Allen Kropp leads the firm’s Higher Education practice group and specializes in civil rights, disability, and school law.  He works extensively with postsecondary institutions and K-12 schools on a wide range of civil rights matters, including sex and gender-based discrimination issues under Title IX, disability issues under Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, and race/color/national origin matters under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.  He provides a variety of services to clients across the education spectrum – on a host of discrimination issues – including policy development; audits of civil rights compliance; trainings; mediations; and notably, university and school investigations.  Allen is a seasoned investigator with extensive experience in investigating and resolving the most sensitive and complex grievances and disputes involving students, employees, administrators, and school or company officials.   Allen is also an engaging trainer who frequently presents on civil rights and other topics, and he is frequently sought for speaking engagements before schools, colleges and in many other forums.

Building on his lengthy career in management roles, Allen is a Certified Workplace Mediator who assists employers in resolving workplace conflicts that interfere with agency or employer productivity.   He often coaches organizational leaders in management and leadership strategies and provides training to employees on workplace communication and conduct issues.  Organizations who need their employees to resolve their differences, and work productively with one another, regularly call upon Allen to mediate and impartially resolve challenging workplace disputes.

Prior to Drummond Woodsum, Allen held several roles with the United States Department of Education (DOE), including Deputy Chief Attorney and Interim Director of the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Regional Office in Boston.  As such, he has a unique and varied expertise in civil rights compliance, program administration, and educating schools, colleges, students, parents, and other stakeholders on civil rights matters. Allen also served as a senior policy advisor and Regional Commissioner for the Rehabilitation Services Administration, DOE’s chief official responsible for federal monitoring and oversight of State Vocational Rehabilitation agencies and adult disability programs across New England.

Allen enjoys spending time with his wife and three grown children, hiking, boating, and attending athletic events and theater productions. Dedicated to giving back to the disability community, Allen was appointed by the Governor to serve on the State Rehabilitation Council for the Maine Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired.