Racial Discrimination Investigation Underway At University Of Rhode Island

KINGSTON, RI — The University is under investigation for possible racial discrimination.

The U.S. Department of Education announced Friday that URI is among 45 colleges nationwide where potential race-based programs are in question.

The news comes as the Education Department prepares to lay off half its staff and push back against Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs. President Donald Trump plans to cut spending on institutions with DEI initiatives as part of his plans to drastically reduce federal spending.

"Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin. We will not yield on this commitment," U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a press release.

Related:

• How Proposal To Gut Education Department Could Affect MD
• Education Dept. To Cut Half Its Staff: See Possible MD Impacts

The Education Department alleged that the schools violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (1964) by partnering with The PhD Project.

The DOE said The PhD Project is "an organization that purports to provide doctoral students with insights into obtaining a Ph.D. and networking opportunities, but limits eligibility based on the race of participants."

The PhD Project's website says it "encourages and supports historically underrepresented candidates on their journey to acquiring a PhD." The webpage also says the group has "demonstrated success in creating more diverse business faculty" and "inspiring new generations of future leaders, bringing diversity to our workforce."

"The Department is working to reorient civil rights enforcement to ensure all students are protected from illegal discrimination," McMahon said. "The agency has already launched Title VI investigations into institutions where widespread antisemitic harassment has been reported and Title IX investigations into entities which allegedly continue to allow sex discrimination; today’s announcement expands our efforts to ensure universities are not discriminating against their students based on race and race stereotypes."

A URI spokesperson said the school is working on a response to the Department of Education's inquiry.

"The department letter states that 'OCR’s opening of this investigation is not itself evidence of a violation of federal civil rights laws and regulations,'" a URI spokesperson said. "The university works diligently to comply with the regulatory landscape. We remain committed to our foundational values and our vital mission as a public land-grant institution."

The Education Department said these colleges are under investigation "for allegedly engaging in race-exclusionary practices in their graduate programs":

• Arizona State University – Main Campus
• Boise State University
• Cal Poly Humboldt
• California State University – San Bernadino
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Clemson University
• Cornell University
• Duke University
• Emory University
• George Mason University
• Georgetown University
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• Montana State University-Bozeman
• New York University (NYU)
• Rice University
• Rutgers University
• The Ohio State University – Main Campus
• Towson University
• Tulane University
• University of Arkansas – Fayetteville
• University of California-Berkeley
• University of Chicago
• University of Cincinnati – Main Campus
• University of Colorado – Colorado Springs
• University of Delaware
• University of Kansas
• University of Kentucky
• University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
• University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
• University of Nebraska at Omaha
• University of New Mexico – Main Campus
• University of North Dakota – Main Campus
• University of North Texas – Denton
• University of Notre Dame
• University of NV – Las Vegas
• University of Oregon
• University of Rhode Island
• University of Utah
• University of Washington-Seattle
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• University of Wyoming
• Vanderbilt University
• Washington State University
• Washington University in St. Louis
• Yale University.

These schools are "under investigation for alleged impermissible race-based scholarships and race-based segregation," the DOE said:

• Grand Valley State University
• Ithaca College
• New England College of Optometry
• University of Alabama at Birmingham
• University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
• University of South Florida
• University of Oklahoma, Tulsa School of Community Medicine.

Have a news tip? Email jimmy.bentley@patch.com.