ST. LOUIS – More than 50 universities across the United States, including Washington University in St. Louis, are under federal investigation for alleged racial discrimination as part of President Donald Trump’s administration’s broader efforts to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
On Friday, the U.S. Department of Education announced that Washington University was under investigation for “allegedly engaging in race-exclusionary practices” through graduate programs.
The department accuses WashU and other universities of violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by partnering with the PhD Project, an organization that aims to increase workforce diversity by supporting historically underrepresented groups with obtaining degrees.
In a news release Friday, the Education Department said the organization “limits eligibility based on the race of participants.”
According to the Associated Press, the department issued a memo last month 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. The memo framed the directive as an effort to end alleged discrimination against white and Asian American students.
The Associated Press adds that the memo is being challenged in federal lawsuits from two of the nation’s largest teachers’ unions, arguing that the memo is too vague and violates the free speech rights of educators.
FOX 2 has reached out to a spokesperson for Washington University for comment, but has not heard back upon this story’s publication.