TRENTON, N.J. — Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights announced Thursday the creation of a new enforcement section dedicated to protecting students from discrimination in schools and other public accommodations.
The new Education and Public Accommodations Enforcement Section will expand the Division on Civil Rights’ ability to investigate alleged violations of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination involving K-12 schools, colleges, universities and other public settings.
State officials said the new section comes as the federal government has reduced its enforcement of student civil rights protections since January 2025, including the closure of the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights regional office that served New Jersey.
“As the Trump Administration continues to roll back landmark civil rights protections, students have paid the price for the federal government’s irresponsible abdication of its duty. But every student in New Jersey deserves the chance to learn free from discrimination and harassment,” Davenport said. “We created the Education and Public Accommodations Enforcement Section because we must step up our efforts to protect our kids from discrimination – even as the federal government does exactly the opposite.”
According to the Attorney General’s Office, the new section will investigate complaints involving bias-based harassment and bullying, disability accommodations, language-access barriers affecting English language learners, disparate school discipline and discrimination in places of public accommodation.
The section will be led by Deputy Director Michael Campion, Chief Legal Specialist Chiqueena Lee and Chief of Investigations Justin Hoffer.
The Division on Civil Rights also announced a partnership with the National Center for Youth Law to develop training programs aimed at strengthening the state’s ability to identify, investigate and remedy civil rights violations involving children and schools.
“Equal access to safe, inclusive, and equitable educational opportunities is a basic right,” said Yolanda N. Melville, director of the Division on Civil Rights. “At a time when federal protections are being eroded, our new Education and Public Accommodations Civil Rights Enforcement Section will equip DCR to safeguard the civil rights of New Jersey’s students.”
“We applaud New Jersey’s Office of the Attorney General for taking these important and groundbreaking actions,” said Johnathan Smith, managing director of Education and Federal Strategic Advocacy at the National Center for Youth Law. “DCR’s Education and Public Accommodations Enforcement Section is a prime example of what it looks like when states rise to the occasion to meet the needs of their students. We are honored to partner with DCR – alongside former Department of Justice and Education attorneys and staff – to build a comprehensive training program that strengthens New Jersey’s capacity to identify, investigate, and remedy civil rights violations in schools.”
Officials said the new section will focus on alleged violations of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination. Matters involving curriculum or Individualized Education Programs will continue to be handled by the New Jersey Department of Education.
The announcement also highlighted the division’s recent finding of probable cause against Ridgewood Public Schools in a case involving allegations that a teacher discriminated against and harassed a 4-year-old student with Down syndrome and sensory issues. State officials noted that a finding of probable cause is not a final adjudication but indicates sufficient evidence exists to support a reasonable suspicion that the Law Against Discrimination was violated. The case is now eligible for conciliation before further legal proceedings.
