The University of Chicago is among over 50 higher-education schools under investigation for alleged racial discrimination as part of President Donald Trump’s effort to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs, which his administration says exclude white and Asian American students.
The investigation, announced Friday by the U.S. Department of Education, comes on the heels of a memo issued Feb. 14 by the Trump administration giving universities two weeks to end programs that “discriminate” on “the basis of race, color, or national origin” or risk losing federal funding. That includes “race-based preferences” in admissions, scholarships or any aspect of student life.
“Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin,” Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. “We will not yield on this commitment.”
The University of Chicago said it will cooperate with the investigation by the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights.
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Of the schools under investigation, 45, including the U of C, face scrutiny of their graduate programs related to partnerships with the PhD Project, a nonprofit that helps students from underrepresented groups get degrees in business to diversify the business world.
The Education Department said the group limits eligibility based on race and that colleges that partner with it are “engaging in race-exclusionary practices in their graduate programs.”
In a statement, the PhD Project said it aims to “create a broader talent pipeline of current and future business leaders who are committed to excellence and to each other.”
“This year, we have opened our membership application to anyone who shares that vision,” it said.
Six other schools are being investigated for allegedly awarding “impermissible race-based scholarships,” the department said, while another is under investigation for allegedly running a program that segregates students based on race.
This investigation comes on the heels of Columbia University losing $400 million in federal funding March 7, as the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights declared it had not done enough to quell antisemitism on campus. A few days later, on March 10, the agency said 60 universities, including Northwestern, were under investigation for failing to adequately address antisemitism and protect Jewish students on campus.
The Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, led by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, notified Mayor Brandon Johnson as well as leaders in New York City, Los Angeles and Boston that it would like to meet soon to discuss the cities’ responses to incidents of antisemitism over the past two years.
“Too many elected officials chose not to stand up to a rising tide of antisemitism in our cities and campuses” after Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a press release.
“Actions have consequences — inaction does, too,” Bondi said in the release.
Leo Terrell, senior counsel to the assistant attorney general for civil rights, said the release from Bondi’s office, “The Task Force looks forward to meeting with the mayors and other municipal leaders in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Boston to quickly and effectively identify ways that, working together or apart, we return safety, civility, and sanity to our nation’s schools.”
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The Associated Press contributed.