Introduction to the Investigation

More than 50 universities are being investigated for alleged racial discrimination as part of President Donald Trump’s campaign to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs that his officials say exclude white and Asian American students. The Education Department announced the new investigations, one month after issuing a memo warning America’s schools and colleges that they could lose federal money over “race-based preferences” in admissions, scholarships or any aspect of student life.

Background on the Memo

“Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. “We will not yield on this commitment.” The memo, issued on February 14, was a sweeping expansion of a 2023 Supreme Court decision that barred colleges from using race as a factor in admissions. That decision focused on admissions policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, but the Education Department said it will interpret the decision to forbid race-based policies in any aspect of education, both in K-12 schools and higher education.

Investigation Details

Most of the new inquiries are focused on colleges’ partnerships with the PhD Project, a nonprofit that helps students from underrepresented groups get degrees in business with the goal of diversifying the business world. Department officials said that the group limits eligibility based on race and that colleges that partner with it are “engaging in race-exclusionary practices in their graduate programs.” The group of 45 colleges facing scrutiny over ties to the PhD Project include major public universities such as Arizona State, Ohio State and Rutgers, along with prestigious private schools like Yale, Cornell, Duke and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Colleges Under Investigation

Six other colleges are being investigated for awarding “impermissible race-based scholarships,” the department said, and another is accused of running a program that segregates students on the basis of race. Those seven are: Grand Valley State University, Ithaca College, the New England College of Optometry, the University of Alabama, the University of Minnesota, the University of South Florida and the University of Tulsa School of Medicine. The department did not say which of the seven was being investigated for allegations of segregation.

Challenges to the Memo

The Feb. 14 memo from Trump’s Republican administration is being challenged in federal lawsuits from the nation’s two largest teachers’ unions. The suits say the memo is too vague and violates the free speech rights of educators. In the memo, Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights, had said schools’ and colleges’ diversity, equity and inclusion efforts have been “smuggling racial stereotypes and explicit race-consciousness into everyday training, programming and discipline.

By COLLIN BINKLEY, Associated Press Education Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) —

Originally Published: March 14, 2025 at 10:39 AM EDT

Conclusion

The investigation into over 50 universities for alleged racial discrimination marks a significant development in the ongoing debate over diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in higher education. As the Education Department continues to interpret the 2023 Supreme Court decision, colleges and universities must navigate the complexities of promoting diversity while avoiding race-based policies. The outcome of these investigations and the challenges to the memo will have far-reaching implications for the future of education in the United States.

FAQs

Q: How many universities are being investigated for alleged racial discrimination?
A: Over 50 universities are being investigated.
Q: What is the basis for the investigation?
A: The investigation is based on alleged racial discrimination in diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
Q: Which nonprofit is at the center of the investigation?
A: The PhD Project, a nonprofit that helps students from underrepresented groups get degrees in business.
Q: What is the Education Department’s stance on race-based policies?
A: The Education Department believes that race-based policies are exclusionary and violate the principles of merit and accomplishment.
Q: Are there any challenges to the Education Department’s memo?
A: Yes, the nation’s two largest teachers’ unions have filed federal lawsuits challenging the memo.