al.com

Alabama parents are leading a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education over recent cuts to the Office for Civil Rights, which investigates alleged abuses in local schools. The lawsuit, filed March 14, claims school civil rights investigations have been “stymied” and “sabotaged” by the federal government since President Trump took office on Jan. 20. Alabama parents are among several families who claim that federal investigations into retaliation, sexual assault and discrimination against English learners and students with disabilities have halted entirely in recent months. One of the lead plaintiffs is Nikki Carter, a Demopolis mother of three and special education advocate who was banned from local schools in 2022. Victoria DeLano, a former OCR investigator based in Alabama, told AL.com she is also a witness in the case. “We’re at a drastic turning point that is likely going to set us back 50-plus years in civil rights protections when it comes to access to education,” DeLano told AL.com Friday.