Indiana University (IU) has eliminated 19 scholarships following a federal civil rights complaint filed by the Equal Protection Project (EPP), a branch of the conservative Legal Insurrection Foundation. The complaint, filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) on July 15, 2024, alleges that these scholarships violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment by offering preferential treatment based on race and national origin.
The scholarships in question were designed to benefit minority students, with some explicitly stating preferences for African American students or students of color. Among the targeted scholarships were those offered at the Kelley School of Business and IU-Indianapolis, including the McKinney School of Law. Specific scholarships included the Steven Bretthauser Business Diversity Scholarship and the Murieta S. Covington Memorial Scholarship, among others.
it looks like IU didn’t make the tournament, and i’ve found the reason why. IU hasn’t progressed past the stone age and these poor men are the downfall of our great school.
when they and the sticky rainbow haired thugs are banished, indiana university may prosper. amen. pic.twitter.com/E02MNxo7PB
— Jahar Menir (@JaharMenir) March 18, 2024
William Jacobson, a law professor at Cornell University and the founder of the Equal Protection Project, stated that IU’s widespread use of these scholarships represented a systemic failure to comply with constitutional and statutory requirements.
Jacobson highlighted that his organization had never encountered a university with such a high number of allegedly discriminatory scholarships, noting that similar complaints often lead to universities removing or altering their eligibility standards.
A group that touts itself as devoted to the fair treatment of all persons without regard to race or ethnicity has filed a civil rights complaint against Indiana University over what it describes as the offering of “discriminatory” scholarships.https://t.co/RTv9LjdXcq
— Indiana Lawyer (@Indiana_Lawyer) July 29, 2024
IU declined to comment on the complaint. However, the university's action of scrubbing these scholarships from their programs has been confirmed.
The EPP's complaint is part of a broader effort to challenge race-based policies in educational institutions across the United States.
The move follows the recent Supreme Court ruling that struck down affirmative action policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, further intensifying scrutiny on race-conscious admissions and scholarship practices.
The OCR will now decide whether to launch a formal investigation into IU's scholarship practices. This case underscores the ongoing national debate over the legality and ethics of race-based preferences in higher education, reflecting a growing trend of legal challenges against such policies.
