Published on: September 8, 2025
Hosts Kayleigh Baker, J.D., and Joe Vincent, M.L.S., sit down with Beth Gellman-Beer, J.D., former Regional Director at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Gellman-Beer offers a rare glimpse into how OCR transformed from a low-profile administrative office to a highly visible, politically charged agency after the 2011 Dear Colleague Letter.
Hear why recent high-profile OCR investigations involving schools like Harvard, Columbia, and George Mason may not be as unusual as they seem, and explore how modern political dynamics are shifting OCR’s focus from expanding rights to restricting them, leaving schools uncertain of their legal obligations and students bearing the consequences.
If you’re curious whether OCR can ever be more of a guide than an adversary, we’re more likely than not covering it in this week’s episode.
Relevant News:
Kluge v. Brownsburg Community School Corp.
Groff v. DeJoy (2023, U.S. Supreme Court)
Arana v. Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
Davis v. Monroe County Board of Education (1999, U.S. Supreme Court)
Stephen F. Austin State University Athletics Case
Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo (2024, U.S. Supreme Court)
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