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OPINION: Another day, another university violating federal law by excluding white people
The University of Virginia should take some free legal advice – if a program is includes “BIPOC” in its name or otherwise uses racially exclusionary language, it’s liable to be hit with a civil rights complaint.
The Charlottesville university is finding that out now, as the Equal Protection Project accuses it of violating federal anti-discrimination law with its “BIPOC Alumni-Student Mentoring Program.”
“BIPOC” refers to “black, indigenous, and people of color.” Even though it is well-established in federal law that higher education institutions that received federal funds cannot discriminate on the basis of race, UVA marches on with its exclusionary program.
The College Fix left a voicemail for University Counsel Cliff Iler asking for comments on the legality of the program. The Fix also sent an email to Iler, office manager Brandy Conley, and Deputy University Counsel Barry Meek. None of them responded to the Tuesday morning inquiries.
Spokesperson Bethanie Glover declined to comment on the legal review process, telling The Fix “we haven’t yet received the complaint. If or when we do, we will examine it and respond as appropriate,” on Tuesday afternoon. She has not responded further after being provided with the complaint immediately after The Fix received her response on behalf of the university.
The School of Education and Human Development program “provides up to 25 BIPOC undergraduates…each fall with individual guidance and support from alumni educators as they navigate the early stages of their program and/or career,” according to the website.
Put another way, the program “provides up to 25 [non-white students]” with special opportunities, in probable violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“The fact that the application form inquires if students are seeking to join the program to obtain ‘advice about navigating UVA EHD as a person of color’ makes clear that a student’s eligibility to participate in the program turns on his or her race and ethnicity,” the Equal Protection Project wrote in its complaint to the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.
The group shared a copy of the complaint with The Fix and provided further comments via a media statement.
“After the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students For Fair Admission, it is clear that discriminating on the basis of race to achieve diversity is not lawful,” William Jacobson told The Fix. He is the founder of the Equal Protection Project and filed the complaint. He is also a law professor at Cornell University.
“Sending a message to students that access to opportunities is dependent on race and ethnicity is damaging to the fabric of campus,” Jacobson also said.
Indeed, dividing students on the basis of race is unjust and causes further problems on campus.
It is truly amazing in the current year that universities continue to allow anti-white programs to exist.
Keep the federal complaints coming.
Editor’s note: The article has been updated with comments from the university.
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