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New York Post
7 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Legal group accuses Rutgers U. of discrimination against white students
A legal advocacy group has accused New Jersey's flagship public university — Rutgers — of discrimination for excluding white students from scholarship programs that recruit African-American, Native American and Hispanic students. The Equal Protection Project filed a civil rights complaint against Rutgers University with the US Department of Education, claiming the scholarship programs violate federal anti-discrimination laws and are unconstitutional. 5 The Equal Protection Project filed a civil rights complaint against Rutgers University with the US Department of Education. RICHARD HARBUS 'What doesn't Rutgers understand about non-discrimination? Discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin is barred under federal law, state law, and even under Rutgers' own rules. At the Equal Protection Project, we are calling on Rutgers to live up to its own set of rules — that shouldn't be controversial,' said William Jacobson, a Cornell University law professor and founder of the Equal Protection Project. 'Where were the administrators and staff whose jobs supposedly are devoted to preventing discrimination? Why was there no intervention to uphold the legally required equal access to education?' 5 'At the Equal Protection Project, we are calling on Rutgers to live up to its own set of rules — that shouldn't be controversial,' said William Jacobson. The group's Aug. 1 complaint filed with the Education Department accuses four different Rutgers programs of discrimination by excluding white students, a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Law of 1964, as well as the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause. The Albert W. Dent Graduate Student Scholarship is designated for minority students enrolled in their final year of a healthcare management graduate program. The GEM Fellowship Program provides both financial support and internship opportunities to highly qualified, underrepresented students who wish to pursue graduate study in engineering or science. 5 The group's Aug. 1 complaint filed with the Education Department accuses four different Rutgers programs of discrimination by excluding white students. Robert Kalfus The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering scholarships are for under-represented students identified as 'African American, American Indian, or Latino and/or first generation.' Lastly, General Motors offers an endowed scholarship at Rutgers for GM workers or their spouses and children and students of 'underrepresented minorities.' According to the complaint, Rutgers considers 'minorities' to be those who 'designate themselves as Black, non-Hispanic; American Indian or Alaska Native; Asian, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, or Hispanic.' Educational institutions that receive federal funding must comply with laws against discrimination. The US Education Department monitors compliance and investigates complaints. 5 Rutgers, in a statement on Sunday, said it will review the complaint but indicated that it has already scrapped two of the programs. RICHARD HARBUS President Trump also issued an executive order directing federal agencies to scrap funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Rutgers, in a statement on Sunday, said it will review the complaint but indicated that it has already scrapped two of the programs. 'Rutgers University remains firmly committed to equal protections afforded under law and rejects discrimination in all its forms. The university will closely review the complaint, but based on preliminary information, two of the scholarships are not administered by the university and the remaining two are no longer being awarded,' the university said in a statement. 5 The group has challenged over 100 colleges and universities for 500 alleged discriminatory scholarships and programs. Robert Kalfus 'As a best practice, the university continuously reviews its websites, programs, and practices to ensure compliance with federal and state law.' The Equal Protection Project asked in the complaint that 'the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights promptly open a formal investigation, impose such remedial relief as the law permits for the benefit of those who have been illegally excluded from Rutgers' various scholarships based on discriminatory criteria, and ensure that all ongoing and future scholarships and programming at Rutgers comports with the Constitution and federal civil rights laws.' The department has taken action against Columbia University and the City University of New York for allegedly failing to protect Jewish students from discrimination, leading to settlements. The legal advocacy group has filed similar discrimination complaints or lawsuits against the New York State Education Department; State University of New York campuses including SUNY-Albany and SUNY-Buffalo Law; and Fordham University and Alfred University. The group has challenged over 100 colleges and universities for 500 alleged discriminatory scholarships and programs. 'Unfortunately, there is a culture on many campuses that excuses racial discrimination against white students. Racial discrimination in education is wrong and unlawful, no matter who benefits or who is harmed.' Jacobson said. The US Education Department had no immediate comment.
India Today
24-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
5 universities under investigation over scholarships for undocumented students
The US Department of Education has opened civil rights investigations into five universities to determine whether scholarship programmes intended for undocumented immigrants are unlawfully discriminating against American-born probe, launched by the Department's Office for Civil Rights (OCR), targets the University of Louisville, University of Nebraska Omaha, University of Miami, University of Michigan, and Western Michigan University. At the center of the investigations are scholarships reportedly reserved for recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme or other undocumented students, according to a press Legal Insurrection Foundation's Equal Protection Project filed the complaints that triggered the inquiries. The organization argues that offering scholarships based solely on immigration status — particularly those excluding US citizens — violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits national origin discrimination in federally funded programmes. Craig Trainor, acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, linked the action to broader administration priorities: 'On January 21, 2025, President Trump promised that 'every single day of the Trump Administration, (he) will, very simply, put America first,'' Trainor said. 'As we mark President Trump's historic six months back in the White House, we are expanding our enforcement efforts to protect American students and lawful residents from invidious national origin discrimination of the kind alleged here.'The OCR will also review whether race or colour factored into the eligibility requirements of other university scholarships, which could violate other parts of Title A. Jacobson, founder of the Equal Protection Project, said the move is long overdue: 'Discrimination against American-born students must not be tolerated,' he said. "Protecting equal access to education includes protecting the rights of American-born students. At the Equal Protection Project, we are gratified that the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights is acting on our complaints regarding scholarships that excluded American-born students."- EndsTune InMust Watch
Washington Post
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Federal investigations target college aid to immigrants and minorities
The Education Department said Wednesday it has opened civil rights investigations into five universities for offering scholarships that targeted undocumented students and racial minorities, ramping up the Trump administration's fight against diversity and inclusion in higher education. The inquiry will examine complaints from the conservative Equal Protection Project that the schools engaged in discrimination by allegedly showing a preference for foreign-born students. The schools named in the complaint are the University of Louisville, the University of Nebraska Omaha, the University of Miami, the University of Michigan and Western Michigan University. The University of Louisville said it is reviewing the claims, while the other universities did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Most of the scholarships in question offer financial support for either undocumented students or those covered by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program. Neither group is eligible to receive federal grants or loans to attend college, making institutional, state and private grants critical for their ability to access higher education. 'Neither the Trump Administration's America first policies nor the Civil Right Act of 1964's prohibition on national origin discrimination permit universities to deny our fellow citizens the opportunity to compete for scholarships because they were born in the United States,' Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said in a statement. The investigations arrive four months after the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights opened similar probes into six universities accused of awarding scholarships exclusively to racial minorities. On Wednesday, the office said it is also investigating scholarships that show preference to minorities at the University of Louisville, the University of Nebraska Omaha and Western Michigan. Conservative activists and Republican state leaders have pushed colleges to abandon scholarships earmarked for underrepresented groups, arguing that the same principles underlying the Supreme Court's ban on colleges considering an applicant's race as a factor in admissions apply to financial aid. The Equal Protection Project, led by Cornell University clinical law professor William Jacobson, has been at the forefront of that movement by filing dozens of complaints against race-conscious scholarships with the Office for Civil Rights. The group has expanded its effort by taking a look at institutional aid provided to foreign-born students. 'Protecting equal access to education includes protecting the rights of American-born students,' Jacobson said in a statement. 'We are gratified that the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights is acting on our complaints.' Undocumented students are under pressure as state and federal leaders strip away policies to support their community. Texas and Florida have ended in-state tuition for noncitizens who grew up in the states, while the Justice Department is suing Kentucky and Minnesota to force them to do the same. Earlier this month, the Education Department also cut off access to career, technical and adult education programs for undocumented students, ending a policy that had been in place since the Clinton era.
The Hill
23-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
5 universities under investigation over scholarships for Dreamers
The Trump administration said Wednesday it would investigate five universities over scholarship programs for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. The Education Department probe involves the University of Louisville, the University of Nebraska Omaha, the University of Miami, the University of Michigan and Western Michigan University. It comes after the Legal Insurrection Foundation's Equal Protection Project submitted complaints to the department's Office for Civil Rights (OCR), according to their release. Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said the scholarships aimed to 'deny our fellow citizens the opportunity to compete for scholarships because they were born in the United States.' 'As we mark President Trump's historic six months back in the White House, we are expanding our enforcement efforts to protect American students and lawful residents from invidious national origin discrimination of the kind alleged here,' Trainor said in a Wednesday statement. William A. Jacobson, founder of the Equal Protection Project, said it was 'gratified' to see the Education Department follow up on its complaint. 'Protecting equal access to education includes protecting the rights of American-born students,' he said. 'Discrimination against American-born students must not be tolerated.' The DACA immigration policy ushered in under the Obama administration permits children who entered the country illegally with their parents prior to June 15, 2012 to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation. The Wednesday release from the Education Department said it will not only investigate scholarships for DACA recipients but also financial support offered to students based on race and sexual orientation. It marks the latest fight between the Trump administration and universities. Earlier this year, the Education Department's OCR revoked federal funds from Columbia University and Harvard University over an alleged antisemitic culture on campus. In response to the federal actions, Michigan University and other Big 10 schools created a ' mutual defense compact ' to fight against Trump's threats to cut federal funding.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Conservative group files federal complaint against UConn over DEI scholarships
A conservative group that's pursuing anti-DEI complaints against more than a dozen state universities on Wednesday targeted the University of Connecticut, accusing the school of violating civil rights law by setting aside numerous scholarships exclusively or chiefly for minority students. The Rhode Island-based Equal Protection Project complained to the federal education department's Office of Civil Rights that UConn illegally invoked race, ethnicity or gender in awarding several scholarships. 'That racially discriminatory scholarships exist at a major public university is disheartening. It is time for higher education everywhere to focus on the inherent worth and dignity of every student rather than categorizing students based on identity groups,' according to William A. Jacobson, founder of the campaign. Numerous universities and colleges maintain 'minority-focused' scholarships, internship programs, summer residencies or other financial aid tools aimed at increasing enrollment by Black, Hispanic or other student groups. Educators contend that affirmative action programs are important to overcoming a historical pattern in which minorities have been under-represented in higher education. But the Equal Protection Project insists that race- or nationality-based financial awards are unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2023 ruled that two 'race conscious' admissions programs in higher education violated the Constitution's guarantee of equal protection under the law. This year, the nonprofit Equal Protection Project has sharply stepped up its campaign of anti-discrimination complaints. Since January it has gone to the Office of Civil Rights to contest scholarships at the University of Oregon, the University of Alabama, the University of Nebraska, Drake University, Bowdoin College, the University of South Carolina and about 15 others. On Wednesday, the organization announced that it's challenging the legality of four UConn scholarship programs. UConn said late Wednesday that it had not yet gotten a copy of the complaint or been told which funds it involves. 'Generally speaking, UConn continually reviews its scholarship and financial aid criteria against current legal requirements and adjusts as needed to ensure compliance,' UConn spokeswoman Stephanie Reitz said. 'Some such scholarship funds are currently paused following the recent Dear Colleague letter and other related federal guidance, and UConn is working with donors and departments to make any necessary revisions.' In mid-February, the U.S. Department of Education issued a 'Dear Colleague' letter ordering educational institutions that get federal funding to stop using race preferences as a factor in deciding admissions, discipline, hiring, scholarships and more. The Equal Protection complaint quotes UConn's mission statement: 'UConn has a strong commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ). We aim to support diversity, equity, and inclusion through offering support for success for people of all backgrounds.' Jacobson's group argues that that's illegal when it blocks non-minority students from being eligible for aid or awards. 'We are asking UConn to live up to the law and its own rules, and remove the discriminatory eligibility barriers it has erected,' the organization said in a statement. 'Racial and ethnic discrimination are wrong and unlawful no matter which race or ethnicity is targeted or benefits. All applicants are entitled to equal treatment without regard to race, color, or national origin.' In February, Jacobson told ProPublica that his organization opposes any discrimination, saying 'If there are programs that exclude Black students, we want the department to go after that, but I am not aware of such programs.' At UConn, he contends that Bryan K. and Alice M. Pollard Scholarship rules are discriminatory. They say 'Applicants must have overcome obstacles such as socioeconomic or educational disadvantage, be members of underrepresented groups at the university, including students of color, or have experience living or working in diverse environments.' The complaint alleges that the Sidney P. Marland Jr. Fund for Educational Leadership is also being run illegally because the criteria say 'The award provides scholarships for minority undergraduate and graduate students in educational leadership.' He also is challenging a dietetics program diversity scholarship that states 'priority given to candidates of an ethnic or racial background which is underrepresented at UConn,' as well as the Philo T. Pritzkau Fund for graduate students in the Neag School of Education, where the rules say 'priority consideration will be given to African American, Hispanic American and Native American students.' Long-time civil rights organizations such as the NAACP and the Southern Poverty Law Center condemned the Supreme Court's decision when it came out in 2023. Voters the next year elected President Trump, who is working to dismantle DEI initiatives across the country. Soon afterward, the federal education department's civil rights office stopped or slowed its review of thousands of civil rights complaints, according to ProPublica. At the same time, it began an investigation into whether universities show bias against white students. 'Let me be clear: it is a new day in America, and under President Trump, OCR will not tolerate discrimination of any kind,' Craig Trainor, acting director of the office, told ProPublica. The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights takes a different view. 'The American Dream is not equally available to all. In 2023, the Department of Education reported that it received the most civil rights complaints in its history, most of which allege race, sex, or disability discrimination,' according to the group. 'While the number of Black people with college degrees has increased over the last two decades, Black people remain relegated to lower wage jobs and less lucrative industries compared to white people with similar levels of education, and Black women experience some of the largest pay gaps,' it said.
