A r c h i v e d   I n f o r m a t i o n

THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION Washington, D.C. 20202 January 6, 1999

Dear Colleague:

I am very pleased to join with the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) in issuing this Guide for schools on protecting students from harassment and hate crimes. The Guide is the product of a joint effort by NAAG and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Education. Similar to other guidelines that this Department has issued on issues such as religion in the schools, school safety, and school uniforms, it is designed to be a source of information and help to schools and school districts in dealing with fundamental problems and issues that they must confront.

Our schools owe students a safe environment that is conducive to learning and that affords all students an equal opportunity to achieve high educational standards. Harassment and hate crimes undermine these purposes and may cause serious harm to the development of students who are victimized by this behavior.

I hope that you find the information in the Guide useful.

Yours sincerely, Richard W. Riley

Our mission is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the Nation.

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[Letter from the National Association of Attorneys General]