Catherine E. Lhamon

Catherine Elizabeth Lhamon (born August 5, 1971) is an American attorney and government official who is the assistant secretary for civil rights at the Department of Education. She previously served as deputy chair of the United States Domestic Policy Council for racial justice and equality from January to October 2021, and as the chairwoman of the United States Commission on Civil Rights from 2016 to 2021.

Cathy Lhamon
Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights
Designate
Assuming office
TBD
PresidentJoe Biden
SucceedingKenneth L. Marcus
Kimberly Richey (acting)
In office
August 2013 – December 2016
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byRusslynn Ali
Succeeded byKenneth L. Marcus
Deputy Director of the Domestic Policy Council for Racial Justice and Equity
In office
January 20, 2021 – October 25, 2021
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byChiraag Bains
Chair of the United States Commission on Civil Rights
In office
December 2016 – January 20, 2021
PresidentBarack Obama
Donald Trump
Preceded byMartin Castro
Succeeded byNorma Cantú
Personal details
Born (1971-08-05) August 5, 1971
Takoma Park, Maryland, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Children2
EducationAmherst College (BA)
Yale University (JD)

Early life and education

Lhamon was raised in Palo Alto, California. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Amherst College and Juris Doctor from Yale Law School.[1][2]

Career

Lhamon began her career as a law clerk for William Albert Norris of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, then joined the Appellate Litigation Program at Georgetown University Law Center.[3] For ten years, she was an attorney at the ACLU of Southern California. Following that, she was with the pro bono law firm Public Counsel.[3]

In 2013 she became the assistant secretary for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Education.[4][5] During her tenure, that office issued "Dear Colleague" letters and other guidelines to school officials, clarifying that a school's failure to appropriately respond to sexual violence or its mistreatment of transgender students can constitute sex discrimination in violation of Title IX, outlining how schools can ensure that student discipline complies with laws prohibiting race discrimination, and explaining how the use of restraint or seclusion can result in unlawful discrimination against students with disabilities.[6][7][8]

In December 2016 Lhamon was appointed chair of the United States Commission on Civil Rights.[9] In 2019, Lhamon was appointed California Legal Affairs Secretary by Governor Gavin Newsom.[2] In 2019, Lhamon was mentioned by liberal group Demand Justice as one of their recommended Supreme Court nominees.[10]

On May 13, 2021, President Joe Biden announced his intention to nominate Lhamon for a second term as assistant secretary for civil rights at the Department of Education.[11] The nomination was submitted to the Senate on the same day and referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. The committee deadlocked on an August 3 vote to report the nomination favorably to the Senate. The Senate voted to discharge the nomination from the committee on October 7 on a vote of 50-49. Vice President Kamala Harris cast two tie-breaking votes on October 20 on the Senate's motion to invoke cloture on, as well as to confirm, Lhamon's nomination.[12]

Personal life

Lhamon is married to Giev Kashkooli, the political and legislative director of the United Farm Workers union.[13] They have two children.[14]

References
  1. "Catherine Lhamon, Assistant Secretary, Office for Civil Rights | Biography". www2.ed.gov. January 20, 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  2. "USCCR: About Us > Commissioners > Catherine E. Lhamon (Chair)". www.usccr.gov. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  3. "Catherine Lhamon Biography". U.S. Department of Education website. United States Department of Education. January 19, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  4. "Getting to Know Catherine Lhamon". HOMEROOM. United States Department of Education. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  5. Keierleber, Mark. "74 Interview: Catherine Lhamon Takes On Trump With Probe Into Cutbacks on Student Civil Rights". Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  6. Savage, David G.; Phelps, Timothy M. (August 17, 2015). "How a little-known education office has forced far-reaching changes to campus sex assault cases". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  7. State of Oklahoma (May 13, 2016). "Letter in Response to Colleague Letter on Transgender Students" (PDF). Oklahoma government website. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  8. U.S. Dept. of Education, U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights Reading Room
  9. "Catherine E. Lhamon". Washington Monthly website. Washington Monthly. February 28, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  10. "Demand Justice - Demand Justice Releases Supreme Court Shortlist of Diverse, Progressive Lawyers". Demand Justice. October 15, 2019. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  11. "President Biden Announces His Intent to Nominate Catherine Lhamon for Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the Department of Education". The White House. May 13, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  12. "PN572 - Nomination of Catherine Elizabeth Lhamon for Department of Education, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". congress.gov. Library of Congress. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  13. "Executive Board". UFW. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  14. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2017.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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