Conservative group asks DOJ to probe WashU DEI policies
America First Legal has filed a 165-page civil-rights complaint with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division accusing Washington University in St. Louis of violating Title VI and a 2025 Trump executive order by embedding race- and sex-based DEI preferences across admissions, hiring, student services, contracting and research while receiving more than $3.1 billion in federal funding since 2021. The complaint cites programs that prioritize 'underrepresented' racial groups, a Bias Report and Support System that accepts anonymous bias reports, and alleged DEI-linked grading practices at the Olin Business School, and urges DOJ to investigate, force dismantling of DEI structures, and audit or condition federal funds.
📌 Key Facts
- America First Legal submitted a 165-page complaint to DOJ’s Civil Rights Division targeting Washington University in St. Louis.
- The complaint alleges WashU has violated Title VI and the Supreme Court’s 2023 Students for Fair Admissions ruling through race-conscious admissions, race-based student services, supplier diversity and federally funded programs favoring 'underrepresented' groups.
- The filing says WashU has received more than $3.1 billion in federal funds since 2021, including hundreds of millions from NIH, and asks DOJ to investigate, dismantle DEI offices and programs, and audit or potentially restrict future federal funding.
- The complaint also challenges a Bias Report and Support System and claims Olin Business School conditioned grading and advancement on adherence to DEI frameworks, allegedly penalizing dissent.
📊 Relevant Data
In the Class of 2028 at Washington University in St. Louis, the overall enrollment of students of color decreased by six percentage points compared to the Class of 2027, from 53% to 47%, following the Supreme Court's affirmative action ruling.
New Affirmative Action data shows fewer students of color in Class of 2028 — Student Life
As of the latest data, the enrolled student population at Washington University in St. Louis is 35.9% White, 13.9% Asian, 8.56% Hispanic or Latino, and 7.19% Black or African American, out of a total of approximately 16,500 students.
Washington University in St Louis | Data USA — Data USA
In 2024, average SAT scores by race/ethnicity show significant disparities: Asian students averaged 1239, White students 1093, Hispanic students 943, and Black students 907, out of a possible 1600.
Average SAT Score and More Statistics — BestColleges
A 2024 study found that race-blind college admissions lead to a much less diverse admitted class with similar academic credentials, reducing representation of underrepresented minorities without improving overall student quality.
Race-blind college admissions harm diversity without improving quality — Cornell Chronicle
Racial underrepresentation in higher education is linked to factors such as poverty, school segregation, and disproportionate tracking into non-college preparatory paths for Black and Hispanic students, with data showing that in 2024, Black and Hispanic graduates are more likely to attend for-profit colleges with lower completion rates.
Educational Disparities among Racial and Ethnic Minority Youth in the United States — Ballard Brief
📊 Analysis & Commentary (3)
"An opinion piece arguing that long‑standing affirmative‑action/DEI practices on elite campuses are a real, institutionalized phenomenon now being contested through legal channels (DOJ/Title VI), and that reframing them as mere 'conspiracy theory' misses how enforcement and funding dynamics are driving the current fight."
"The piece critiques compulsory DEI training and institutional race/sex‑conscious programs as potential coercion of speech and argues such practices should face legal scrutiny — aligning with reporting about a conservative group asking DOJ to investigate Washington University’s DEI policies."
"A critique of campus DEI arguing that WashU‑targeted DOJ scrutiny is part of a broader, defensible push to end race‑based preferences in federally funded institutions and to restore meritocratic norms."
📰 Source Timeline (1)
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