The Senate confirmed Kimberly Richey as assistant secretary for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Education in a narrow 51–47 vote. Richey, who served in OCR roles in prior Republican administrations, will oversee investigations under Title VI, Title IX and Section 504 at a moment when OCR is operating with a reduced workforce and a substantial backlog: the office faces more than 12,000 open investigations and over 25,000 complaints. Senators highlighted the operational challenges ahead: OCR had been operating at a diminished capacity and was in the process of restoring staff after earlier reductions. Richey told senators she would advocate for adequate resources to manage caseloads. Education stakeholders expect Richey's tenure to shape enforcement priorities on issues ranging from campus speech to discrimination enforcement practices. For campus compliance officers and general counsels, Richey’s confirmation signals heightened scrutiny and the need to review institutional policies, complaint processes and resource allocations to respond to OCR’s enforcement cadence.