NJ Attorney General, Civil Rights Director urge schools to address bias, ensure safe learning environments
TRENTON, N.J. — Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and Yolanda N. Melville, director of the Division on Civil Rights (DCR), on Monday issued a joint statement reminding K-12 schools, colleges and universities across New Jersey of their responsibility to prevent and address bias-based harassment as students return for the new school year.
“As a new school year begins, we remind students, educators, administrators, and parents of the importance of ensuring that all our students are able to learn in a safe educational environment free from discrimination and bias-based harassment,” Platkin and Melville said. “As the number of bias incidents reported in our schools and on college and university campuses has continued to increase in recent years, our educational institutions must play a critical role in addressing and preventing bias-based harassment in our K-12 schools and on our college and university campuses. To that end, we are committed to ensuring that all of our state’s educational institutions comply with their obligations under our state’s civil rights laws.”
The officials emphasized that the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) protects students from harassment or discrimination based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and other protected characteristics. Schools must act when harassment is severe or pervasive enough to create a hostile environment, they said.
They added that other state and federal laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972, and New Jersey’s Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act, also require schools to respond promptly to bias-based incidents.
“To be clear, nothing in the LAD should be construed as prohibiting educators from continuing to facilitate age-appropriate conversations that are rooted in accurate information. And nothing in the LAD limits the rights granted to students by the First Amendment,” Platkin and Melville said. “Even so, the First Amendment does not relieve schools of their obligation to respond to bias-based harassment that creates a hostile educational environment. Schools therefore should take appropriate steps to prevent, address, and remedy bias-based harassment, including by denouncing bias-based speech and reaffirming their commitment to creating a safe learning environment for all students.”
The officials pointed to training resources for educators and ongoing initiatives like the “No Hate in the Garden State” campaign, launched in 2024, to raise awareness about bias crimes and encourage reporting.
They urged students, parents, educators and community members to report discrimination or bias-based harassment directly to DCR by visiting NJCivilRights.gov or calling 1-833-NJDCR4U.
