NAICU Washington Update

Senate Confirms New Chief at Office for Civil Rights

June 29, 2018

In a 50-46 vote, the Senate confirmed Kenneth Marcus as the new Assistant Secretary of the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the Department of Education. Marcus, who held the same position during the George W. Bush Administration, will replace Candice Jackson as the head of the office.

Prior to his confirmation, Marcus was the president and general counsel of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, a nonprofit organization that works to combat anti-Semitism on college campuses. In that role, he was a frequent critic of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement occurring on many college campuses. Specifically, Marcus alleged that the movement, which seeks to persuade educational institutions to cut financial ties with Israel as a form of protest against the country’s treatment of Palestine, is anti-Semitic.

Jackson, who has been serving as acting chief since the early days of the Trump Administration, will remain at OCR as deputy assistant secretary.
 

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