The Trump administration has opened a civil rights investigation into the alleged DEI hiring practices at George Mason University. The Education Department says it’s responding to multiple complaints from professors at George Mason University, which they allege is favoring people from underrepresented groups.
According to The Associated Press, the Education Department alleges the university’s president, Gregory Washington, favors faculty candidates based on diversity consideration rather than their credentials.
This is the second big public university to face scrutiny in recent weeks from the Justice Department. University of Virginia President, James Ryan, resigned following a similar investigation.
George Mason leaders have denied allegations of discrimination and said in a statement to the AP that the university “affirms its commitment to comply with all federal and state mandates.”
The Trump Administration Says Diversity Preferences Hurts White and Asian Americans
On Trump’s second day in office, he signed several executive orders, including an order to end DEI at all universities that receive federal money. Since signing the orders, the Trump administration has used civil rights law to fight DEI, saying that diversity preferences amount to illegal discrimination against white and Asian Americans.
Like many universities nationwide, George Mason renamed its DEI office earlier this year but also concluded that university policies were already in line with federal laws.
However, complaints to the Education Department allege otherwise, saying the university did nothing to change campus and promotion policies that favored certain minority groups.
According to the complaint, George Mason has a policy to include an “equity adviser” in every academic department to help recruit faculty. The university also allegedly created an “anti-racism” task force whose work included “diversity cluster hire initiatives,” according to the Education Department.
George Mason University has a reputation of being a conservative institution but has faced scrutiny from conservative groups that said it’s too slow in ending DEI initiatives.
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