BALTIMORE, Md. (Legal Newsline) – Three national nonprofit organizations allege that new changes to a federal agency's case manual regarding investigation of discrimination complaints are unlawful.
The National Federation of the Blind, the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates Inc. and National Association of Colored People Inc. filed a complaint on May 31 in the U.S. District Court District of Maryland against U.S. Department of Education (DOE), Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Candice Jackson over alleged violation of the federal Administrative Procedure Act.
According to the complaint, the DOE amended the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights Case Processing Manual in March, which included new provisions to require mandatory dismissal of certain complaints and the elimination of the appeal rights of complainants.
The plaintiffs allege that that these amendments are in violation of the law and seek to enjoin the defendants from enforcing them.
The plaintiffs seek judgment preliminary and permanent injunction, award reasonable fees, costs, expenses and such other and further relief that the court may deem just and proper. They are represented by Eve L. Hill and Brooke E. Lierman of Brown Goldstein & Levy LLP in Baltimore, Maryland.
U.S. District Court District of Maryland case number 1:18-cv-01568-TDC