New College of Florida President Corcoran downplays federal civil rights investigation
New College of Florida Interim President Richard Corcoran publicly addressed the federal civil rights investigation into the college for the first time at a political forum in Tampa on Friday.
At a Tampa Tiger Bay Club lunch, Corcoran brushed off the U.S. Department of Education's disability civil rights investigation into the college, saying the issues outlined in the federal complaint predate the college's new leadership. Two discrimination complaints were filed to the DOE last month, with the department sending Corcoran a letter last week informing him of an investigation from one of them for alleged disability discrimination regarding the school's website, according to an agency spokesperson.
Corcoran downplayed the investigation, calling it a "quote-unquote investigation, not an investigation," despite the DOE's letter to Corcoran saying it was "opening this disability discrimination allegation for investigation."
A separate complaint filed to the DOE two days earlier outlined an alleged ongoing trend of discrimination against "protected groups" such as LGBTQ+ students, and the creation of a hostile environment toward those students. The agency has not responded to inquiries about whether it is investigating that complaint, and Corcoran did not mention it.
https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/education/2023/09/15/new-college-of-florida-interim-president-richard-corcoran-dismisses-doe-civil-rights-investigation/70853618007/