Jul 03, 2016 02:22 AM EDT By Vinay Patel, UniversityHerald Reporter

The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) gave the green light to a resolution agreement with the Hampton, Virginia, City Schools after discovering the division in contravention of the civil rights laws imposed by OCR that restrict retaliation for standing up against discriminatory practices or for engaging in OCR's complaint resolution process.

In a shocking revelation, OCR found the division reciprocated against a parent for defending her daughter who is an elementary school student listed with and receiving special education services from a division school, U.S. Department of Education reported.

The retaliation happened when the division terminated the job of the parent in the division. A couple of civil rights laws are in place to defend parents from such discriminatory practices:

• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

Citing OCR's recent notice that stated failure to find a solution for the violation would result in an enforcement action, the division decided to enter into a resolution agreement, Foreign Affairs reported.

Under the agreement, the division clinched the deal to take apt actions to countermeasure the violations, including the following:

• Alter the division's policies to restrict retaliation against people who have participated in activities protected by federal law and determine the method for filing a complaint citing retaliation.
• Publicize a memorandum to all division administrators that gives information on illegal retaliation.
• Post a notice that clearly states that the division doesn't permit retaliation against those who have participated in activities that are protected by federal law.
• Train administrators on retaliation.
• Appropriately compensate the Complainant for the costs she incurred following the division's retaliation during 2014-2015 and 2015-16 school years.

OCR's aim is to facilitate equal access to education and to support educational excellence throughout the United States through effective application of civil rights.

OCR is responsible for instigating federal civil rights laws that keeps lid on discrimination by educational institutions on the basis of age, sex, national origin, color, race and the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act of 2001.

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