Jackson Lewis Expands Higher Education Team With Addition of Civil Rights Attorney Carol Ashley
RESTON, VA (March 16, 2021) Nationwide workplace law firm Jackson Lewis P.C. is pleased to announce Carol Ashley has joined the firm’s Washington, D.C. Region office as of counsel. Carol joins the firm from the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR), where she was an Enforcement Director and a Senior Executive Service Member.
“We are thrilled Carol has decided to join the firm,” said Co-Leaders of Jackson Lewis’ Higher Education group Monica H. Khetarpal and Susan D. Friedfel. “She is uniquely qualified to counsel educational institutions on designing and implementing compliance plans and responding to agency complaints and investigations. Carol’s experience with civil rights laws relating to students and employees will be invaluable to our clients and will greatly enhance the depth and breadth of our industry group.”
Carol has more than 25 years of experience concerning a wide range of civil rights issues arising in educational institutions, including the enforcement of federal statutes pertaining to harassment and discrimination based on disability, race, color, national origin and gender. With particular proficiency in Title IX compliance, Carol has led complex investigations involving some of the nation’s largest educational institutions responses to allegations of sexual harassment and school districts’ policies involving transgender students and student athletes. She also has vast experience in addressing issues of racial equity in the educational setting. Carol has assisted in the investigation of hundreds of complaints against private and public postsecondary and K–12 schools, which uniquely suits her to defend and guide institutions through agency investigations and complaints.
Prior to her time at OCR, Carol was Vice President of Advocacy at a national nonprofit organization committed to achieving economic and racial justice through litigation, policy development, and training. At the same time, Carol also focused on improving the diversity, equity, and inclusion of national and regional advocacy organizations. Additionally, she spent many years in private practice as lead attorney of the firm’s civil rights and school equity practice group, and served as lead class counsel in federal class action lawsuits. She also worked on Title VII employment discrimination cases involving race, national origin, and gender discrimination; handled matters involving union rights, wage and hour issues, and the Family and Medical Leave Act; and collaborated with counsel heading the firm’s other class action work, including cases involving whistleblower and fraud in securities and consumer matters.
“Carol brings years of experience in civil rights law in the education sector, and we are very pleased she has decided to join our office,” Washington, D.C. Region Office Managing Principal Michael H. Neifach. “As a new Secretary of Education has recently been confirmed, we expect policy changes on the horizon, including possible changes related to Title IX. Carol is uniquely situated and qualified to provide guidance to our higher education clients regarding complex issues including compliance and investigations.”
Carol earned her J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School and her B.A. from Northwestern University.
Carol’s arrival at Jackson Lewis closely follows the addition of Josh Whitlock and Sarah Ford Neorr, also members of the firm’s Higher Education group. As the firm continues to rapidly expand, these new hires will support and enhance Jackson Lewis’ client service.
Jackson Lewis’ Washington, D.C. Region office can be reached at (703) 483-8300.
About Jackson Lewis
Focused on labor and employment law since 1958, Jackson Lewis P.C.’s 950+ attorneys located in major cities nationwide consistently identify and respond to new ways workplace law intersects business. We help employers develop proactive strategies, strong policies and business-oriented solutions to cultivate high-functioning workforces that are engaged, stable and diverse, and share our clients' goals to emphasize inclusivity and respect for the contribution of every employee.
Additional information about the firm can be found at jacksonlewis.com.
For more information, please contact:
Lara Hamm, Chief Communications Officer
T: (267) 319-7803 / E: Lara.Hamm@jacksonlewis.com
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