A report cited by Sen. Bernie Sanders says the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights resolved agreements in only 1% of pending cases in 2025—the lowest rate in more than a decade. The report also alleges OCR made no resolution agreements for major categories involving sexual harassment or sexual violence, racial harassment, or discipline issues. The findings highlight how OCR’s reduced activity has affected the practical enforcement mechanism used by institutions to update policies and practices to remediate discrimination risks. Resolution agreements typically require actions such as climate surveys, staffing changes, or training. Sanders tied the decline to mass layoffs and the department’s restructuring, arguing that students facing discrimination had “no recourse.” The report also states that OCR referred some expedited cases to the Department of Justice tied to restricting transgender students’ access. For colleges and K-12 districts, the report indicates a compliance and oversight challenge: when administrative enforcement capacity drops, both investigation timelines and deterrence dynamics shift, affecting how institutions prioritize civil-rights remediation and documentation.