Dozens of schools face investigation by Trump administration, accused of 'racial preferences'
The U.S. Department of Education announced Friday it is investigating dozens of universities and colleges over allegations of "racial preferences and stereotypes" in academic programs or scholarships.
Forty-five schools – including Ivy League members like Yale University, state universities such as Clemson, and small private schools like Rice University – are under scrutiny for “race-exclusionary practices” in their graduate programs.
The crux of the issue, according to the Education Department’s announcement, is a partnership between these schools and The PhD Project, a nonprofit aimed at supporting traditionally underrepresented groups in academia.
The organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Another seven schools are also being investigated “for alleged impermissible race-based scholarships and race-based segregation.” Included on that list are the University of Alabama, Grand Valley State University and Ithaca College.
“Ithaca College does not discriminate on the basis of race in the awarding of the scholarships cited in the Title VI complaint that is the basis of the Department of Education’s investigation,” a spokesperson for Ithaca, Dave Maley, said in a statement to Paste BN, pointing to the criteria for both referenced scholarships.
The latest investigation follows a letter from the Department’s Office for Civil Rights last month ordering schools to ban diversity, equity and inclusion efforts or risk losing federal funding.
"Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin," Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement Friday. "We will not yield on this commitment."
Schools respond, defend their practices
The University of Notre Dame was among the 45 schools accused of racial discrimination in its graduate program.
Erin Blasko, Notre Dame's associate director of media relations, told The South Bend Tribune, part of the Paste BN network, in an email, "As always, The University of Notre Dame follows the law and in no way practices or condones discrimination. As a Catholic university, we are fully committed to defending the dignity of every human person and ensuring that every person can flourish."
The University of Wisconsin-Madison and Arizona State University were also included on that list.
A spokesperson for UW-Madison told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the Paste BN network, that the school had not yet been formally notified of any complaint related to the PhD Project, as of Friday morning. If a complaint is received, the university will cooperate with any investigation, the spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for the University of Kentucky told the Courier Journal, part of the Paste BN network, something similar.
“We are aware of the release this morning from the Department of Education Office of Civil Rights. We have not received any official notification of this review," spokesperson Lindsey Piercy said. "We will continue to monitor and review this issue, cooperate with any official inquiries and, as always, comply with the law."
Arizona State University was also among the 60 schools that received a different letter earlier from the Department of Education over allegations of antisemitism on campus.
Contributing: Rayleigh Deaton, South Bend Tribune; Kelly Meyerhofer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Helen Rummel, Arizona Republic; Killian Baarlaer, Louisville Courier Journal