The U.S. Department of Education moved key civil-rights investigation and enforcement responsibilities to the Justice Department and transferred parts of special-education oversight to the Department of Health and Human Services, adding to a wave of interagency agreements that critics say could dilute federal oversight. The changes were announced Tuesday as part of the administration’s effort to “dismantle” the Education Department. Under the new partnership, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights will use DOJ’s Civil Rights Division to evaluate, investigate, and resolve complaints related to discrimination at colleges and K-12 schools. Education will retain management and leadership of OCR, including policy guidance, technical assistance, and mediation functions, while DOJ will play a central role in case evaluation and enforcement. Advocates warned the structure could undermine protections for students with disabilities and narrow relief pathways. Former OCR staff and disability and civil-rights groups argued the DOJ and OCR have different mandates and enforcement approaches, potentially leaving students with less consistent access to answers and remedies. Separately, the Education Department also shifted responsibilities for parts of special education implementation—tied to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act—to HHS, continuing the administration’s broader effort to redistribute education functions across federal agencies.