DOJ Investigating Douglas County School District’s Response to Discrimination

Investigators from the U.S. Department of Justice will be in Colorado next week conducting interviews as they probe the Douglas County School District’s response to discrimination, harassment and bullying of students based on their race, national origin, religion or disability.

The investigation by the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, which has been quietly underway for at least a year, is in direct response to a 2023 federal lawsuit filed by the families of four Douglas County students of color who alleged the school district and its leaders violated the children’s rights to an equal education by exhibiting “callous indifference” toward extensive racist bullying at school, their attorney, Iris Halpern, told The Denver Post.

Representatives of the Douglas County School District and the Justice Department have not responded to messages left Thursday seeking comment.

Lacey Ganzy, the mother of two of the students in the lawsuit, said she has been interviewed by the DOJ as part of their investigation a few times over the past year. Now, she said, the Civil Rights Division is opening up its investigation and seeking further input from parents, students and the community.

“We are excited for some accountability,” Ganzy said. “I feel like the district is starting to get scared.”

In an email Ganzy received from the DOJ this week, the agency said investigators will be in Douglas County next week and can meet in person Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, or via Zoom or phone call. People who would like to share their experience can reach the DOJ by emailing [email protected] or calling 888-394-6317, the email states.

Read the article in its entirety at https://www.denverpost.com/2025/01/10/douglas-county-school-district-doj-civil-rights-investigation/?share=giuygtigvdv5aianenit