The Equal Protection Project (EPP) (EqualProtect.org) of the Legal Insurrection Foundation has challenged numerous racially discriminatory programs done in the name of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This discrimination comes in various ways, but the overarching theme is to exclude or diminish some people and promote others, based on race, color, or ethnicity. We have filed over 20 complaints and legal actions in the year since launch in February 2023, with at least 10 schools withdrawing or modifying the discriminatory programs.
In our latest action, we have filed a Civil Rights Complaint (full embed at bottom of post) with the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) against North Central University (NCU) in Minneapolis, regarding the George Floyd Memorial Scholarship, which is open only to black students and provides a four year-full tuition scholarship.
The Scholarship page states:
On June 4, 2020, North Central University President Scott Hagan announced the creation of the George Floyd Memorial Scholarship and challenged every university president in the United States of America to establish a George Floyd Memorial Scholarship Fund at their institutions.In his remarks, Hagan said it is time “to invest like never before in a new generation of young black Americans, who are poised and ready to take leadership in our nation.”The scholarship provides a way to invest in a new generation of young Black Americans, poised and ready to be leaders in our community and our nation. We believe that the George Floyd Memorial Scholarship will enable North Central University to increase our number of Black students who will impact the learning environment in a positive manner. Diversifying our learning environment is key to being a University that looks and acts like Heaven.The application process and criteria for students to apply for the George Floyd Memorial Scholarship can be found here.
The Scholarship was announced by the President of NCU at George Floyd’s memorial service, which was held at NCU:
Only black students are eligible to apply:
We bring this civil rights complaint against North Central University (“NCU”) for creating, supporting and promoting the George Floyd Memorial Scholarship – an undergraduate scholarship that engages in invidious discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin….The application for the GFMS – which, for the 2024-25 academic year closes on May 5,2024 – requires applicants to state whether they “identify as being a student African descent,”which the application fo1m defines as being “Black, African American, African, or Mixed.”4 ….Students who do not meet the prerequisite racial categories – for example, students whoidentify as white, Hispanic or Asian – are automatically ineligible for the scholarship….Simply put, “Title VI prohibits a recipient of federal funds from intentionally treating any individual worse even in part because of his race, color, or national origin and without regard to any other reason or motive the recipient might assert.” Id. at *170 (cleaned up). Thus, regardless of NCU’s reasons for sponsoring and promoting the GFMS, it is violating Title VI by doing so….This complaint is timely brought because it includes allegations of discrimination based on race, color and national origin that occurred within the last 180 days and is ongoing. Indeed, the application period for GFMS for the 2024-25 academic year is still open, and the scholarship recipient will be selected by June 7, 2024.7
The filing has received extensive media coverage.
The NY Post reports:
A Minnesota college scholarship named after George Floyd and only available to black students sparked a complaint with the US Department of Education as one critic called it “racism.”North Central University’s exclusion of non-black students is “insidious discrimination on the basis of race, color and national original,” according to the complaint from the conservative legal advocacy group the Equal Protection Project of the Legal Insurrection Foundation.“Discrimination against white applicants is just as unlawful as discrimination against black or other non-white applicants,” foundation President William Jacobson and project member Ameer Benno wrote in the complaint, filed with the DOE Office of Civil Rights.Jacobson, a Cornell Law School professor and founder of the project, said in a statement The Post that the 2020 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked a focus on “alleged systemic racism” on campuses across the US.“Regardless of whether you believe in the racial narrative of the case, it does society no good to inject more racism into the educational system through discriminatory scholarships,” the statement said.“Unfortunately, many colleges and universities have bought into the ‘anti-racist’ activism claim that the remedy for past discrimination is current discrimination. Such ‘reverse-racism’ is just racism, and it is not the answer.” ….EPP/Legal Insurrection has filed claims of discrimination against other race-based exclusionary or preference programs, including at the SUNY Buffalo Law School and Medical School and SUNY Albany.
The College Fix, which was the first to cover the story, reported:
“The George Floyd Scholarship eligibility requirements are openly racially discriminatory,” Equal Protection founder William Jacobson told The College Fix via an emailed statement on Monday. “Regardless of the purpose of the racial discrimination, it is wrong and unlawful.”“NCU needs to come up with a remedial plan to compensate students shut out of the George Floyd Scholarship due to discrimination,” Jacobson, a Cornell University law professor, stated.The university did not respond to two emailed requests for comment prior to the filing of the complaint.The Fix first asked about the scholarship and its legality on March 18 and 21 after discovering the program. The Fix emailed Director of Marketing and Communications Erica Hanson again on Monday to ask about the complaint and left a voicemail. She has not responded.The university is also violating the state’s Human Rights Act, the Equal Protection Project alleges. “Similarly, the [scholarship] defies the civil rights protections of Minnesota’s Human Rights Act, which makes it a criminal offense for an educational institution to limit access to any educational program on the basis of race,” a footnote states….The university “knows better,” according to Jacobson.“NCU knows better than to run educational scholarships that exclude students based on race,” Jacobson stated. “NCU’s nondiscrimination policies absolutely forbid racial discrimination. Why isn’t NCU living up to its own rules?”
Numerous other media have covered the story, click on the headline images below to go to those stories:
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We are continuing to act on tips and to seek out opportunities to challenge discrimination done in the name of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. But we need your help. 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.
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