Case: DOJ and Concord-Carlisle, Massachusetts School District Investigation

This Department of Justice investigation resulted in voluntary settlement requiring the Concord-Carlisle School District to overhaul its policies and procedures for responding to antisemitic harassment and other harassment based on religion and national origin. 

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ, Civil Rights Division, Educational Opportunities Section) investigated the Concord-Carlisle School District under Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, following complaints alleging peer-on-peer harassment based on religion and national origin, including antisemitic harassment comprised of drawing swastikas and using "Jew" as a derogatory term. Title IV authorizes the Attorney General to investigate and seek relief against discrimination in public schools. The investigation sought prospective injunctive relief requiring the District to comply with its federal civil rights obligations. 

On April 14, 2026, the DOJ and the Concord-Carlisle School District entered into a voluntary settlement agreement. The District agreed to revise its anti-harassment policies, require employees to report suspected harassment, investigate complaints, designate a district-wide compliance officer, maintain a centralized complaint-tracking system, provide annual training to employees and students regarding antisemitic harassment, and maintain a public webpage addressing antisemitism. The District denied liability or wrongdoing. The agreement also required the District to submit semiannual compliance reports to the DOJ documenting harassment complaints, investigations, training, and corrective actions. The parties provided that, if the District timely complied with all obligations, the matter would terminate sixty days after the DOJ received the District’s July 31, 2027, compliance report unless the DOJ identified unresolved compliance concerns or requested additional monitoring.

As of June 2026, the investigation had concluded through the voluntary settlement agreement. The matter remained subject to DOJ monitoring pending the District’s compliance with the agreement's reporting and implementation requirements.