Roger Severino facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roger Severino
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Severino in 2024
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Roger Thomas Severino
1974/1975 (age 49–50) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Carrie Campbell
(m. 2004) |
| Education | University of Southern California (BBA) Carnegie Mellon University (MPP) Harvard University (JD) |
Roger Thomas Severino (born 1974/1975) is an American lawyer. He worked as the director of the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the United States Department of Health and Human Services from 2017 to 2021. This office helps protect people's civil rights in healthcare. Today, he is a Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. He also writes about health policy for Project 2025.
Early Life and Education
Roger Severino grew up in Los Angeles. His parents came from Colombia. He earned a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Southern California. He also received a master's degree in public administration from Carnegie Mellon University. Later, he earned a law degree from Harvard Law School.
Career Highlights
From 2008 to 2015, Severino worked as a lawyer for the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. He also led the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. This is a group that helps protect religious freedom through legal cases.
In 2015, Severino joined The Heritage Foundation. This is a group that studies public policy and suggests ideas. There, he directed the DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society. Severino has written many articles for The Daily Signal. He has also written for Public Discourse, a journal about ethics and law.
Work at Health and Human Services
In March 2017, President Donald Trump chose Roger Severino to lead the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The OCR makes sure that people are treated fairly in healthcare. It works to prevent discrimination. He left this job on January 15, 2021.
During his time at the OCR, Severino made some changes to rules about discrimination. He removed some protections for LGBTQ people that were set up earlier. This meant that healthcare providers could refuse care based on a patient's gender identity.
In July 2020, President Trump nominated Severino for a position on the Council of the Administrative Conference of the United States. He started this role in January 2021. After President Trump left office, Severino filed a lawsuit. He said the new administration asked him to resign or be fired from this new role.
Personal Life
Since 2004, Roger Severino has been married to Carrie Severino. She is also a lawyer and an activist. She leads a group called the Judicial Crisis Network.
