Civil Rights Director Jobs in Ohio (NOW HIRING)

Position Type:
Administration and Professionals
Date Posted:
2026-04-09
Location:Administration or As Assigned
INTRODUCTION: CONTEXT AND MISSION
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) serves approximately 37,000 students in 100+ schools. Over the past several years, the Greater Cleveland community has united behind the collective goal of ensuring every child in Cleveland attends a high-quality school and every neighborhood has a multitude of great schools from which families can choose. The Cleveland Plan defines CMSD's approach to the reinvention of public education and holds our community accountable for the success of Cleveland's schoolchildren. The Cleveland Plan is supported by Ohio House Bill 525, which provides much-needed flexibility and autonomy for the district and its schools. Our schools have autonomy over human and financial resources in exchange for accountability for
performance. The principal has primary responsibility and accountability for establishing his or her school as a high-quality, high-expectations academic center with a focus on personalized instruction, professional support for teachers, and school-wide practices that lead to measurable results.
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District has developed standards of excellence that the district applies to all parts of the organization inclusive of schools, principals, school leadership teams, networks, and central office. Alignment between Standards of Excellence (SoE) and the district's Theory of Action helps ensure that principals are able to focus on scholar achievement and that central office supports are timely and effective.
Our Vision for Learning in a Post-Pandemic World:
In our pursuit of a more fair, just, and good system of education, we want each of our learners, both each of our scholars and each of their educators, to be individually and collectively presented with academically / intellectually complex tasks that are worthy of their productive struggle and allow them authentic opportunities to demonstrate their work and their learning of academic content and transferable skills in a joyful and adventurous environment.
THE OPPORTUNITY:
Location: Administration or As Assigned
Reports to: Chief Legal Counsel
FLSA Status: Exempt
Salary Band: 12
Compensation: $121,410.00 - $157,833.00
Under the direction of the Chief Legal Counsel, this attorney is directly responsible for conducting internal investigations, representing the District at administrative hearings and before administrative agencies, negotiating agreements, and attending labor arbitration hearings for the District with minimal supervision. The Office of Legal Services is designed to provide support and experience in collective bargaining, board policy development, discrimination claims, student discipline, special education, District-sponsored community schools, public records/sunshine laws and more. The professional duties of the Lawyer, Special Education, Civil Rights, Labor and Employment include researching and analyzing facts and law, discovery, settlement negotiations, presenting evidence and arguments, submitting administrative filings, and appellate processes. This attorney advises clients and litigates legal issues arising from disputes involving special education, civil rights, employment and personnel discipline matters, and other legal matters involving the District. This position will represent the District before various courts, administrative agencies, and arbitrators.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provides timely and professional legal advice to a variety of internal stakeholders regarding special education, civil rights, labor, and employment matters
• Represents the District through all phases of special education litigation, including administrative complaints and due process hearings before ODEW. This includes researching and analyzing facts and law, drafting responses, preparing witnesses, appearing at hearings, conducting settlement negotiations, presenting evidence, and appellate processes
• Represents the District through all phases of Civil Rights related administrative processes and litigation, including complaints before the USDOE, EEOC, OCRC, and ODEW and corresponding court matters
• Supports all facets of internal investigations related to civil rights matters, including Title IX investigations, discrimination investigations, and Section 504 complaints.
• Develops skills associated with, and eventually assume responsibilities of, the role of the District's Title IX Coordinator, Director of EEO, and/or 504 Coordinator
• Represents the District in matters involving labor, employment, and disciplinary actions, including labor arbitrations
• Occasionally represents the District in general civil litigation matters
• Provides legal and strategic counsel to District management relating to current and potential special education, civil rights, labor, and employment issues
• Proactively identifies potential problems relating to current or potential issues within scope of service and devise creative solutions that strike an effective balance between cost and return, including both short-term and long-term business and legal considerations
• Provides accurate and timely reporting to the District's Chief Legal Counsel and other appropriate District administrators
• Leads efforts and initiatives to ensure District compliance with all labor, employment, special education, and civil rights-related local, state, and federal guidelines and regulations, working collaboratively with multiple other departments as needed
• Participates in special projects and serves on committees as needed
• Performs all other related duties as assigned

NOTE: The above-stated duties are intended to outline those functions typically performed by individuals assigned to this classification. This description of duties is not in tended to be all-inclusive or to limit the discretionary authority of management to assign other tasks of a similar nature or level of responsibility.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

• Current member in good standing of Ohio Bar or membership within three months of hiring
• At least 5 years legal experience concentrated in at least two of the three areas of 1) labor and employment, 2) special education, and 3) civil rights
• Demonstrated success in high stakes, high pressure environment
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong work ethic, attention to detail and strong interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated leadership ability to work collaboratively with peers
• Self-motivated and able to multi-task with minimal supervision
• High moral character and ethical standards

WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The characteristics listed below are representative of the work environment typically encountered by an individual while performing the essential duties of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential duties.

• Expected moving, walking, and standing consistent with an office environment and occasionally lifting up to 10 pounds
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, and sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and reach with hands and arms
• The employee is frequently required to talk and/or hear.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to a normal office environment
• Local travel may be required for training/meetings

NOTE: The above-stated duties are intended to outline those functions typically performed by individuals assigned to this classification. This description of duties is not intended to be all-inclusive or to limit the discretionary authority of management to assign other tasks of a similar nature or level of responsibility.
EEO STATEMENT
We believe that equity and inclusion at CMSD is an essential call to action, a catalyst to ensure value and appreciation among all our employees, so we may be fair and welcoming now and in the future. CMSD provides equal opportunities for employment, retention and advancement of all personnel by administering all terms and conditions of employment regardless of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, sex, disability or genetic information, age, citizenship status, military status, sexual orientation or expression, socio-economic status, title, other dimensions of identity, or any other characteristic protected by law.
The District's Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Discriminatory Harassment, and Sexual Harassment and the District's Title IX grievance procedures, including information on how to report or file a complaint of discrimination, how to report or file a formal complaint of sexual harassment, and how the District will respond, may be accessed on the District's Civil Rights Notices webpage, available at ClevelandMetroSchools.org/domain/105.
The District's Title IX Coordinator / Director of Equal Employment Opportunity may be reached at:
1111 Superior Avenue East, Suite 1800
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
(216)-838-0070
TitleIX_EEO@ClevelandMetroSchools.org
Education
To Apply
Please submit your resume and application using Workday, our online human capital management system. Please note that an offer of employment will be subject to the successful completion of an FBI/BCI background check and drug screen.
EEO Statement
We believe that equity and inclusion at CMSD is an essential call to action, a catalyst to ensure value and appreciation among all our employees, so we may be fair and welcoming now and in the future. CMSD provides equal opportunities for employment, retention and advancement of all personnel by administering all terms and conditions of employment regardless of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, sex, disability or genetic information, age, citizenship status, military status, sexual orientation or expression, socio-economic status, title, other dimensions of identity, or any other characteristic protected by law.
The District's Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Discriminatory Harassment, and Sexual Harassment and the District's Title IX grievance procedures, including information on how to report or file a complaint of discrimination, how to report or file a formal complaint of sexual harassment, and how the District will respond, may be accessed on the District's Civil Rights Notices webpage, available at ClevelandMetroSchools.org/domain/105. The District's Title IX Coordinator / Director of Equal Employment Opportunity may be reached at:
1111 Superior Avenue East, Suite 1800
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
(216)-838-0070
TitleIX_EEO@ClevelandMetroSchools.org