Nominee for Education civil‑rights office pledges to fight antisemitism as senators press over staffing cuts and backlog

Kimberly Ritchie, President Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR), told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on June 5 that she would prioritize investigations into antisemitism and other civil‑rights complaints if confirmed.

Ritchie said, "If I'm confirmed, the department will not stand idly by while Jewish students are attacked and discriminated against," and vowed OCR would "vigorously" enforce Title VI and related civil‑rights laws. She also told senators she is "always going to advocate for OCR to have the resources that it needs to do its job."

The hearing focused sharply on OCR staffing and capacity. Senators cited multiple changes at the department, including the closure of seven of OCR's 12 regional offices and the firing of nearly 300 OCR staff. Committee members said those moves left investigators with sharply increased caseloads; the transcript…