NYC Department of Education: Its Share of Federal Education Civil Rights Lawsuits
Original analysis of 8,707 records from the Federal Judicial Center, FY2014–FY2025 (federal fiscal years, Oct. 1–Sept. 30). Published October 23, 2026.
We counted 5,075 federal education civil rights cases (nature of suit 448) commenced in fiscal 2020–2025 and identified those whose first-named defendant is New York City's school system.
What the federal court records show
In fiscal years 2020 through 2025, 1,341 of the 5,075 education civil rights cases commenced in U.S. district courts, or 26.4%, named the New York City Department of Education, its schools chancellor or the City of New York as first defendant. The category covers suits under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Title IX. In fiscal 2025 the share was 26.4%.
- 26%U.S. education cases naming NYC schools, FY2020–25
- 1.34KNYC school cases, FY2020–2025
- 3.7×NYC school cases vs. all of Pennsylvania, FY2020–25
About one in four
Of 5,075 education civil rights cases commenced nationwide in fiscal 2020–2025, 1,341 named New York City's school system first. All other school systems, colleges and defendants in the country account for the remaining 3,734.
More than any other state
The NYC school cases outnumber all education civil rights cases filed in the federal courts of Pennsylvania, the state with the most such cases outside New York, by a factor of 3.7× (1,341 against 361). The comparison does not adjust for the number of students.
A rising share
In fiscal 2014 the city's school system accounted for 3.1% of these cases. The share passed one fifth in fiscal 2020 and reached 33.0% in fiscal 2024, before falling to 26.4% in fiscal 2025.
Concentrated in Manhattan's federal court
The Southern District of New York received 1,408 education civil rights cases in fiscal 2020–2025, 27.7% of the national total, and 91% of them named the city's school system first.
Not driven by reopened cases
Counting only new suits and cases removed from state court, and leaving out reopened, remanded and transferred cases, the share is 27.2% (1,295 of 4,761).
Quote this finding
In fiscal years 2020 through 2025, 1,341 of the 5,075 education civil rights cases commenced in U.S. district courts, or 26.4%, named the New York City Department of Education, its schools chancellor or the City of New York as first defendant. Source: Settlement Insight, NYC DOE share of federal education suits
What Share of Federal Education Lawsuits Name the NYC Department of Education
Each bar shows the share of all education civil rights cases commenced in U.S. district courts that named New York City's school system as first defendant.
The share rose from 3.1% in fiscal 2014 to 26.4% in fiscal 2025, when 260 of 985 cases named the city's schools first.
The national count of education civil rights cases grew from 453 in fiscal 2014 to 985 in fiscal 2025. Cases naming New York City's school system grew faster: from 14 to 260. In fiscal 2024, 308 of 932 cases named the city's schools first, the highest share in the series.
The court records do not show why the number rose. Because filers pick the nature-of-suit code themselves, some suits against the Department of Education may be coded as other civil rights cases, so the yearly counts track code 448 cases only.
Share of U.S. education civil rights cases naming NYC schools first, by fiscal year
- 20143.1%14 of 453 cases
- 201511.8%62 of 527 cases
- 20162.6%14 of 545 cases
- 20176.6%40 of 605 cases
- 201813.3%99 of 744 cases
- 201912.4%94 of 758 cases
- 202023.1%183 of 793 cases
- 202121.3%177 of 832 cases
- 202227.8%219 of 787 cases
- 202326.0%194 of 746 cases
- 202433.0%308 of 932 cases
- 202526.4%260 of 985 cases
Federal fiscal years run October through September; fiscal 2025 ended September 30, 2025. Fiscal 2026 is incomplete in the data and not shown.
Which States Have the Most Federal Education Civil Rights Lawsuits
The ranking shows education civil rights cases by the state of the federal court, with New York City's school system shown as its own line.
New York City's school system alone accounts for 1,341 cases in fiscal 2020–2025. Pennsylvania follows with 361, and the rest of New York with 258.
Counts are not adjusted for population or school enrollment. The line for New York excludes the cases counted for New York City's school system, so no case appears twice.
Education civil rights cases by state, fiscal 2020–2025
| Jurisdiction | Cases | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|
| NYC Department of Education (all courts) | 1,341 | 26.42% |
| Pennsylvania | 361 | 7.11% |
| California | 320 | 6.31% |
| Texas | 265 | 5.22% |
| New York, excluding NYC DOE cases | 258 | 5.08% |
| New Jersey | 226 | 4.45% |
| District of Columbia | 134 | 2.64% |
| Illinois | 118 | 2.33% |
| Ohio | 114 | 2.25% |
| Michigan | 113 | 2.23% |
| Georgia | 112 | 2.21% |
| Tennessee | 103 | 2.03% |
All states and territories
| Jurisdiction | Cases | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 102 | 2.01% |
| Virginia | 93 | 1.83% |
| Washington | 90 | 1.77% |
| North Carolina | 83 | 1.64% |
| Massachusetts | 77 | 1.52% |
| Maryland | 71 | 1.40% |
| Oklahoma | 61 | 1.20% |
| Colorado | 60 | 1.18% |
| Indiana | 60 | 1.18% |
| Arkansas | 54 | 1.06% |
| Alabama | 52 | 1.02% |
| Puerto Rico | 51 | 1.00% |
| Kentucky | 50 | 0.99% |
| Missouri | 49 | 0.97% |
| Connecticut | 47 | 0.93% |
| New Mexico | 46 | 0.91% |
| South Carolina | 46 | 0.91% |
| Rhode Island | 38 | 0.75% |
| Wisconsin | 37 | 0.73% |
| Louisiana | 35 | 0.69% |
| Oregon | 35 | 0.69% |
| Minnesota | 32 | 0.63% |
| Iowa | 30 | 0.59% |
| Mississippi | 30 | 0.59% |
| Arizona | 29 | 0.57% |
| Hawaii | 26 | 0.51% |
| Utah | 26 | 0.51% |
| Kansas | 25 | 0.49% |
| Maine | 23 | 0.45% |
| Nevada | 23 | 0.45% |
| Delaware | 19 | 0.37% |
| Montana | 15 | 0.30% |
| New Hampshire | 15 | 0.30% |
| West Virginia | 14 | 0.28% |
| Idaho | 13 | 0.26% |
| Nebraska | 11 | 0.22% |
| South Dakota | 10 | 0.20% |
| Wyoming | 10 | 0.20% |
| North Dakota | 8 | 0.16% |
| Vermont | 7 | 0.14% |
| Alaska | 4 | 0.08% |
| Guam | 2 | 0.04% |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 1 | 0.02% |
Which Federal Courts Handle the Most Education Lawsuits
The ranking lists the federal district courts by education civil rights cases commenced in fiscal 2020–2025.
The Southern District of New York handled 1,408 cases, 27.7% of the national total; 91% of them named the city's school system first.
The Southern District of New York sits in Manhattan and also covers the Bronx and several counties north of the city. Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island belong to the Eastern District of New York, where fewer of these cases were filed.
Education civil rights cases by federal district court, fiscal 2020–2025
| District court | Cases | NYC schools | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Southern | 1,408 | 1,277 | 27.74% |
| New Jersey | 226 | 0 | 4.45% |
| Pennsylvania Eastern | 226 | 0 | 4.45% |
| California Central | 160 | 0 | 3.15% |
| New York Eastern | 135 | 64 | 2.66% |
| District of Columbia | 134 | 0 | 2.64% |
| Georgia Northern | 92 | 0 | 1.81% |
| Illinois Northern | 86 | 0 | 1.69% |
| Texas Southern | 86 | 0 | 1.69% |
| California Northern | 79 | 0 | 1.56% |
All district courts
| District court | Cases | NYC schools | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Western | 79 | 0 | 1.56% |
| Massachusetts | 77 | 0 | 1.52% |
| Texas Western | 76 | 0 | 1.50% |
| Pennsylvania Middle | 72 | 0 | 1.42% |
| Maryland | 71 | 0 | 1.40% |
| Michigan Eastern | 69 | 0 | 1.36% |
| Pennsylvania Western | 63 | 0 | 1.24% |
| Colorado | 60 | 0 | 1.18% |
| Florida Middle | 59 | 0 | 1.16% |
| Ohio Northern | 59 | 0 | 1.16% |
| Tennessee Middle | 59 | 0 | 1.16% |
| Texas Northern | 57 | 0 | 1.12% |
| Ohio Southern | 55 | 0 | 1.08% |
| Virginia Eastern | 54 | 0 | 1.06% |
| Puerto Rico | 51 | 0 | 1.00% |
| Connecticut | 47 | 0 | 0.93% |
| New Mexico | 46 | 0 | 0.91% |
| South Carolina | 46 | 0 | 0.91% |
| Texas Eastern | 46 | 0 | 0.91% |
| Michigan Western | 44 | 0 | 0.87% |
| Arkansas Eastern | 42 | 0 | 0.83% |
| California Southern | 42 | 0 | 0.83% |
| California Eastern | 39 | 0 | 0.77% |
| Virginia Western | 39 | 0 | 0.77% |
| Rhode Island | 38 | 0 | 0.75% |
| New York Northern | 35 | 0 | 0.69% |
| North Carolina Eastern | 35 | 0 | 0.69% |
| Oregon | 35 | 0 | 0.69% |
| Indiana Southern | 34 | 0 | 0.67% |
| Kentucky Eastern | 34 | 0 | 0.67% |
| Minnesota | 32 | 0 | 0.63% |
| Arizona | 29 | 0 | 0.57% |
| Tennessee Eastern | 29 | 0 | 0.57% |
| Alabama Middle | 28 | 0 | 0.55% |
| Florida Southern | 28 | 0 | 0.55% |
| North Carolina Western | 28 | 0 | 0.55% |
| Oklahoma Western | 28 | 0 | 0.55% |
| Hawaii | 26 | 0 | 0.51% |
| Indiana Northern | 26 | 0 | 0.51% |
| Missouri Western | 26 | 0 | 0.51% |
| Utah | 26 | 0 | 0.51% |
| Iowa Southern | 25 | 0 | 0.49% |
| Kansas | 25 | 0 | 0.49% |
| Wisconsin Eastern | 25 | 0 | 0.49% |
| Illinois Central | 24 | 0 | 0.47% |
| Mississippi Southern | 24 | 0 | 0.47% |
| Maine | 23 | 0 | 0.45% |
| Missouri Eastern | 23 | 0 | 0.45% |
| Nevada | 23 | 0 | 0.45% |
| New York Western | 21 | 0 | 0.41% |
| North Carolina Middle | 20 | 0 | 0.39% |
| Delaware | 19 | 0 | 0.37% |
| Oklahoma Northern | 18 | 0 | 0.35% |
| Alabama Northern | 17 | 0 | 0.33% |
| Kentucky Western | 16 | 0 | 0.32% |
| Florida Northern | 15 | 0 | 0.30% |
| Montana | 15 | 0 | 0.30% |
| New Hampshire | 15 | 0 | 0.30% |
| Oklahoma Eastern | 15 | 0 | 0.30% |
| Tennessee Western | 15 | 0 | 0.30% |
| Idaho | 13 | 0 | 0.26% |
| Louisiana Middle | 13 | 0 | 0.26% |
| Arkansas Western | 12 | 0 | 0.24% |
| Georgia Middle | 12 | 0 | 0.24% |
| Louisiana Eastern | 12 | 0 | 0.24% |
| Wisconsin Western | 12 | 0 | 0.24% |
| Nebraska | 11 | 0 | 0.22% |
| Washington Eastern | 11 | 0 | 0.22% |
| Louisiana Western | 10 | 0 | 0.20% |
| South Dakota | 10 | 0 | 0.20% |
| West Virginia Southern | 10 | 0 | 0.20% |
| Wyoming | 10 | 0 | 0.20% |
| Georgia Southern | 8 | 0 | 0.16% |
| Illinois Southern | 8 | 0 | 0.16% |
| North Dakota | 8 | 0 | 0.16% |
| Alabama Southern | 7 | 0 | 0.14% |
| Vermont | 7 | 0 | 0.14% |
| Mississippi Northern | 6 | 0 | 0.12% |
| Iowa Northern | 5 | 0 | 0.10% |
| Alaska | 4 | 0 | 0.08% |
| West Virginia Northern | 4 | 0 | 0.08% |
| Guam | 2 | 0 | 0.04% |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 1 | 0 | 0.02% |
How We Identified Lawsuits Against the NYC Department of Education
The court records hold only the first-named defendant, so we grouped cases by that name.
1,145 cases named the Department of Education, Board of Education or City School District first, 150 named the schools chancellor and 46 named the City of New York.
Suits against a city school system often list the chancellor or the city itself before the department. We counted a chancellor only in the two New York City federal districts and only for cases filed during that chancellor's term. Bare names such as "Department of Education" or "Board of Education" were not counted. Because the court records cut names at 30 characters, some counted names, such as a truncated "New York City Departmen…", and cases naming the City of New York first cannot be checked against the full defendant list.
Education civil rights cases by first-named defendant, fiscal 2020–2025
| Named first | Cases | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|
| All other defendants | 3,734 | 73.6% |
| NYC Department of Education / Board of Education / City School District (named first) | 1,145 | 22.6% |
| NYC schools chancellor (named first, S.D.N.Y. or E.D.N.Y., during tenure) | 150 | 3.0% |
| City of New York (named first) | 46 | 0.9% |
Download the Data and Cite This Study
Every table as a CSV file and in one Excel workbook, a short PDF summary and every chart as an image, free to reuse with attribution (CC BY 4.0).
- Federal education civil rights cases by U.S. district court, FY2020-FY2025NOS 448 cases commenced FY2020-FY2025 in each U.S. district court and the number naming the NYC Department of Education, its chancellor or the City of New York first. · 93 rows · CSV, 3 KB
- Federal education civil rights cases by state, FY2020-FY2025NOS 448 cases commenced FY2020-FY2025 by state of the federal district court, with NYC Department of Education cases shown as a separate line and removed from New York's total. · 55 rows · CSV, 1 KB
- How NYC school cases were identified, FY2020-FY2025NOS 448 cases commenced FY2020-FY2025 by type of first-named defendant used to identify NYC Department of Education cases. · 4 rows · CSV, 1 KB
- NYC Department of Education share of federal education civil rights cases, by fiscal yearCivil rights - Education (NOS 448) cases commenced in U.S. district courts per federal fiscal year FY2014-FY2025, and how many name the NYC Department of Education, its chancellor or the City of New York as first defendant. · 12 rows · CSV, 1 KB
- All tables in one Excel workbookOne sheet per table plus an About sheet with sources, method and citation · Excel (.xlsx), 16 KB
- Summary to print or forward (3 pages)Short answer, key figures, main chart, findings, method and citation · PDF, 216 KB
Charts for your story
Share of U.S. education civil rights cases naming NYC schools first, by fiscal year
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Education civil rights cases by state, fiscal 2020–2025
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Education civil rights cases by federal district court, fiscal 2020–2025
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Education civil rights cases by first-named defendant, fiscal 2020–2025
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How to cite
Goldberg, L. (2026). NYC Department of Education in federal court — share of U.S. education civil rights cases (NOS 448), FY2014–FY2025 [Data set]. Settlement Insight. https://settlementinsight.com/research/nyc-department-of-education-federal-lawsuits-share
BibTeX
@dataset{goldberg_2026_nyc_department_of_education_federal_lawsuits_share,
author = {Goldberg, Leonard},
title = {NYC Department of Education in federal court --- share of U.S. education civil rights cases (NOS 448), FY2014--FY2025},
year = {2026},
publisher = {Settlement Insight},
url = {https://settlementinsight.com/research/nyc-department-of-education-federal-lawsuits-share}
}How We Measured
Checked against published figures
- Civil rights - Education cases (NOS 448) commenced in U.S. district courts, FY2025 (12 months ending Sept. 30, 2025): published 985, our count 985 (exact match).Table C-2. U.S. District Courts - Civil Cases Commenced, by Basis of Jurisdiction and Nature of Suit, During the 12-Month Periods Ending September 30, 2024 and 2025
- Civil rights - Education cases (NOS 448) commenced in U.S. district courts, FY2024 (12 months ending Sept. 30, 2024): published 932, our count 932 (exact match).Table C-2. U.S. District Courts - Civil Cases Commenced, by Basis of Jurisdiction and Nature of Suit, During the 12-Month Periods Ending September 30, 2024 and 2025
Full method and limits of the data
We assigned cases to fiscal years by filing date and counted every record, including reopened, remanded and transferred cases, because that is how the judiciary counts cases commenced. Our counts match the judiciary's Table C-2 exactly for fiscal 2025 (985) and fiscal 2024 (932).
A case counts as a New York City school case when the first-named defendant field (compared case-insensitively, after collapsing runs of spaces to one and dropping a leading "The ") begins with "New York City Dep", "NYC Dep", "N.Y.C. Dep", "New York City Board of", "NYC Board of", "New York City Public Sc", "City School District of the Ci" (a name cut off at 30 characters, counted as the City School District of the City of New York) or "City School District of New Yo", or begins with "City of New York"; these prefix rules apply in every federal district. It also counts when the field, after removing a trailing ", et al" and surrounding spaces, is exactly a chancellor's surname or "Chancellor David Banks" (one such case), the case was filed in the Southern or Eastern District of New York, and the filing date falls within that chancellor's term, with no grace period: Walcott to December 31, 2013; Fariña (spelled "Farina") January 1, 2014 to April 1, 2018; Carranza April 2, 2018 to March 14, 2021; Porter March 15 to December 31, 2021; Banks January 1, 2022 to October 15, 2024; Aviles-Ramos from October 16, 2024. A chancellor's name outside these dates is not counted. Ambiguous names are not counted: a bare "Department of Education" or "Board of Education" (with or without "of the"), "Department of Education-New Yo", "New York Department of Education", "New York Board of Education", "New York, et al", a name cut off before the city is identifiable (such as "City School District of Th"), the mayor, blank, sealed or unknown defendants. Duplicate-looking records (same court, docket and filing date) are kept, as in the judiciary's counts. Fiscal years run October through September by filing date. Shares divide those cases by all 5,075 education civil rights cases nationwide filed October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2025 (fiscal 2020–2025), or by all cases in the fiscal year for yearly shares; the highest yearly share is taken over fiscal 2014–2025.
What this data cannot tell you
- The nature-of-suit code is picked by the filer on the civil cover sheet. Some suits under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or Title IX are coded as other civil rights cases, and some suits against the Department of Education under code 448 may concern other claims. The figures measure code 448 cases, not every education dispute in federal court.
- The IDB holds only the first-named defendant, cut at 30 characters. Cases that list the city's school system second, or under an ambiguous name, are not counted, so the count likely misses some of the city's cases. Cases counted through the City of New York or a chancellor's surname may in a few instances concern other matters.
- The data do not show which statute a case was brought under, whether it seeks tuition reimbursement, services or attorney's fees, or how much was paid. Counts are not adjusted for the number of students in each state or school system.
- One record is one case commenced in a district court. A reopened case counts again in the year it is reopened, as in the judiciary's own tables; counting new suits and removals only gives a share of 27.2%.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many federal lawsuits are filed against the NYC Department of Education?
In fiscal 2020–2025, 1,341 education civil rights cases in federal court named the NYC Department of Education, its chancellor or the City of New York as first defendant. In fiscal 2025 alone there were 260.
What share of education civil rights lawsuits in the U.S. are against NYC schools?
About one in four. Of 5,075 such cases commenced nationwide in fiscal 2020–2025, 26.4% named New York City's school system first.
What counts as a federal education civil rights case?
The federal courts use nature-of-suit code 448, Education, for actions under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Title IX. In fiscal 2025, 985 such cases were commenced in U.S. district courts.
Where are lawsuits against the NYC Department of Education filed?
Mostly in the Southern District of New York. That court received 1,408 education civil rights cases in fiscal 2020–2025, and 91% of them named the city's school system first.
Which state has the most federal education lawsuits?
Outside New York, Pennsylvania had the most education civil rights cases in fiscal 2020–2025, with 361. New York City's school system alone had 3.7× as many.
Are federal special education lawsuits against NYC increasing?
The number of education civil rights cases naming the city's school system first rose from 14 in fiscal 2014 to 260 in fiscal 2025. The court records do not show why the number rose.
Sources
- Integrated Database (IDB): Civil cases — Federal Judicial Center
- Table C-2. U.S. District Courts – Civil Cases Commenced, by Basis of Jurisdiction and Nature of Suit, During the 12-Month Periods Ending September 30, 2024 and 2025 — Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
- Civil Nature of Suit Code Descriptions — Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
Independent analysis. Settlement Insight is not a law firm and not affiliated with any agency named here. Analysis by Leonard Goldberg, Editor. How we work: methodology, our data.
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