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Bill would require Title VI coordinators at colleges and K–12 systems to clarify reporting and response to discrimination and bias
Summary
House Bill 86 would require every Maryland college and each local school system to designate a Title VI coordinator to receive and manage complaints of race, color and national‑origin discrimination under federal law.
Delegate Vogel introduced House Bill 86 requiring each institution of higher education and each local school system to designate a Title VI coordinator responsible for handling complaints and ensuring compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (race, color, national origin discrimination) for programs that receive federal funds.
Meredith Bridal and Luda Saharov of the Anti‑Defamation League described national and state‑level increases in antisemitic incidents and said students often do not know where to report bias or discrimination. ADL cited national survey data showing 83% of Jewish college students reported witnessing or experiencing antisemitism since October 2023 and reported a sharp increase in K–12 incidents in Maryland. Student witnesses from the University of Maryland described intimidation, vandalism, and incidents they said were downplayed or routed to mental‑health referrals rather than civil‑rights investigations. “When antisemitism ensues on our campus, many students do not know where to turn,” one student witness testified.
Free State Justice and Jewish On Campus supported the bill, saying Title VI coordinators would improve access and accountability for students from multiple communities, including LGBTQ+ students and students of color. Testimony from a student organizer called for clear, accessible contact points and timely investigations.
One witness, Herschel Bernstein of Jewish Voice for Peace at the University of Maryland, urged amendments to prevent misuse of Title VI to suppress protected political speech and warned of potential weaponization; he said the bill’s intent to protect civil rights was “unequivocally” supported but requested added guardrails. Several university administrators from the University System of Maryland and individual campuses also filed unfavorable testimony (noted elsewhere in the hearing record) and the sponsor amended language to make coordinators institutional rather than governing‑board level and emphasized the coordinator could be an existing staff role; the fiscal note indicated no new state cost.
No committee vote was recorded in the hearing transcript provided.
