Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (34 C.F.R. Part 100) is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in educational programs and activities that receive federal funding. The law states:

“No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program to which this part applies.”

Title VI prohibits a range of discriminatory practices, including:
Harassment based on race, color, or national origin
Intentional school segregation
Denial of language services to English learners
Denial of enrollment based on immigration status

Harassment based on national origin includes antisemitic conduct, which is also prohibited by Arkansas Code § 6-16-2003. The law states:
“Each school shall treat harassment or discrimination that is motivated by or includes antisemitic intent by a student or school employee or is a result of school policies or programs on the school campus in the same manner as any other form of discrimination prohibited by state or federal law.”

Arkansas Code § 6-16-2003 requires that School districts and charter schools:
Adopt policies that comply with Arkansas Code § 6-16-2003(b)
Report Title VI incidents and complaints of discrimination or harassment - including antisemitic discrimination and harassment - to the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Title VI Coordinator. Please submit reports to here.

Title VI Coordinators
Arkansas Code § 6-10-111(d) requires each school district or charter school to report annually to the DESE Compliance Assistance Center regarding its civil rights responsibilities. Districts are also encouraged to designate at least one employee as the Title VI Coordinator to oversee compliance efforts. You can locate your district or charter school’s Title VI Coordinator here.

Enforcement and Technical Assistance
In Arkansas, the Compliance Assistance Center (CAC) provides technical assistance to school districts and charter schools to help them meet their Title VI responsibilities. However, enforcement of Title VI falls under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR). To file a complaint related to Title VI, please visit the OCR website.

For more information, please contact: