Staff shortage stops federal government from pursuing civil rights investigation in El Paso schools

The U.S. Department of Education says it will not pursue potential civil rights violations related to cheating in the El Paso (Texas) Independent School District because of a lack of resources. The El Paso Times reports that the department's Office of Civil Rights has received nearly 10,000 complaints, but staffing levels are at their lowest level since the department was created. Investigations have determined that former Superintendent Lorenzo García and other officials tried to boost district test scores by preventing some students, primarily Mexican immigrants, from taking 10th-grade standardized tests.