on civil rights below. You may also access information specific to Title VI and Title IX via the following links:

General Information

TOCR is not authorized to address discrimination in non-public schools that do not receive federal funding from the department. Similarly, the state bullying and harassment provisions do not apply to non-public schools.

TOCR is not authorized to address discrimination in postsecondary educational institutions. TOCR only investigates elementary or secondary educational institutions; this includes school districts, charter schools, or private schools that receive federal funding from the department. Complaints involving alleged civil rights violations at colleges, universities, and other postsecondary institutions may be directed to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.

Additionally, each individual campus within the University of Tennessee system has an office that addresses civil rights concerns and related matters on that campus. Concerns may be directed to the respective institutions. For concerns with the colleges and universities within the Tennessee Board of Regents system, you may contact the appropriate individual identified on the Tennessee Board of Regents website.  

Bullying and civil rights harassment often overlap. In some cases, behavior that is inappropriate may be both bullying and harassment. In other cases, individuals may mistakenly classify behavior as bullying when it is harassment. Public schools are required to address inappropriate behavior under any and all applicable federal civil rights laws or state bullying laws.

To ensure all public school districts comply with all obligations under Title VI and Title IX and state bullying and harassment laws (Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-4501 et al), the department created the annual Civil Rights and Bullying Compliance Report to collect compliance information. Read more about the annual civil rights and bullying compliance report here.

Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-4502, "harassment, intimidation, or bullying" is defined as:

Any act that substantially interferes with a student's educational benefits, opportunities or performance; and:

A.     If the act takes place on school grounds, at any school-sponsored activity, on school-provided equipment or transportation or at any official school bus stop, the act has the effect of:

                                                         i.          Physically harming a student or damaging a student's property;

                                                        ii.          Knowingly placing a student or students in reasonable fear of physical harm to the                                                                             student or damage to the student's property;

                                                      iii.          Causing emotional distress to a student or students; or

                                                      iv.          Creating a hostile educational environment; or

B.     If the act takes place off school property or outside of a school-sponsored activity, it is directed specifically at a student or students and has the effect of creating a hostile educational environment or otherwise creating a substantial disruption to the education environment or learning process.

Under Tenn. Code Ann. §49-6-4502, “Cyber-bullying” is defined as bullying undertaken through the use of electronic devices.

View a video overview of civil right and anti-bullying laws from the Tennessee Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights.

If civil rights compliance cannot be achieved informally, TOCR addresses complaints formally, as outlined in the Investigation and Resolution Manual. To file a complaint, please contact TOCR at TDOE.CivilRights@tn.gov or complete the Civil Rights Discrimination Complaint Form.

Contacts

TOCR may be reached by calling (615) 741-2921 or by email at TDOE.CivilRights@tn.gov.