Two Ivy League schools among 51 universities targeted by Education Department for discriminating against white people

Two prestigious Ivy League institutions are among over 50 universities targeted by the US Department of Education for alleged discrimination against white students. 

On Friday, the DoED announced the sprawling investigations, accusing reputable institutions like Cornell and Yale universities, of using 'racial preferences and stereotypes in education programs and activities.'

The federal department's Office of Civil Rights said that 45 schools, particularly with their graduate programs, acted in violation to the 1964 Civil Rights Act by partnering with The PhD Project.

The PhD Project is a nonprofit program which helps students from underrepresented groups earn doctoral degrees in business, with the goal of diversifying the industry.

The program focuses on supporting Black, Latino and Native American students. 

The Education Department alleges that the project limits eligibility based on the race of participants, and therefore, universities involved with the organization are engaging in 'race-exclusionary practices.'

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

In response to the allegations, The PhD Project told NPR: 'Our vision is to create a broader talent pipeline of current and future business leaders...' The organization added, 'This year, we have opened our membership application to anyone who shares that vision.'

The schools under investigation include dozens of state schools and the two Ivy Leagues.

A number of private schools are also facing scrutiny, including Duke, Emory, Georgetown, Vanderbilt, Rice, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and New York University. 

Six additional institutions are being probed for awarding alleged 'impermissible race-based scholarships.' 

Another one has been accused of 'administering a program that segregates students on the basis of race.'

The affected seven schools are: Grand Valley State University; Ithaca College; New England College of Optometry; University of Alabama; University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; University of South Florida; and University of Oklahoma, Tulsa School of Medicine. 

The department did not say which of the seven was being investigated for allegations of segregation.

Last month, on February 14, President Donald Trump's administration issued a demanding memo expanding the 2023 Supreme Court decision which barred colleges from using race as a factor in the admissions process.

In the memo, Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights, said schools' and colleges' diversity, equity and inclusion efforts have been 'smuggling racial stereotypes and explicit race-consciousness into everyday training, programming and discipline.'

The memo, however, is being challenged in federal lawsuits from the nation's two largest teacher's unions - the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

The scathing suits claim the memo is 'too vague' and violates the free speech rights of educators.