DOJ launches new civil rights probe into George Mason University
July 21 (UPI) -- The Justice Department on Monday announced it has launched an investigation into George Mason University's admissions process, marking the fourth federal probe the Trump administration has targeted the school with this month.
George Mason University was informed of the civil rights investigation in a letter stating that federal prosecutors will look into whether the school has denied equal treatment to students based on race or national origin, a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
No specific instances of violations or complaints were provided in the letter, but it suggests alleged racial segregation regarding access to programs and facilities, as well as preferential treatment based on race in its admissions process and in awarding student benefits and scholarships.
"Public educational institutions are contractually obligated to follow our nation's federal civil rights laws when receiving federal funds," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said in a statement.
"No one should be denied access to opportunity or resources because of their race, color or national origin, and the United States is committed to keeping our universities free of such invidious bias."
It is the fourth federal investigation launched into the Fairfax, Va., university this month and the second in under a week amid the Trump administration's crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion policies in both the private and public sectors.
Diversity, equity and inclusion, known as DEI, is a conceptual framework that promotes fair treatment and full participation of all people. It has been a target of conservatives who claim it focuses on race and gender at the expense of merit.
President Donald Trump has sought to remove DEI from the federal government through executive orders and has threatened to revoke federal funding from several universities, including Harvard, over their alleged DEI programs.
Last week, the Justice Department launched an investigation into the school over alleged illegal hiring practices, which followed the Department of Education opening a civil rights investigation into the university on July 10 and another probe over allegations it failed to respond effectively to a "pervasively hostile environment for Jewish students and faculty" earlier this month.
George Mason University President Gregory Washington has yet to respond to the announcement of the latest Justice Department investigation but has repeatedly denied the accusations leveled at the school by the previous three.
"It is inaccurate to conclude that we created new university policies or procedures that discriminate against or exclude anyone," he said last week in a statement.
"To the contrary, our systems were enhanced to improve on our ability to consistently include everyone for consideration of every employment opportunity. That is our ethos and it is core to our identity as a national leader in inclusive excellence in higher education."
In a separate statement earlier this month that does not directly accuse the Justice Department of misusing Title VI, Washington said he has seen a "profound shift" in how it is now being applied to attack longstanding efforts to address inequality.
"Broad terms like 'illegal DEI' are now used without definition, allowing virtually any initiative that touches on identity or inclusion to be painted as discriminatory," he said.
"This shift represents a stark departure from the spirit in which civil rights law was written: not to erase difference, but to protect individuals from exclusion and to enable equal opportunity for all."
George Mason University has retained Torridon Law to engage with the federal government regarding the investigations.
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