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How it works

From incident to filed complaint.

Magen works whether you’re in a K-12 school or a college. It pairs an AI intake with NJAC’s civil rights lawyers so you don’t have to figure out the legal process alone. Here’s what happens after you start a report.

The Process

Five steps, start to finish

  1. 01

    You tell us what happened

    Start a report as a guest or with an account. A short, plain-language form walks you through the basics: who you are, where the incident happened, when, what occurred, who was involved, and what evidence you have. You can save and come back — nothing is filed until you say so.

  2. 02

    AI asks follow-ups and drafts your complaint

    Magen's AI reviews your report and asks targeted follow-up questions a Title VI lawyer would ask — things like how the incident affected your studies, whether you reported it to the school, and what the school did (or didn't do) in response. It then generates a first draft of your OCR complaint, organized the way the Department of Education expects.

  3. 03

    An NJAC lawyer reviews and edits the draft

    Your draft goes to a lawyer at the National Jewish Advocacy Center. They review the facts, check the legal framing, sharpen the argument, and flag anything that needs more evidence or clarification. You'll see what they changed and can ask questions before anything is filed.

  4. 04

    NJAC files it on your behalf

    Once the complaint is ready and you've signed the required consent form, NJAC files it with the Office for Civil Rights — either through OCR's online portal or by email. You get a confirmation and a copy of everything that was submitted.

  5. 05

    You can track the case as it moves

    Your dashboard shows the current status: filed, under evaluation, opened for investigation, in resolution, or closed. NJAC updates it as OCR communicates with them, so you don't have to chase anyone for answers.

What OCR Does

Inside the OCR process

Once your complaint is filed with the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, it moves through three phases. NJAC handles the back-and-forth with OCR so you can file and forget, if you want to.

  • Evaluation (typically 30–60 days)

    OCR decides whether to open your complaint — checking timely filing, jurisdiction, and whether the allegations, if true, would violate Title VI. Not every complaint is opened: OCR dismisses some on timing or jurisdiction, and its priorities shift from one administration to the next.

  • Investigation

    OCR contacts the school, requests documents, interviews witnesses, and analyzes the institution's response to the incident. This is where most of the real work happens, and timelines vary widely — many cases run a year or more, and some stretch across multiple years.

  • Resolution

    Most cases end in a voluntary resolution agreement: the school commits to specific corrective action — policy changes, training, climate assessments, sometimes a dedicated Title VI coordinator. OCR monitors compliance for a defined period. In rare cases, OCR refers matters to the DOJ for enforcement.

Set your expectations honestly. OCR moves slowly — a case can take a year, and sometimes several. Not every complaint is opened for investigation, and enforcement priorities change with each administration. That’s worth knowing up front — but it doesn’t make your report a waste. Even when OCR declines or delays, your account is on the record: it can become evidence in a pattern complaint against your school, inform researchers tracking campus antisemitism, and strengthen advocacy on your campus and with lawmakers. Filing puts your experience where it counts.
Retaliation is illegal. Federal law forbids your school from punishing you for filing a Title VI complaint. If they try, that’s a separate violation — and NJAC can help with that too.

Ready to start a report?

It takes about 15 minutes to get through the intake. You can save your progress at any point and come back later — nothing is filed until you and an NJAC lawyer agree it’s ready.

Report an Incident →

Want the legal background first? Read Title VI basics.