Hawaii State Department of Education
Civil Rights
Students and
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Public
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Civil Rights
The Civil Rights Compliance Office (CRCO) has been part of the Hawaii State Department of Education since 1968. The office was first known as the Management Analysis Branch, responsible for management analysis of the school system. CRCO’s responsibilities increased after the passage of Title IX in 1972, to include promoting the inclusion of women in the workforce and ensuring equal educational opportunities and non-discrimination based on sex. CRCO’s responsibilities were further expanded in the mid 1970s to encompass other civil rights laws such as Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. With its new responsibilities, the CRCO was renamed the Management, Audit, and Compliance Branch (MAC Branch). As the office increased its focus on compliance with civil rights law, the CRCO adopted its current name in the mid-1990’s to better reflect the duties and responsibilities of the office.
The mission of the CRCO is to address discrimination in the department, and to promote equal opportunity in educational programs and activities for students and equal opportunity in employment for applicants and employees. The CRCO is responsible for the overall DOE compliance with State and Federal non-discrimination laws. The CRCO conducts internal administrative investigations of alleged violations, and when feasible, provides training on general civil rights issues. We believe that every child should learn in an environment free from discrimination, and every employee should thrive in a workplace that embraces diversity, excellence, and respect.
In addition to its civil rights compliance responsibilities, the CRCO coordinates rule-making activities for the Board of Education pursuant to Chapter 91 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes.
The CRCO also coordinates DOE litigation with the Department of the Attorney General.
Students, applicants, employees, parents, legal guardians, and members of the community may file a complaint with the CRCO if they believe that they have been discriminated against because of a protected class, such as but not limited to sex, race, disability, and national origin. Please review the information on this webpage for further information about protected classes. Once the CRCO receives a complaint, it will review the complaint to see whether the issues are jurisdictional, and if so, will promptly initiate an internal investigation of the alleged violation(s). If the issues are not of a civil rights matter, the complaint will be referred to an appropriate administrator for his or her review and action, if any is required.
We hope that you find the information on this webpage helpful. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 808.586.3322 or via relay.
Mahalo!
Susan H. Kitsu
Director
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© Hawaii State Department of Education, P.O. Box 2360, Honolulu, HI 96804; Physical address: 1390 Miller St, Honolulu, HI 96813; phone: 808-586-3230; fax: 808-586-3234. All rights reserved. For problems/questions concerning this web site, please email the webmaster. Links to other web sites should not be considered an endorsement. DOE is not responsible for the content of external web sites.