Civil rights group alleges a Michigan college's scholarship focused on trans-racial adoptees is discriminatory
A complaint filed by a civil rights organization on Wednesday claims that Calvin University, a Christian liberal arts university in Michigan, is discriminating on the basis of sex and race.
"The large number (65) of discriminatory scholarships at Calvin is shocking," Cornell professor William Jacobson and founder of the Equal Protection Project, told Fox News Digital in a statement.
"At EqualProtect.org we have challenged discriminatory programs and scholarships at over 60 colleges and universities, but never have we seen such a large number at any single institution."
The scholarships that the Equal Protection Project alleges are discriminatory are the Endurance Scholarship, which requires the applicant to "self-identify as an African American who is a U.S. citizen," and the Trans-Racial Adoptee Scholarship, which requires applicant to be "trans-racially adopted," and the Carol L. Faber Math Scholarship, which requires that "first preference is for a female student." The scholarship amounts are $3,000, $3,500, and $3,100 respectively.
The Equal Protection Project maintains these scholarship programs violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits educational institutions that receive federal funding from discriminating on the basis of race, color or national origin, as well as Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex or gender for entities that receive federal funding.
In 2020, Calvin University received a $935,000 grant from the Department of Education or $187,000 per year for five years, for students who have disabilities, are low-income, or who are first-generation.
On its website, Calvin University lists federal grants for students that include a $7,395 Pell Grant, a supplemental educational opportunity grant for up to $2,000, and a TEACH grant for up to $4,000.
Jacobson told Fox News Digital that he hopes Education Secretary Linda McMahon will focus on restoring civil rights.
"While the Department of Education is undergoing a restructuring, enforcement of the civil rights laws to eliminate DEI discrimination remains a stated priority of the new Trump administration," Jacobson said. "We hope that Secretary McMahon will maintain this focus on civil rights enforcement in order to advance the administration's overall civil rights agenda. To scale back enforcement would be self-defeating and would undermine efforts to eliminate discrimination done in the name of DEI in higher education."
On Tuesday, Department of Education employees received a "reduction in force" notice before about half of the department's employees were let go.
In its complaint, the Equal Protection Project quotes Justice Antonin Scalia's concurring opinion in Richmond v. J. A. Croson Co., where he said that "discrimination on the basis of race is illegal, immoral, unconstitutional, inherently wrong and destructive of a democratic society."
"Accordingly, we respectfully ask that the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights prioritize and expedite this complaint given the sheer number of discriminatory scholarships at Calvin reflecting a systematic disregard for Titles VI and IX, promptly open a formal investigation, impose such remedial relief as the law permits for the benefit of those who have been illegally excluded from Calvin's various scholarships based on discriminatory criteria, and ensure that all ongoing and future scholarships and programming at Calvin comports with the federal civil rights laws," the complaint continues.
Fox News Digital reached out to Calvin University for comment and has not yet received a response.
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