OCR's Lousy Valentine

Why Blind Compliance Isn't the Answer

The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) really sends lousy Valentine’s Day gifts. On Friday, February 14, 2025 the latest "Dear Colleague" letter hit our inboxes. Framed as a clarification of existing law in light of the SFFA v. Harvard, decision, the letter attempts to extend the Supreme Court's ruling against affirmative action in admissions to virtually every corner of campus life.

I'm not here to re-litigate SFFA – nor, frankly, am I qualified to do so definitively – but I am here to argue against automatically bending the knee to the OCR's interpretation. This interpretation, in my view, is clearly intended to dismantle decades of progress toward equity and inclusion, and it may be fundamentally at odds with your institution's core mission.

Photo by Andy Feliciotti on Unsplash