EUGENE, Ore. – The University of Oregon is one of 45 universities across the country under investigation by the U.S Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) for alleged Title VI violations.
The Department of Education stated in a press release on March 14 that the investigation was launched after allegations UO violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by partnering with the “The PhD Project,” a non-profit organization that aims to provide doctoral students with ways to get a Ph.D and networking opportunities, but limits eligibility based on the race of participants.
The Department of Education’s statement — released on Friday — included words from the agency’s secretary, Linda McMahon:
“The Department is working to reorient civil rights enforcement to ensure all students are protected from illegal discrimination. The agency has already launched Title VI investigations into institutions where widespread antisemitic harassment has been reported and Title IX investigations into entities which allegedly continue to allow sex discrimination; today’s announcement expands our efforts to ensure universities are not discriminating against their students based on race and race stereotypes. Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin. We will not yield on this commitment.”…