The University of Minnesota has a summer internship program called the Multicultural Summer Research Opportunities Program (“MSROP”) – a 10-week summer research program for undergraduate students that is only available to non-white applicants.
The program is promoted on the university’s website in multiple places as a featured program:
The racial guidelines are explicit and unambiguous – no white students allowed, you must “Identify as a Student of Color or Native American.”
As part of the application process, students are required to include “demographic information”:
The university also has promoted the program on its Instagram account:
“applications are open for the 2023 Multicultural Summer Research Opportunities Program (MSROP). MSROP is an intensive 10 week summer program in which undergraduate students of color work full-time with a faculty mentor on a research project. The cohort-based program includes a series of seminars preparing students for graduate school and developing research skills. Stipended opportunity of $6000. Deadline for Applications is March 3rd”
The program provides for a $6000 payment to each participant:
“Each participant will receive a $6,000 stipend for personal and research expenses. An additional research stipend is assigned to the faculty mentor for use by the student.The personal stipend is received in installments over the ten-week period into the scholar’s student account and is tied to competion of program requirements.”
The Equal Protection Project (EqualProtect.org) of the Legal Insurrection Foundation has filed a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education challenging the program (full complaint embedded at bottom of this post). The Complaint provides, among other things:
This is a federal civil rights complaint pursuant to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) discrimination complaint resolution procedures. See 42 U.S.C. § 2000d-1; 34 C.F.R. §§ 100.7, 100.8, and 100.9.We write on behalf of the Equal Protection Project (“EPP”) of the Legal Insurrection Foundation, a non-profit that, among other things, seeks to ensure equal protection under the law and non-discrimination by the government, and that opposes racial discrimination in any form.We bring this civil rights complaint against the University of Minnesota (“UMN”), a public institution, for its past, present, ongoing, and planned future practice of discriminating on the basis of race, color and national origin in its Multicultural Summer Research Opportunities Program (“MSROP”) – a 10-week summer research program for undergraduate students that is only available to non-white applicants.The MSROP violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VI”), 42 U.S.C. § 2000d, et seq., and its implementing regulations at 28 C.F.R. Part 100. It also violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.1 “It is a sordid business, this divvying us up by race.” League of United Latin Am. Citizens v. Perry, 548 U.S. 399 (2006) (Roberts, C.J., dissenting). Nowhere is that more true than here.The OCR should order that UMN’s discriminatory practices be discontinued immediately and take all necessary enforcement action to effectuate that order. This includes, if necessary, imposing fines, initiating administrative proceedings to suspend, terminate, or refuse to grant or continue federal financial assistance, and referring the case to the Department of Justice for judicial proceedings to enforce the rights of the United States.* * *ConclusionThe University of Minnesota is engaging in unlawful discrimination through the Multicultural Summer Research Opportunities Program. Racial discrimination by a public institution is illegal regardless of which race suffers. Discrimination against white applicants is just as unlawful as discrimination against black or other non-white applicants. There is no good form of racial discrimination. Because UMN receives federal funding, OCR had the power and obligation to make UMN stop and to impose whatever remedial relief is necessary.“The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.” Parents Involved in Cmty. Sch., 551 U.S. at 748. OCR should promptly investigate the allegations in this complaint and take the necessary enforcement action to end UMN’s ongoing unlawful policies and practices. This includes, if necessary, imposing fines, initiating administrative proceedings to suspend, terminate, or refuse to grant or continue federal financial assistance, and referring the case to the Department of Justice for judicial proceedings to enforce the rights of the United States under federal law.
Fox News digital has picked up the story.
As of this writing it is one of the top trending stories on the homepage with over 5000 comments and growing fast:
From the Fox News article:
The Equal Protection Project of the Legal Insurrection Foundation is calling for the University of Minnesota (UMN) to change its application process and open its summer internship programs to all students regardless of skin color.
“The U. Minnesota segregated summer program is inexcusable, and it’s shocking that a major university would so openly make educational opportunities open only to students of a certain skin color,” Bill Jacobson, president of the Equal Protection Project (EPP), told Fox News Digital. “EqualProtect.org calls on the university immediately to open-up the summer program to students of all races, ethnicities, and skin colors.””There is no good form of racial discrimination. Depriving white students of educational opportunities does not promote racial or any other form of justice,” Jacobson continued. “U. Minnesota’s conduct is inexcusable.” ….”We urge the U.S. Department of Education to fully investigate how pervasive segregationist practices are at U. Minnesota. Federal funding should not be used to promote educational opportunities restricted by skin color,” Jacobson told Fox News Digital. “Federal funding for U. Minnesota needs to be reevaluated.” ….”We all thought racial segregation in education as government policy ended with Brown v. Bd. of Education, but unfortunately it has been reborn under the umbrella of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,” Jacobson said. “Whatever you call it, it’s immoral and illegal, and U. Minnesota needs to stop treating students differently based on skin color.””At EqualProtect.org we believe that the remedy for racism can never be more racism, it’s equal treatment of all persons without regard to race,” Jacobson continued. “Unfortunately, U. Minnesota appears to think that pitting students against each other based on race by making educational opportunities available based on skin color is the answer, but that just compounds the problems.”
As of now I’m scheduled to be on Fox and Friends at 8:30 a.m. Eastern on Monday, May 22, 2023, to talk about this story.
At EPP we will continue to fight against discrimination done in the name of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. You can view our efforts in the two months since launch at our EPP News Page.
We are a small organization going up against powerful and wealthy government and private institutions devoted to DEI discrimination. Donations are greatly needed and appreciated.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY
