WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education’s (DOE) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a warning to universities about discrimination based on race, skin color or where a person comes from late Friday.
Those universities included Washington State University (WSU), University of Washington-Seattle, Boise State, and Montana State University-Bozeman.
The letter specifically references white and Asian students being treated unfairly in the areas of admissions, financial aid and hiring.
The letter cited a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that schools cannot use race when deciding what students to admit, when giving out scholarships, when hiring teachers, when organizing events or when setting up housing.
The DOE claims some schools are finding back-door methods to use race to make decisions, like favoring essays or activities that hint at a student’s background.
The DOE warned that universities must treat all students equally, or risk losing government funding.
Those who believe they have been treated unfairly because of their race can file a complaint with the DOE’s Office of Civil Rights.
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