Filing a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR)

When bullying is discriminatory harassment — based on race, color, national origin, sex, or disability — you can file a complaint with OCR. Anyone may file; you don't have to be the person who was harmed.

Before you file

• Have your dated record ready: dates, places, what was said and done, and who you told.
• Note the protected characteristic and what ties the conduct to it.
• You can file even while the school's own process is still going.

How to file

1. 1

   Gather the facts

   Your contact info; the school's name, city, and state; and a description of what happened, when it happened, and the basis (the protected characteristic).

2. 2

   Submit it

   File online through the OCR complaint portal, or email a signed complaint to ocr@ed.gov.

3. 3

   OCR evaluates it

   OCR decides whether to open an investigation and may seek a resolution with the school.

A well-formed StopBullyingPro record — dated, factual, location-specific, with the basis flagged — is exactly the kind of description OCR asks for.