Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be secretary of Education, testifies during her Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee confirmation hearing in February. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights opened investigations into Duke University and 44 other schools for “race-exclusionary practices” in their graduate programs, according to a Friday announcement.
This follows allegations that the universities have violated Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act by partnering with “The Ph.D. Project,” an organization aiming to assist doctoral students with insights into obtaining a Ph.D., but restricting eligibility based on race.
An additional six universities are under investigation for “awarding impermissible race-based scholarships” and one for “administering a program that segregates students on the basis of race.”
Institutions violating Title VI can lose federal funding.
It’s the latest attempt by the Trump administration to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, this time in the field of higher education.
“The Department is working to reorient civil rights enforcement to ensure all students are protected from illegal discrimination,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement. “Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin. We will not yield on this commitment.”
In April 2024, Duke University ended its Reginaldo Howard Memorial Scholarship Program, a full-ride scholarship for “top applicants of African descent.” The university put a leadership program open to all undergraduates regardless of race in its place.
This move follows a Supreme Court decision in June 2023 that overturned the use of affirmative action in college admissions, although the university maintained the ruling did not affect the program’s termination, according to the Duke Chronicle.
Other institutions under investigation include Clemson University in South Carolina and Emory University in Georgia.
The Trump administration made numerous cuts to the Department of Education last week, including laying off nearly half of the employees in its civil rights branch, the Associated Press reported.
It’s unclear how these layoffs will impact the new investigations.
Duke University did not immediately respond to request for comment.